For those who participated in the Ebola Preparedness survey, your voices are being heard.
In a survey of more than 3,000 nurses across the country, more than 70 percent say they are unprepared to deal with the Ebola crisis. The survey was conducted by allnurses.com after a nurse contracted the disease in Texas from contact with an infected patient.
Ebola is quickly becoming one of the more important stories in the world news. For nurses, the most frightening aspect may be the lack of preparation. More than 70 percent of staff members said they still hadn't spoken about the issue with their nurses.
However, most nurses do feel like there are solutions to these problems. Only about 7 percent didn't know what would be helpful with the threat or reality of Ebola. Almost a third thought "better communication about preparedness at [their] facility" could help them. Even more helpful, according to the allnurses.com survey, would be "Live (in-person) training sessions or practice drills," which over 40 percent thought would aid the most.
Even though these resources aren't being provided now, most nurses surveyed still believe there are ways to be better informed, and to better help their patients.
Here is a segment of another news story published in the MedCity News.
Responding almost immediately to the news of the Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola - the first person to do so within the U.S. - nurses across the country are adding to the growing chorus of concern over how hospitals and front-line healthcare workers deal with any possible exposure.
The "vast majority" of nurses nationwide "don't feel prepared or safe" for treating any such patient, according to a recent survey of 3,000 nurses from allnurses.com.
Don't get fooled into thinking your hospital is prepared if they are going off of CDC recommended guidelines.
I put this together from information I gathered from the CDC and their recommended precautions to prevent transmission of Ebola is contradictory.
Currently, the CDC only is recommending to front-line health-care workers such as NURSES personal protective equipment for EBOLA from the BSL – Level 2 – for microbes that pose a “moderate risk” yet classify Ebola as a BSL – Level 4 – a toxins that is exotic and frequently fatal and has no treatment or vaccine, thus advising the wearing of full body, air-supplied, positive pressure suits – basically – a hazmat suit.
Additionally, for potential and known Ebola victims, the CDC only recommends a single patient room (containing a private bathroom) with the door closed and a log of all persons entering the patient's room for our front-line staff, no dedicated supply and exhaust air, or use of vacuum lines and decontamination systems. Is this appropriate? Should more precautions be taken/recommended? Are the BSL Level 2 protected nurses who became infected with Eboa in the United States this past week a wakeup call that the current CDC recommended Level 2 precautions are not enough?
Why is the CDC only recommending BSL – Level 2 precautions to its frontline nurses and health-care professionals? Is it really fair to be blaming nurses for a breach in protocol when the protocol recommendations may be insufficient and never breached at all?
Please see the following PDF I put together about the above information detailed further with information taken from the CDC website.
I'm proud that nurses are finally supporting each other and letting the backstabbing, ADN vs BSN, and "my unit is cooler than your unit" mentality take a backseat. It's about time. Let's see what movement we can get going and keep going. It doesn't matter if a nurse is an ADN versus a BSN, or what school they went to or where they work. We are all in this together because it's all we have. The news media and facilities are quick to blame the nurse. Well, lets get the TRUTH out there.
Rant over..
Agreed, and I want all hospital workers who may come into direct contact with the patient or his/her bodily fluids protected.
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
It's about time nurses are respected and regarded as having a powerful impact on the health and safety of our country ~ Hopefully, now, nurses will have the opportunity to participate in a collaborative global care plan (ha!)
Thank you herring_RN for those links! Being a nurse here in Texas is hard and it's a shame that there are no unions in our state. As a new nurse (almost at my 2nd year), I've learned real fast what can happen if you speak your mind or stand up for what is morally right versus what is best for business and patient satisfaction. I feel it cost me my first job deep down. So sad, but so inspiring for me at the same time ~ just not sure where to start. Right now, I'm just keeping my head down, my mouth shut and do my job well with compassion. I'm still blown away that we haven't received even an email addressing anything whatsoever (except reminders to ask about travel with admissions...) ~ and I live 80 miles from Dallas! There is a lot of focus on First Responders and how they're prepared though... but still... unbelievable! I'm so glad I've been doing a ton of research and educating myself as much as possible ~ it's more of the general population here that concerns me if anything...
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Don't get fooled into thinking your hospital is prepared if they are going off of CDC recommended guidelines.
I put this together from information I gathered from the CDC and their recommended precautions to prevent transmission of Ebola is contradictory.
Currently, the CDC only is recommending to front-line health-care workers such as NURSES personal protective equipment for EBOLA from the BSL – Level 2 – for microbes that pose a “moderate risk” yet classify Ebola as a BSL – Level 4 – a toxins that is exotic and frequently fatal and has no treatment or vaccine, thus advising the wearing of full body, air-supplied, positive pressure suits – basically – a hazmat suit.
Additionally, for potential and known Ebola victims, the CDC only recommends a single patient room (containing a private bathroom) with the door closed and a log of all persons entering the patient's room for our front-line staff, no dedicated supply and exhaust air, or use of vacuum lines and decontamination systems. Is this appropriate? Should more precautions be taken/recommended? Are the BSL Level 2 protected nurses who became infected with Eboa in the United States this past week a wakeup call that the current CDC recommended Level 2 precautions are not enough?
Why is the CDC only recommending BSL – Level 2 precautions to its frontline nurses and health-care professionals? Is it really fair to be blaming nurses for a breach in protocol when the protocol recommendations may be insufficient and never breached at all?
Please see the following PDF I put together about the above information detailed further with information taken from the CDC website.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4u2BWNTMUiJeUVpRjN3Z2lkdWM/view