JOSHUA RESCH
MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE, PTRC (PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT CENTER), 4/29/20
Note: PTRC transitioned to an all COVID-positive unit several weeks ago, after a number of patients came down with COVID-19 and were transferred to University for medical treatment.
A lot of us understand the field of inpatient psychiatry, but now the whole game is changed. It’s no longer just about the patient and their condition, whether they are manic, or whatever. We still try to reach out to the patient, talk with them about what they care about, encourage them, talk them down if they are elevated. Now all our interactions come with another thread: We are much more guarded, like if the patient is angry, we take a few steps back to see where the situation goes. It’s a new way of thinking, to find an approach that helps the patient but also protects ourselves and the patient from the disease.
Unfortunately, it was like guerilla warfare when COVID spread in our department. One day you’d talk to a patient or a co-worker, and the next day they were sick, or you were taking the patient to the ED. We watched our patients dwindle down to just 2. It was remarkable, and I’m so curious: What is it about these 2 patients that they didn’t get sick? And 4 or 5 of the staff didn’t get sick – we were the last people standing.
Who knows, maybe we did get sick and we were asymptomatic. We aren’t allowed to get tested unless we have symptoms, so it’s confusing.
A lot of my co-workers come from other countries, and their parents live with them. They are very worried about bringing the virus home and getting them sick.
Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important.
We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process.
I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too!
Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC
Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important.
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We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process.
I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too!
Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC
Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important.
We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process.
I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too!
Who are those masked men? They’re the heroes who serve as Mental Health Associates at the PTRC
Some nurses and I volunteer to observe our co-workers taking off and putting on their PPE. It seems ridiculous to say, “Nope, you did that wrong, you have to wash your hands and do it again.” But it’s important.
We are really making sure we have each other’s back. If someone needs to go to the bathroom, you know it’s going to be a 15 minute process.
I think now my co-workers and I are finding ways of creating some humor, we rag on each other more than usual. We’re all still scared, but the humor helps. Hazard pay would help too!