The Coronavirus/COVID-19 has been all over the news since its appearance in Wuhan, China in December. Eleven cities in China have been locked down and travel restrictions imposed on tens of millions of people in an attempt to contain the spread of the deadly virus with reports of more than 900 confirmed cases of infection and more than 2 dozen reported deaths. Infections have been confirmed in South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and now this deadly virus has now made its appearance in the United States. Two confirmed cases have been identified - one in Washington on January 21 and another in Chicago today. Health officials have reported 63 people from 22 states are under observation for the virus.
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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
National Nurses United Response To COVID-19
... Employers Must Prepare to Keep You Safe
In situations like this one where knowledge is lacking about a health threat, there is often debate about what actions to take and when. Too often healthcare employers prioritize saving money over safe care and wait to act— this is unacceptable.
Hospitals and other healthcare employers have the duty and responsibility to prepare ahead of time to protect staff and patients. And in situations like the current outbreak, to follow the precautionary principle. The precautionary principle states that we should not wait until we know for sure that something is harmful before we take action to protect people’s health. Full precautions mean anticipatory or protective action must be taken to prevent possible or further harm.
Following the precautionary principle is necessary to protecting nurses and other healthcare workers from the hazard posed by an emerging infectious disease like COVID-19. Nurses and other healthcare workers have a fundamental right to a safe and healthful workplace and infectious diseases should be no exception. Full protection of healthcare workers is a fundamental and necessary part of limiting the spread of viruses.
Of employers, NNU is asking the following:
Employers shall implement plans and protocols in response to COVID-19 based on the precautionary principle, which holds that lacking scientific consensus that a proposed action, policy, or act is not harmful – particularly if that harm has the potential to be catastrophic – such action, policy, or act should not be implemented and the maximum safeguards should be pursued.
Employers shall clearly communicate with all RNs/health care workers, including notifying nurses when there is a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case.
Employers shall provide education and training for all RNs/health care workers, including on protective gear, donning and doffing, and all other protocols relating to COVID-19.
Employers shall provide the highest level of protection, including functioning negative pressure rooms and personal protective equipment for nurses providing care to possible and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Employers must ensure negative pressure rooms remain functional at all times during use. Highest level of PPE must include PAPR (powered air-purifying respirator), coveralls meeting ASTM (American Standard for Testing and Materials) standard, gloves, temporary scrubs, and other protections.
Employers shall plan for surge of patients with possible or confirmed COVID-19, including plans to isolate, cohort, and to provide safe staffing.
Employers shall conduct a thorough investigation after a COVID patient is identified to ensure all staff and individuals who were exposed are identified and notified. Any nurse/health care worker who is exposed to COVID-19 will be placed on precautionary leave for at least 14 days and will maintain pay and other benefits during the full length of that leave...
Hospitals might want to be thinking about developing a bank of temp nurses. Hospitals are the ones who ought to be dusting off those resumes. There's tons of people out there who still need work. Train them up, train them right, and I feel like people would gladly be put into a bank to be called on. Hopefully such a supply of personnel will not be needed, but what is the harm in preparing?
Hospitals might want to be thinking about developing a bank of temp nurses. Hospitals are the ones who ought to be dusting off those resumes. There's tons of people out there who still need work. Train them up, train them right, and I feel like people would gladly be put into a bank to be called on. Hopefully such a supply of personnel will not be needed, but what is the harm in preparing?
You're kidding, right? Hospitals don't have a "bank of temp nurses" even now, when they aren't Covid-19 affected. Nor do most devote enough resources to provide safe staffing. The money it would cost to quickly recruit, train, and keep on stand-by this legion of nurses would be astronomical - at a time when hospitals try to get by with as little staff as they can without being sued for wrongful deaths.
Nurse organizations can put out all the lovely lists of demands they want, but they have no teeth.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
ANA's President Ernest Grant pushes for readiness in fighting COVID-19
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As COVID-19 spreads across the country, American Nurses Association President Ernest Grant wants to make sure that nurses have all the tools necessary to not only protect patients, but themselves. The ANA in late February joined the American Hospital Association in writing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asking for $1 billion in supplemental funding to help hospitals offset the costs of fighting the outbreak. At deadline, a broader $8.3 billion spending bill was making its way through Congress. Grant spoke with Modern Healthcare Managing Editor Matthew Weinstock. The following is an edited transcript.
Offer me enough pay and I'll come out of retirement. Let's see, what would I want to deal with this pandemic. Full medical for my wife, myself and my adult child for the rest of our lives. (If we make it.) A life insurance policy for $500,000,000 payable to my heirs (in gold) if I come down with Covid-19 either in or out of the workplace. Because you know they will say well we don't know that you got it at work. That's how it works if you get the flu after working all day in triage with them hacking on you constantly and you come down with it even after you had your vaccine. Now for pay. $395.00 an hour with back-pay for the thousands of hours of breaks that I missed and didn't dare claim. I wanted to say $400.00 an hour but didn't want to appear greedy. While we are at it, double time after 6 hours. Oh and lets make that payable daily, and in gold. Cause this thing could crash the world economy and we'll be using dollar bills to wipe with. And remember, "Levity makes life livable".
Nah, only kidding. You couldn't pay me enough to come back for this one.
During the 1918 Flu Pandemic, they closed all nursing and medical school and sent the students to the bedside. And they were pulling anyone with any type of home care training to the wards. It wasn't enough (of course a huge chunk of docs and nurses were in Europe for the war).
Arkansas as of yet, has not had any positive tests. I think they've tested 1 or 2. The college in my town are going over procedures they need to do to protect staff and students . they've upped their cleaning routines . I stay home as much as possible . I stock up on stuff, so I don't have to go to Wal-Mart as much .
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 19,196 Posts
SOAP and WATER is best product to use for washing hands to decrease virus transmission per CDC -wash 20 seconds to tune of Happy Birthday (sung 2 times.) Just like I was taught in nursing school. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/28/health/how-to-wash-hands-coronavirus-trnd/index.html How long should you wash your hands? There's a tune from every decade than can help. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/08/us/hand-washing-songs-decades-trnd/index.html
I'll stick with Happy Birthday.