A critical care nurse who broke down in tears on Instagram has revealed to DailyMailTV why she left her job on the frontline in the fight ...
A critical care nurse who broke down in tears on Instagram has revealed to DailyMailTV why she left her job on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.
Imaris Vera walked out of the ICU unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois on Monday when she arrived for her shift only to realize the face masks staff were asked to wear were inadequate.
And the registered nurse, who was caring for coronavirus patients, claims when she offered to wear her own personal protective equipment (PPE) her manager denied her request, citing CDC policy.
Imaris, 30, currently lives with her sister Sabrina who has a rare blood disease, which puts her life at risk if she's infected by COVID-19, leading to Imaris deciding to put her family first and walked out of the hospital.
She posted an emotional video later that day to her 6,000 followers.
Imaris Vera, 30, walked out of the ICU unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois on Monday. The registered nurse arrived for her shift only to realize the face masks staff were asked to wear were inadequate and her manager didn't allow her wear her own
Imaris, 30, currently lives with her sister Sabrina who has a rare blood disease, which puts her life at risk if she's infected by COVID-19, leading to Imaris deciding to put her family first and walked out of the hospital. She posted an emotional video later that day to her 6,000 followers
Speaking exclusively to DailyMailTV, Imaris said: 'I know I am needed and I do want to help, but I feel like it's at the cost of my life or my family's lives and that is unacceptable. We wouldn't send our soldiers into biological warfare without gas masks or into a gunfight with knives. In the same way, medical workers should be properly protected'
In floods of tears she said: 'I quit my job today, I wanted to work and I was assigned to a COVID patient on an ICU unit that has been converted to a designated COVID unit, none of the nurses are wearing masks, not even surgical masks in the hallways when they're giving reports to each other.
'I had my own N95 mask, I told my manager I understand we're short on supplies but let me protect myself, let me feel safe. I have family I have to come home to and the way things are looking this isn't gonna get any better.
'Americans are not prepared and nurses are not being protected.'
The video, posted Monday night, went viral and has received almost 80,000 views.
I shouldn't have to worry about choosing between my job and my life or the life of my loved ones.
Now Imaris is speaking out and wants to be a voice for the millions of nurses working in America.
There are currently an estimated 3.8 million registered nurses in the US, the nation's largest healthcare profession. More than 500,000 of these registered nurses work in critical care.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMailTV, Imaris said: 'I know I am needed and I do want to help, but I feel like it's at the cost of my life or my family's lives and that is unacceptable.
'We wouldn't send our soldiers into biological warfare without gas masks or into a gunfight with knives. In the same way, medical workers should be properly protected.
'If there is a shortage of PPE equipment and we're waiting on more supplies and if I'm willing to use my own supplies from home, I shouldn't be penalized.
'I shouldn't have to worry about choosing between my job and my life or the life of my loved ones.'
Imaris, 30, who has been a traveling critical care nurse for four years after graduating from college, said she 'took an oath' to dedicate her life to helping and healing patients
There are currently an estimated 3.8 million registered nurses in the US, the nation's largest healthcare profession. More than 500,000 of these registered nurses work in critical care. Pictured: Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois
Imaris, 30, who has been a traveling critical care nurse for four years after graduating from college, said she 'took an oath' to dedicate her life to helping and healing patients.
She said she noticed a swing in the mood of her hospital at the beginning of March when coronavirus became headline news around the world and countries began to shutdown.
Despite early preparation, it quickly became clear there would be a huge shortage of key medical supplies, face masks being one.
But, she says, there is pressure on staff to do their job no questions asked.
'I would say that there is 100 percent tension in the air, nurses and healthcare providers are scared,' she explained.
'They're scared to work and are mentally and physically being torn apart by this.
'Staff members are also being threatened with their jobs and repercussions for speaking out.
'Other nurses have been fired for trying to help and warn other healthcare providers that they're working without safe PPE.
'It's definitely a scary time for us. America right now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and we haven't even reached a peak. We're still climbing the hill.'
She added: 'We need more protection period. And if it's not provided to us, we should be able to provide it to ourselves.
'If we have the means, we're here to fight the fight, but we can't fight the fight without protection.'
In floods of tears she said: 'I quit my job today, I wanted to work and I was assigned to a COVID patient on an ICU unit that has been converted to a designated COVID unit, none of the nurses are wearing masks, not even surgical masks in the hallways when they're giving reports to each other. I have family I have to come home to and the way things are looking this isn't gonna get any better. 'Americans are not prepared and nurses are not being protected'
Imaris added: 'Other nurses have been fired for trying to help and warn other healthcare providers that they're working without safe PPE. It's definitely a scary time for us. America right now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and we haven't even reached a 'peak. We're still climbing the hill'
Imaris was returning to work Monday after some time off and didn't expect what she found.
'When I showed up I thought that every nurse would have on at least a mask while being on the COVID designated unit or in the hospital at all,' she explained.
'But no one had any masks on. I came with my own N95 (respirator) mask from home and requested that I keep it on for the duration of my shifts so that I felt that I was protected.
'Each of the nurses were given a single N95 mask that was later placed in a brown paper bag to be stored outside of the COVID patient's room and reused.
'But I felt that that posed a risk of contamination for the nurses and any staff members going into the room.
'I asked about the risk and our safety and I was told that we didn't have sufficient PPE. I could tell from the look in my manager's eyes that she felt kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.
'And I told her, I understand, you know, there's a shortage with PPE and it's nationwide, so I am not asking for anything extra. I'm just asking to be able to use my own mask and keep it on so I feel safe.
'But I was told that they're (the CDC) not allowing nurses to wear any (of their own) masks in the hallways or on the units.'
Imaris challenged the decision and said she didn't feel comfortable putting herself or her family at risk.
Her manager was understanding and gave her time to think it over, but cited CDC guidelines, which suggests the threat of infection is from COVID-19 droplets rather than aerosol transmission.
Imaris added that healthcare workers should not be 'sacrificed' like they are being right now amid equipment shortages
'I was very much in distress and had a feeling of uncertainty. Ultimately I decided if I didn't feel safe I did not have to stay working,' she said
In tears Imaris told her manager: 'If I can't keep my mask on, I don't think I can do this.'
'I was honest with her. You feel like you're turning your back on people. But you know, if I don't speak up, if I don't say anything, who will?'
Imaris also challenged the CDC guidelines and asked her manager why, if the risk is from droplets, are no nurses wearing droplet masks.
'It felt kind of contradictory. It just boiled down to a shortage of PPE,' she said.
You feel like you're turning your back on people. But you know, if I don't speak up, if I don't say anything, who will?
Imaris added that healthcare workers should not be 'sacrificed' like they are being right now amid equipment shortages.
'We're needed to beat this and we can't beat it if we're falling with it,' she said.
The nurse realizes she may have opened herself up to online abuse by walking out on her critical care job and posting a video about it.
She says online haters have already spewed 'evil' and 'mean' things towards her but she's trying not to read the comments.
'I would have to say to anyone that has this idea that my decision came only from a place of fear, you're absolutely incorrect,' she explained.
'It came from a place of uncertainty, but also from a place of just pure vulnerability.'
On her Instagram account, profile name nurse.iv, Imaris promotes a nursing and lifestyle brand and has almost 6,500 followers.
She says she made her post Monday after having a 'mentally and physically exhausting day'.
'I was still kind of taken aback at how things had unfolded at the hospital and just feeling all sorts of emotions,' she explained.
Feeling 'broken' and 'overwhelmed' Imaris later reached out to nursing support group HOLLIBLU for help.
She acts as an ambassador for the organization and wants to be an advocate for nurses struggling in their profession.
'We need a voice and if I have to be the voice so be it,' she said.
'I know there's going to be negative comments and people aren't going to agree with my decision.
'But if I didn't speak out and it didn't get the attention it did, how would people have known that nurses are facing this, that doctors are facing this, that our frontline healthcare providers are scared for their lives and they can't even talk about it? It's sad.'
And Imaris insists she hasn't turned her back on nursing.
'If they had proper PPE I would be there tomorrow,' she said.
Experts estimated the US could see as many as one million cases of COVID-19 and health officials have issued stark warnings to the government that they're not fully equipped to handle the outbreak.
Hospitals are setting up triage tents, calling doctors and nurses out of retirement, guarding their supplies of face masks and making plans to cancel elective surgery as they brace for an expected onslaught of coronavirus patients.
Feeling 'broken' and 'overwhelmed' Imaris later reached out to nursing support group HOLLIBLU for help. She acts as an ambassador for the organization and wants to be an advocate for nurses struggling in their profession. 'We need a voice and if I have to be the voice so be it,' she said
Some doctors fear hospitals could become so overwhelmed that they could be forced to ration medical care.
Burn out is another major concern and tired and stressed out nurses are turning to companies like HOLLIBLU to help bolster morale.
The LA based firm has launched an app to support nurses across the country, especially during this stressful time.
Founder and CEO Cara Lunsford told DailyMail.com she is right behind Imaris and other fearful nurses like her.
She said: 'HOLLIBLU wants nurses to know that we support them 100 percent and we want their voices to be heard.
'These are difficult times we are facing, and unlike other first responders who knew they were choosing a profession where they would risk their lives, nurses entered their profession with an oath ''to do no harm.''
'Just as our police, fire, and military are armed to do their jobs, we expect no less for our heroes who are at the frontline of healthcare.
'We need our healthcare workers to be able to comply with their oath by wearing a mask that protects not only them, but all the patients they come in contact with during this crisis.
'We want nurses to know that The Joint Commission announced on March 31, support allowing staff to bring their own standard face masks or respirators to wear at work when their healthcare organization cannot routinely provide access to protective equipment.'
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