$WHACKD

I have been a nurse for 1.5 years. I started my nursing career at the start of covid at a horrible nursing home, and now I work at a wonderful rehabilitation center (lots of strokes, motor vehicle accidents, cardiac issues, traumatic brain injury, etc.). I started here in February. FOR THE MOST PART: My patients LOVE me. I do anything and everything for them. My coworkers LOVE me. I do anything and everything for them. My CNAs LOVE me. I do anything and everything for them. And i LOVE them. I love them all so much, I couldn’t do my job without them. But this world HATES me…they HATE YOU AND ME for choosing not to be vaccinated. It’s funny though, my own coworkers don’t discriminate against me, so why are these purple haired overweight psychos with a liberal arts degree or these morbidly obese health care workers telling me I’m selfish and I’m killing people.

Everywhere I look and turn, I’m reminded if I’m unvaccinated, I shouldn’t be working in healthcare. I’m not a perfect nurse, but I am almost positive I advocate for my patients more than these lazy fat asses I see on Instagram still trying to pull the “I’m a front line hero, get vaccinated so I don’t have to take care of you” bullshit. I try not to let it get to me, but it’s heartbreaking being apart of a field and told you don’t “deserve” to be here. I work so hard everyday to do my best. If I can’t help my patient, I go to the next person above me or more experienced than me to help me help the patient. I love my job, I love learning, I love making a difference, and I love watching these patients work so hard to get back to independence, they are inspiring. But I hate that the world, who literally knows nothing about me and my work ethic, tells me I don’t “deserve” to be a nurse.

And let me also add: I worked through covid from the very start, and a big reason it was so hard and tiring is because facilities (especially nursing homes) allow for criminal nurse-patient ratios. Patients get neglected because these facilities are allowed to be so understaffed. That’s what killed atleast half of these people….Lack of care and lack of accountability, not me being unvaccinated. And to this day, it still kills. SO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES IN THESE FACILITIES IF THEY CANNOT ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES. I BEG YOU.

And lastly, I know so many of you are in this boat (nurse or not), and it SUCKS. But I am so glad I have this Reddit page to come back to and feel less alone. I am so thankful!