Can a nurse legally refuse to treat an Ebola patient?

BlueDevil, DNP · Oct 16, 2014

Possibly, but more than likely just the job. I do think anyone who refuses must pledge not to seek care for themselves or a family member. After all, one cannot ask someone else to do what one is unwilling to do themselves. Don't you agree?

SionainnRN · Oct 16, 2014

It depends if you've received report on the pt. If you have then it can be considered patient abandonment so you may lose your license as well as your job. If everyone refuses to care for pts then the disease will just continue to spread. Part of nursing is taking care of ill contagious pts. If we have appropriate PPE then there is no reason to refuse.

Chisca, RN · Oct 21, 2014

Does your hospital unit look like this? If not, you would be prudent to refuse.

j0yegan · Oct 21, 2014

I would refuse. Let's just be honest here. lol

elkpark · Oct 21, 2014

I would refuse. Let's just be honest here. lol

So, if it were you or your family member with some horrible, contagious, potentially fatal illness, you would be fine with everyone else refusing to care for your family, right? lol (not)

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2014

I have have talked with some coworkers who are the sole support of their families. They say no, my dependents are first in my life and they need me. If something happens to me what will happen to them. I respect their honesty and their decision and yes I will take care of them and I dont expect anything in return.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2014

Possibly, but more than likely just the job. I do think anyone who refuses must pledge not to seek care for themselves or a family member. After all, one cannot ask someone else to do what one is unwilling to do themselves. Don't you agree?

No, I do not agree. I think that is petty and judgmental. It's easy for you to say that since you will never be in an ED or ICU with a fluid generator with copious bloody emesis and bloody stool. Using your logic, unless your are a direct healthcare provider to Ebola patients, you and your family are unworthy of treatment for this disease.

Who made you the almighty judge of ethics and morality?

What business is it of yours anyway?

Are you going to Nigeria, Sierra Leone or Liberia anytime soon to provide humanitarian aid?

Chisca, RN · Oct 21, 2014

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Nurses are not being allowed the protective gear they need by management and that has to be addressed.

jvman · Oct 21, 2014

People, let's get back to the, "inflammatory question" please... All answers will need some sort of parameters to be personal and professional. Conditionally the answer is YES you can (avoid) even refuse to actively treat EBOLA or any other contagion.... That being said, it's dependent on many factors, ie) are you trained, equipped, is this your "usual area of specialty, are there others better versed, knowledgeable and prepared??? THINK of this scenario, you work in general medical and have been in ICU 10 years ago, you are floated to the ICU, should you be the first to enter that room? I think not as you have been away from that environment and would better serve in a more supportive role, ie) a more medical or surgical Patient that's about to be sent to the floor, telemetry patients although still critical but your interventions will be "more" in league with your current practice... another aspect to the current dilemma is that this is so new... if your not trained and the environment AREN'T up to the current standard set by CDC, I'd gladly refuse, stating I was not the safest practitioner, not trained for this, If you know your "SCOPE OF PRACTICE, you CAN LEGALLY refuse an assignment... it your RIGHT and DUTY to practice within your SCOPE of PRACTICE. This is a charged question for one to "self examine" and take the route of ethics, legality and safety for you, the client and the environment. If I breech Isolation, reverse Isolation and contaminate others, myself and the hospital, family the community.. well then, have I complied with, "least do no harm???"

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Oct 21, 2014

To answer the question, yes, if you have accepted the assignment/received report then you could be reported for patient abandonment and lose your license. Personally, I would make sure what my assignment was before accepting it. As nurses we take care of people with contagious diseases but this one has a very high mortality rate. The other diseases that we are currently aware of we have the proper PPE equipment to ensure that we will not become infected if we follow the correct precautions and if we find out after being exposed there's effective treatment. Until the hospitals start supplying us with the same protection that the CDC uses with a suspected case I wouldn't accept the assignment. They could terminate my job but I would not let them terminate my life. If there are nurses that are willing to take the risk then that is their choice but an employer should not be able to decide to give us subpar equipment to cut costs and put our lives in danger so that they can make a profit. If I wanted to risk my life for my profession then I'd join the military. I have a young child at home and I am not willing to expose her to ebola. I also am not going to leave her an orphan. Also, before anyone gets all high and mighty and decides to say how dare I not care for an ebola patient I will add that I am currently not working in patient care and haven't been in six years. I've been considering going back because I miss it, but right now I'm waiting for the hospitals to get their act together.