'Exceptionally draining': US medics shattered by Covid elated to be in New Zealand

[Celerity]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/123848974/exceptionally-draining-us-medics-shattered-by-covid-elated-to-be-in-new-zealand

A wave of emotionally drained health workers from the United States and United Kingdom are looking to escape Covid-19-ravaged hospitals by moving to New Zealand. Accent Medical Recruitment managing director Prudence Thomson said medical recruiters were reporting high demand for work in New Zealand. “They are exhausted, they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel ... they are angry and scared – and these are doctors with 30 years experience, and they just want to make the move away from their home country.”

Texan nurse Ana Carino was among those hoping a new life in New Zealand would heal the emotional trauma of working in a country ravaged by Covid-19. Carino and her partner, Cinthia​ Salinas, emerged from managed isolation in Christchurch on Thursday and would head south on Saturday before Carino began work at Southland Hospital on January 11. Medical professionals are deemed “critical workers” and can be granted an exemption to New Zealand’s border closure rules. Employers are now required to pay a bigger share of the cost of managed isolation, with the charge increasing from Friday.



Carino and Salinas, who are both US citizens, moved to New Zealand from the oil fields centre of Midland, Texas – where the childhood home of former US president George W Bush is a tourist drawcard. Texas has had 1.5 million Covid-19 cases and more than 27,000 deaths to date, according to the Texas State Government. Carino shed tears as she described the horror of caring for critically ill Covid patients. “Every time I would go there someone had just passed away or a family was deciding to take them off the ventilator.”

Nurses used iPads to help family members say their last goodbyes, with patients – often on ventilators for weeks – unable to respond, she said. “Then after they passed, we had to collect their items, their belongings and that just did it to me.” Covid initially hit the elderly hardest, but now most of those dying were middle-aged, with chronic health problems such as diabetes and obesity, Carino said. The couple were bitterly disappointed by the way their community and US President Donald Trump had responded to Covid-19. Carino said about half of those in Texas refused to wear masks.

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[roamer65]

1. I would move if I had the chance.

New Zealand or Australia.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. We could've been nearly back to normal by now, except for the Republican death cult.

Something has to be done about the radicalizing propaganda machine and the lack of education.



DU actblue link for Warnock, Ossoff, Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dufor2020runoff

A few questions: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520874

and answers: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520972

[bronxiteforever]

3. Kick and recommend for visibility. Texas is a bad

place to work for medical professionals. It ranks 37th in the country for healthcare. Sounds like moving away makes sense.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/health-care

[dutch777]

4. I am surprised more haven't done this or just quit...

...with the length of this, people ignoring common sense (masks) and still shortages of PPE in many hospitals. I retired from a hospital a couple years ago that I still live near and the last overpass on the freeway before you get to the hospital has had a few people on it the last few days waving with a giant banner that says Stop the Tyranny-- Masks Don't Work! (This is in western WA state). I think of all the docs and nurses that pass that everyday and on top of all they need to deal with at work these days, they have to be disheartened by that. Yesterday there a guy next to them with a sign that said Yes, They Do! Kudos to him!

[marlakay]

6. ICU doctor called into Howard Sterns

Show about 3 weeks ago, my hubbies show but told me about it. The guy said that he knows a bunch of doctors that are going to quit soon. They feel they haven't had the back up they needed from ther jobs, the government, etc. He was in a large hospital in New York.

Said it was too much and they think more pandemics are coming.

I see a severe shortage of doctors and nurses soon. Maybe the government might want to help with school costs.

[Ilsa]

5. Everyone has limits, and these are two people who reached theirs.

They have no intention of risking their mental health and their lives for selfish brats who can't be bothered to wear a mask.

I would not be surprised to see nursing school applications drop significantly over the next couple of years.

[MustLoveBeagles]

7. I can't really blame them for leaving

It's very damaging to witness constant sickness and death every day along with scorn and hatred they're subjected to. At least now they can live in a safe environment were they're appreciated. What dumps extreme supporters have done should be criminal.