Below are the words of Aaron Mishler, a nurse, former Army Medic, and Ebola responder in West Africa in 2014-2015.
These are the most important words I’ve read in a long time.
These are the same words we used as a team, every SINGLE time we entered the Ebola Treatment Unit:
“Who is the most important person in the ETU?”
“I am.”
Thank you, Aaron, for using your voice.
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I was asked to repost this with the news of 13 Italian doctors dying from COVID-19. If you do not have proper PPE, do not go in. No matter what.
This post is for my healthcare workers, docs, surgeons, Nurses, aids, and EMS, and all staff.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
You as a healthcare worker are a force multiplier. Your training and experience is invaluable moving into this crisis. So, you’re going to be faced with some very difficult moments. You’re going to have to put your needs first.
I’m speaking specifically about PPE and your safety.
If you’re an ICU nurse, or an ICU doc, and you become infected, not only are you out of the game for potentially weeks (or killed). But your replacements could be people without your expertise. Your remaining co-workers are short staffed now, more likely to make mistakes and become ill themselves. You stop being a force multiplier and start using healthcare resources.
You going in may save the patient, it may not. But you cant save any patients in the weeks you’re laying in a hospital bed or using a vent yourself.
People are going to die. Do not become one of them.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
During the Ebola outbreak, people were dying. But at no point did we rush in, we took the 10 minutes to put on our PPE with our spotter. If we didn’t have proper PPE we did NOT go in.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
You may work in long term care, and want to rush in to save a patient you have had for years. Do not go in without your PPE.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
You may have a survivor in the room, screaming at you to come in because their mother is crashing. Do not go in without your PPE.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
You may have an infected woman in labor. Screaming for help. Do not go in without your PPE.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
You may have a self-quarantined patient with a gunshot wound who is bleeding out. Do not go in there without your PPE.
There is no emergency in a pandemic.
Doing nothing may be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do in your life.
Many of you say, I could never do that. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from rushing in and saving my patient.
Liberian nurses and doctors said the same thing, and many did run in to help, saying PPE be damned. My patients need me.
Then they became infected, they infected others. And they died.
They didn’t help anyone after that.
Do not let the deaths of hundreds of healthcare workers be forgotten.
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New blog post 4/8/2020: Healthcare workers: Your silence is not your shame.
New blog post 3/29/2020: Souls in Anguish: The Moral Injuries of COVID-19
A Canticle for Lazarus 
Martha,
Your words are always so relevant and compelling. I look forward to every one of your posts. This one in particular truly tugs at my heart. As a mom I understand how women in particular, have such a strong drive to run in and help. Your message, “There is no emergency in a pandemic” should be plastered all over the walls in every health care facility. Bless you for your bottomless bucket of compassion for the world! Heartfelt hugs and hope to you and all of your family. We think of you often.
Thank you for sharing this…this is true and has to be first and foremost for all concerned!! As hard as the medical personnel may find their self facing the current situation…by all means follow these words “there is no emergency in a pandemic”!! Your life and mine depends on that!! God bless you!! ❤️🇺🇸
First and foremost take care of the caregiver
I truly believe! “There is no emergency in a Pandemic” If you get sick and God forbid, die—You have saved no one.–Put yourself first and foremost. People will die we cannot save everyone
Thank you so much for such a powerful reminder to all of us healthcare workers! If we become infected and much worse, die, we are becoming a statistic. We have dedicated our lives to helping others and it must be done with the utmost precautions in a pandemic, absolutely! If a plane is going down, we must don our own oxygen mask first in order to save others. PPE is imperative for us to survive and continue to be of service. 😷🙏
Thank you. This is an excellent and sobering reminder to all of us compassionate healthcare professionals!
Thank you for your experience and your wise words x
What about just going into these patients that are positive with a surgical mask,gown,gloves, and hair net? Doesn’t seem protective enough to me
What is your recommendation then if my hospital says no to wearing n95s unless intubation and a small list of similar aeorsolizing diagnostics and treatments??
I’m not in healthcare but I wanted to ask you something. Are you allowed to disagree with them? Are you allowed to advocate for your own safety or do they just not think about these situations?
SAFETY FIRST before it’s too late. No compromise.
As they say on the airplane;
“In case of emergency put you own mask on before helping fellow passengers”
We can not expect health carers to care if they are not adequately protected against the cause of the problem, it’s obvious.
This is absolutely on point, and I’ve been saying the same thing all along. It’s our individual responsibility to protect ourselves. If we don’t we quickly become casualties. I was a power lineman for three decades. No matter the situation, certain safety protocols HAVE to be followed. Anything less WILL result in immediate devastating injury or death. No event warrants the suspension of safety rules/laws/equipment. Look what happened to the first responders from 911 as an example.
I 1,000,000 % agree with this, BUT how does the strict, unyielding black and white with no grey area of the RN State Boards of Nursing viewing a post like this? Not snarky, really need to know.
Thank you so very much for this post. As a labor nurse, this pandemic has been downplayed to the point where I feel guilty asking for a mask to protect myself. I’m told there’s such a shortage I need to save it for someone who might need it more than me. Reading this is exactly what I needed to hear. Sharing also my words as a mom, hoping some of your readers might connect with it too. https://birthingbabiesbringingupboys.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/my-battle-as-a-mom-against-the-war-of-covid-19/
Thank you for such inspiring word.i was upset as I didn’t go for duty , upset because I am doing nothing for humankind even after being a doctor.Though pandemic isn’t the reason,the reason is my work place is far from home and in the locked down situation I have no transport.if j had transport I would do duty , Though my hospital didn’t supply PPE and I am the only one in my four members family who runs after the whole family. My upsetness lessened a bit after reading this article.thank you.
I commend all your selfless actions to help pther people in need of your professional abilities I don’t know how you manage the stress of staying healthy yourself but also your own families Please follow the words of this knowledgeable nurse And be safe we all care and thank you for your dedication and service to your country and the world you really do make a great difference in this uncertain time we are going through you all should be very proud of what you are doing to help others I thank you with all my heart
Thank you.
Thank you for all the values information. My daughter is a nurse for 20+ years in ICU open heart surgery. I hope she stays safe during this unbelievable times. I love her very much and so does her two children!!!😘
I think this is really good and important for those of you out there helping take care of all of us. This reminds me that it’s better to be slow and deliberate than it is to rush in and try to do something as quickly as possible.
So true no emergency during a pandemic. Same message was enforced during SARS and again now. Remember you need to always put yourself first and dress appropriately in the proper PPE including the blue gown especially if you’re manipulating the airway. Some may think you are abusing the PPE but you are responsible for your safety while on the job. So utilise your clinical and critical thinking skills at all time to ensure full protection of yourself. Do not become another statistic or patient.
Thank you for the powerful words. This really helps us while teaching our fellow nurses & doctors on the medical emergency team.
I traveled from Oregon to New York to help. I require an xs mask. I have been given four and told to make them last. I’m here for six weeks. If more masks are not provided from the private box (I tried buying but none available), I’m out of here after the fourth day. No properly fitting N95, no nurse!!