I'm in a constant state
of fear.
The US healthcare system
faces a crucial dilemma. How
do we keep healthcare
workers and their families
safe during COVID so they
can take care of the sick?
For answers and insight,
watch Outlook Montgomery.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I want to say I do feel safe
because I want to look at
the positives, but I can't
be ignorant to all of the
facts.
America is facing a
healthcare workforce crisis.
Many factors contribute to
the healthcare worker
shortage. The most recent
being the COVID 19 pandemic.
I think it's, it's very
difficult for a nurse or a
healthcare worker to be, you
know, worried about their
own health and safety, but
also worry that they might
take this home to their
family. So there's a lot of
emotional baggage, I think,
that's going on right now.
I have a constant state of
feeling unsafe. As a
healthcare worker, it's
really hard to come to grips
with that because we can't
quarantine ourselves. We
have to put ourselves out
there to do our job, but to
make a difference in what we
can make a difference in.
The Centers for Disease
Control reported that,
through the end of August,
more than 150,000 doctors,
nurses, and other healthcare
personnel in the US have
contracted COVID-19. So how
can healthcare professionals
stay safe at work?
In order to stay safe, um,
we're implementing a lot of
policies on protective gear.
So that means, um, wearing
masks all the time in the
hospital, no matter what.
Um, and then when it comes
to patient care directly,
before we go into a
patient's room, we put on a
gown and it's a single use
gown, although we've started
to transition to reusable
gowns, which is really good
in terms of PPE shortage.
For more infectious
patients, we either are
supplied with N95 masks or
as an alternative is the
PAPR helmet or the PAPR
hood. To keep healthcare
providers safe, we ask that
whenever we go into a room,
any patient who's old enough
to wear a mask put on a mask
when healthcare providers
come in. And we've done a
good job of implementing
those and communicating that
to patients and families, to
ensure that the healthcare
provider's safety is, is
solidified.
In Montgomery College's
Health Sciences program,
there's a strong emphasis on
proper clinical procedure
for the health and safety of
the soon-to-be healthcare
workers and their patients.
Safety is our number one
priority. Um, safety is the
first skill that you learn
in an on-campus lab. We
teach safe handling of the
patient, of the equipment,
of medications, proper hand
hygiene, proper technique to
put on and take off your
personal protective
equipment.
Very early on in the course,
they did a hand-washing
exercise where they put this
UV-reactive lotion on our
hands, and they told us to
go wash your hands. And then
they shine the UV light on
our hands to show us where
people commonly miss. So
from that moment, I realized
how important cleanliness
and safety was in the
medical field. They really,
really emphasized that
point.
"Foam In, Foam Out" is like
the biggest thing that they
always talk about, meaning
as soon as you go into a
patient's room, you're going
to put that hand sanitizer
on the wall in and as soon
as you leave, you're gonna
put hand sanitizer on.
Always wear gloves, and they
talk about reading the
paperwork from the patient,
and how important it is.
Reading those notes that
people leave can give big
hints to how to prepare
yourself when going into
that room and how to keep
yourself safe, how to keep
the patient safe, and then
everybody else you're going
to be interacting with.
Safety is an outcome that is
actually threaded throughout
every curriculum, every
program, and it's threaded
throughout every course.
Even with the potential
dangers, Montgomery
College's Health Sciences
students and alumni are
absolutely dedicated to
being on the front lines to
help heal their community.
My time at MC has really
taught me that like the true
sense of community, like
this is my home. We're going
to take care of it and to
give back whenever we can.
We should constantly be
uplifting each other and
making sure that our
community is taken care of.
And so that's what MC has
really taught me.
We're going to be medical
professionals. I would
really rather be out there
applying what I've been
learning. But you know, as
much as I would like to be
out there being helpful, I
understand that there are
certain steps that have to
be taken to maintain safety
and integrity. I am not a
qualified Rad Tech just yet,
but as soon as that day
comes, I will be out there
applying everything that
I've learned in this course
so far.
I just want to graduate as
soon as I can so that I can
get out there more, so the
pandemic hasn't scared me
into not wanting to do it
anymore. It's made me more
motivated to like, feel like
I'm doing something.
I want to be on
those front lines,
and I want to
get out there and help.
Become a healthcare hero.
Visit
montgomerycollege.edu/
healthsciences
Big issues. Local impact.
Outlook Montgomery.
♪ MUSIC ♪