Nurse Safety and Ebola: Not a Priority?

[MissyWrite]

If anyone was asked to imagine a fireman, this image would probably come to mind:

If anyone was asked to imagine a swat team officer, this image would probably come to mind:

As a nurse, I expect and deserve to be given the right protection for my job, too. There will still be some risk involved, but at least it will be the least risk possible.

Why is there any problem understanding this?

[MissyWrite]

What IS the proper protection when caring for an Ebola patient? Emory and Nebraska have been successful so far.

"NNU believes the Nebraska Medical Biocontainment Unit's highest standards of education, training and PPE should be provided to all direct care nurses and healthcare workers treating patients at risk for and diagnosed with Ebola. This includes the use of full coverage Haz-Mat suits and PAPR with HEPA Filter with protective hoods/helmets and no worker skin exposure.

"Employers shall provide optimal personal protective equipment for Ebola that meets the highest standards used by the University of Nebraska including: (1) Full-body hazmat suits that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1670 standard for blood penetration, the ASTM F1671 standard for viral penetration, and that leave no skin exposed or unprotected and (2) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved powered air purifying respirators with an assigned protection factor of at least 50."

Nursing Practice & Patient Advocacy Alert—Treatment of Patients with Ebola | National Nurses United

Here is a short video of nurses at Emory explaining their PPE and protocols:

Nurses show how they prepare to treat Ebola patients

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

As long as people think THIS is a nurse....

They won't look for THIS...

But I dunno. Yellow looks kinda sexy on me :)

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I shouldn't laugh but that is funny!

[MissyWrite]

LOL

We must CHANGE our image so when people are asked to imagine a nurse, they see image #2.

We can do it!