Nurses: I HEAR you, I LOVE you. And I STAND by you. THIS IS FOR US. It’s time to finally be HEARD!
Nurses: I HEAR you, I LOVE you. And I STAND by you. THIS IS FOR US. It’s time to finally be HEARD!
Hi everyone! My last fb post went viral a few days ago about my experience being a nurse on a COVID unit. Sadly, as of yesterday I made a tough decision to quit my job due to the unsafe work conditions, and being without proper personal protective equipment (PPE). This morning, it was an honor to be featured on Good Morning America. Only a brief portion of my interview was aired, but I would love to share with the world my full speech and interview preparedness. So here it is... it’s long BUT EVERY WORD IS IMPORTANT.
Nurses: I HEAR you, I LOVE you. And I STAND by you. THIS IS FOR US. It’s time to finally be HEARD!
PLEASE SHARE AND LETS SPREAD AWARENESS!
This is the link to the brief clip:
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/us-medical-workers-demand-federal-government-fight-covid-69859947
Ashlee Perez
March 25 at 10:27 PM · Public
•This face right here is defeat. This is the face of a nurse who’s held a dying mans hand today as he gasped for air WITHOUT HIS FAMILY by his side. This is the face of a nurse who had to go into the next COVID room as if the previous situation never happened. This is the face of a nurse who’s tired of being told there’s not enough protective equipment to keep her safe against COVID to do her job, and this is the face of a nurse who’s disappointed. I’ve never been so disappointed in America. I’ve never been so disappointed in humanity. And I’ve never been so disappointed in the people that I even know.
•For those of you who think you’re too young and healthy to get this... so you continue to socialize... you’re having parties or attending them, you’re out on boats, you’re in parks,and you’re at beaches. And you think it’s okay because the people you’re with aren’t symptomatic or you’re “10 feet apart”. YOU ARE WRONG. There are PEDIATRIC PATIENTS VENTILATED. You are uneducated. And that’s fine. But E D U C A T E yourself. You think because someone is your best friend they don’t have it ? So it’s ok to hang out with them? Let me tell you something, the moment you leave your house , every. Single. Thing. You touch.... from your house until your destination... could have the virus on it. Or it may be on your hands and you’ve placed it on every. Single. Thing. You’ve touched in your path.
•I’ve never seen so much selfishness in my entire life. I’ve never seen so much carelessness. This is NOT THE FLU , this is NOT a cold, this is NOT a government conspiracy kind of thing. This is a you were healthy yesterday and can’t breathe today kind of thing. Mobile MORGUES are being set up outside hospitals in New York, because the hospitals literally don’t have enough room for bodies. You’re out here getting drunk, instead of feeding your body with nutrients and boosting your immune system to protect yourself, you’re choosing to depress your immune cells completely. You are putting others at risk. You’re putting babies, and the elderly, and parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, AT RISK.
•You are over running our healthcare system and you are exhausting healthcare providers to no end. You are THE REASON for lack of supplies for healthcare providers to treat patients. You are THE REASON more people are getting sick. And I don’t care if this offends you. I don’t care if you think this is true or not. THIS IS FACT. I think this pandemic has shown nothing more than how many people possess the inability to be alone or at home. And that in ITSELF shows how much self reflection some of you need.
•Do you know what it’s like to stroke someones head while they’re dying? Do you know what it’s like to watch a person GASP for their last breath? Of course you don’t. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so selfish right now. I understand some of you might be scared, but most of you are being NAIVE. And disrespectful. Disrespectful to your PLANET. To humans that you share this EARTH with. If it were possible to waive a magic wand and make all Americans freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart , epidemiologists say that the entire epidemic would sputter to a halt. And quarantine is the only thing closest we have to that.
•I'm not even going to share with you the number of confirmed cases my hospital has or how many people have already died. If public health called you tomorrow and told you that you had tested positive for COVID-19 and asked you to list all the places you had been, and all the people you had contact with , for the last 14 days. Would you be proud of yourself? Or embarrassed by your actions?
•Those of you living your life outside and wandering around touching everything and everyone. You are viral assholes. And to be honest if I was just inside all day and didn’t have to work, then sure I probably wouldn’t care as much. But you are directly AFFECTING ME, and my colleagues and all of the nurses and doctors across America. And don’t you dare say we signed up for this. No we DID NOT. I became a nurse to SAVE LIVES not RISK MINE. I became a nurse ready to treat any disease thrown my way because I would be provided with the correct equipment to keep me safe. And let me tell you, you probably think I have mass help? You’re WRONG. The COVID patients I’m assigned to. I am the ONLY person allowed in the room. I AM the person caring for the patient. While another person stands outside the door to make sure I’m entering and exiting properly, I AM the one. Have you ever seen a front line? Well, this is it. Going in full force, equipment or not, ready to help fight.
•And when all of you selfish humans steal all of the medical supplies and keep buying mass bundles on the internet, clearing out stores and you don’t stay home... guess what? Medical professionals... we will quit. And we WILL stay home and protect ourselves and our families and your emergency room door will be locked. And hospitals will be empty, like a real damn apocalypse. And THEN you’ll wish you stayed home.
•You wanna know how my night ended? My night ended with a pediatric code blue going off at the end of my shift. Another one crashing. A CHILD. And my COVID unit just STOOD IN SILENCE.
Sincerely,
A COVID caring nurse
#STAYHOME
