The Anchor Newspaper - April 20, 2020

Page 1

Volume 93/Issue XXIII

THE

April 20th, 2020

ANCHOR

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Healthcare workers fighting for life

Abigail Nilsson Editor in Chief Danielle Dyman is a Lincoln, RI native and a registered nurse who is currently working at Morton Hospital, a COVID-19 only hospital in Taunton, MA. Her experience is similar to what many local healthcare workers are experiencing or will experience in the coming days. Dyman kindly shared with me what a typical night at the hospital is like for her and her coworkers. “Last night I arrived at work, got all geared up preparing to care for my patients in the “COVID exclusive” hospital I work at. I put on my gown, my N-95 mask, plus a surgical mask over that, a face shield, gloves and a surgical cap (ready to wear this for the next eight hours). Shortly after starting my shift one of our patients began to code (the patient’s oxygen level dropped and their heart stopped). The amazing team of nurses I

Inside this week:

work with began to work together, under pressure, to attempt to save a life, after all, that’s the natural thing to do if you are a healthcare worker. Each person took their place focused on their task at hand. Nurses lined up behind another nurse to take over chest compressions, for when exhaustion set in, to take over for the nurse in front of them. I’ve performed chest compressions so many times before, so it’s not scary to me. We are there to do a job and that is where my focus usually is. I don’t usually get emotional or scared or upset. I just do what I need to to help my team try and save a life” said Dyman. Healthcare workers around the globe are experiencing similar, yet different, situations when battling the novel coronavirus. There is a known shortage of personal protective equipment. During Gov. Gina Raimondo’s press conference on Friday, she said Rhode Island is still short on PPE but we are expecting more. Her goal is to have a 30 day supply of PPE on hand, all the time, at all hospitals in the state. Meanwhile, healthcare workers in RI and MA are wearing the same masks, gowns and face shields for

Pictured: Danielle Dyman (left) and her team at Morton Hospital. Photo courtesy of Dyman entire shifts, and then they I was trying to avoid tak- healthcare workers in fear are expected to recycle them ing too deep a breath just in for their safety and the safeso they can be cleaned to case the mask didn’t have ty of their families. Doing be reused. Many health- a good seal, yet my adren- the right thing and focusing care workers are only be- aline forced me to breathe on saving a patient’s life is ing provided with surgical deep and rapidly” she said. what these professionals are masks, not N-95 masks, When healthcare workers trained and their goal. But, which are not helping to are performing CPR and on many of these patients who protect them from the virus. are coding and dying are el“Tonight when I performed “We are there to do a derly and have comorbidities these compressions over and job and that is where such as asthma, dementia, over and over again until I end stage cancer and heart my focus usually is. was exhausted and out of disease among others. When I don’t usually get breath, I felt guilt because is it time to stop putting emotional or scared all that was going on in my healthcare workers at risk? or upset. I just do mind was fear of exposure. Most COVID-19 patients “Is my shield down enough, what I need to to help who are admitted to the Indoes my mask have a tight tensive Care Unit require my team try and enough seal?” questions mechanical ventilation, or save a life” Dyman. As the breathing a ventilator. In a study of tube disconnected top of a patient doing com- 18 Coronavirus positive pafrom the ventilator, pressions, they are expanding tients in Washington State blood was spewing and contracting the lungs of who were placed on ventiout into the room at the person, actively pushing lators 14 died. According to those assisting with air in and out of their lungs several studies in China and CPR. Droplets in the through their body. This also Europe a majority of patients air put all the health- expels droplets from the who are placed on ventilacare workers at a lungs into the air, which are tors due to the Coronavirus higher risk of con- highly communicable with do not survive. The longer tracting COVID-19. the Coronavirus. The ques- patients are on a breathing “I began trying to tions of properly fitting PPE, machine, the greater the turn my head away reusing the same mask for chance that they will die. to avoid droplets and eight plus hours at a time and At this point, it is hard to the new standard of care con- tell what the outcome will stantly changing as supplies be for COVID-19 patients in Graphic courtesy of Tauton Daily Gazette are dwindling are leaving Continued on pg. 3

News

Opinions

Arts & Entertainment

Sports

RIC enables emergency fund to help students pg. 3

The danger of four more years pg. 4

Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” review pg. 7

A rough draft of thoughts

The Anchor Newspaper

@TheAnchorRIC

@RICTheAnchor

pg. 9

www.ANCHORWEB.org


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.