States have begun their massive vaccine rollouts this month, but travel nurses in COVID-19 ICUs can’t be guaranteed they’ll have access to the shots.
Clara, a travel nurse based in Tennessee who wished to keep out her last name, has worked in three different intensive care units since January 2020, where she has treated severely ill coronavirus patients. Her daily responsibilities include direct contact with coronavirus-positive patients in critical condition. Yet, her prospects of getting the vaccine are murky, given that she is not employed by the Baltimore hospital where she is under contract until mid-January.
“As a traveler, we understand they were transient that we’re not a priority in comparison to the facility. However, this time feels like it should’ve been different,” she told the Washington Examiner. “For me, when my most current assignment ends in January, if I’m not able to be vaccinated at least once [the first dose] by then, is it worth my health to take another assignment right away?”
At the University of Maryland Medical Center, the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine went to senior staff, in accordance with Maryland’s phased vaccine distribution plan. Much like the recommended distribution guidance handed down from vaccine experts in the federal government, the state plan indicates that healthcare workers and long-term care facilities should get the first doses of the two-shot vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
States have the final say in how vaccines should be distributed, however. There is no uniform national policy for doling out shots, leaving many providers in the dark about when they will be eligible.
When she contacted the Tennessee state health department, under whose guidance she would be prioritized for the vaccine, Clara was told that she did not qualify under state health department guidelines and that her hospital in Baltimore was responsible for giving her access to the shots.
She’s a frequent user of the social news aggregation site Reddit, where she learns from other travel nurses elsewhere whether they will be prioritized per state distribution guidelines, “and it’s been it’s been pretty mixed.” Some nurses who are under contract will be able to get the shots in their hospitals, others will not. The lack of transparency “at every level” is especially frustrating, she said, for all travel nurses during the pandemic.
“We’re the ones that came to the rescue for you in New York and then every other hot spot in this country. We’re the ones that sacrificed our time with our families and picked up and moved our lives away to help out,” she said. “And now, we feel like they’re turning their backs on us.”
Working in the intensive care unit is draining. A survey from Mental Health America found that a growing number of healthcare providers reported feeling overtired and overworked. Over 85% of healthcare workers said they were experiencing anxiety, 76% reported exhaustion and burnout, and 75% said they were overwhelmed.
Clara said she has also boosted efforts to maintain her mental and emotional stability with professionals, who formally diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“It was suggested to me by my physician to find a new line of work,” she said.
