Will you work during a Pandemic?

Nurses COVID

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  1. Nurses, would you go to work during a Pandemic?

    • 1926
      No
    • 5592
      Yes
    • 1288
      undecided

1,893 members have participated

admin note: we just added a poll to this thread today, april 25, 2008, please take a second and vote in the poll so we can have a graphical representation of the responses. thanks

scenario:

h5n1 (the bird flu) mutates to become efficient at transmitting human to human causing a pandemic, with a case fatality rate of 60% and with 80% of the cases in the 0-40 year old age range.

see:

http://www.wpro.who.int/nr/rdonlyres/fd4ac2fd-b7c8-4a13-a32c-6cf328a0c036/0/s4_1113.jpg

hospitals will be quickly overrun. hospital staff shortages are 50%. the government orders all nurses to work. there is not enough personal protection equipment (n95 masks, gloves, goggles, tamiflu, vax, etc)

home quarantines become common (in the fed plans).

your family is also quarantined in your home. you are running out of food and the government promises you will be "taken care of" if you report to work.

will you go?

If you do not go "into" work, will you assist neighbors asking for help to care for their sick family members? Would you volunteer to help in your community?

That's the worst thing you can do in a pandemic. That's how it spreads. Stay in your house. There's little to nothing you can do for them anyway without the proper equipment, which they would most likely not have.

MY goodness, it is true, we have become a nation of" WHAT ABOUT ME. WHAT ABOUT MINE", no wonder we have been called the ugly americans and can sustain involvement in any venture longer than 60-90 days. Get a grip, if there is a pandemic and we don't want all of us terminated then some of us will have to RISK exposure without PPE. nanacarol

Specializes in surg/tele.
what it would take to make you willing to work under circumstances such as I have described.

What would you want?

PPE -- OK, which ones? N95s enough or would you want a higher grade perhaps even 1/2 masks with P-100 filters, goggles? or would you request full face? Would you supply your own?

Would you expect Tamiflu, for you families? vaccine priority? Would you spend your own money on it?

would you work if you received extra (hazard) pay?

would you work if you were supplied a hotel room paid for so you don't have to go home and possible expose your family?

Would it be easier for you to do all that if you knew that ALL hospital executives were living on site and working?

Hi, I graduate from school in 10 days, so I'm not sure about which PPE I would require, but yes, I would supply my own if I could find it. I would want, no wait, EXPECT to be vaccinated. After all, If I am sick, I am just another patient and part of the problem rather than part of the solution. I would not care very much about the pay. When the whole thing was over, if they had not paid me, I would probably be ****** enough to leave, but while it is going on, it is about the patients, not the administration. Patients first, bureaucratic BS later. Hotel would be OK, or room onsite. Hospital execs living on-site and working. Wonderful. I have worked for many a place where the administration talked about "teamwork" when they wanted non-execs to give something up, but they never gave anything up. Yeah, the execs on-site would be "walking the walk", which I would respect them for doing. Bout time.

Jen

Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

First of all, it would be completely irresponsible for a mother or father, to leave their family and expose themselves to this flu.

Second, I would definately be there if hospitals provided the PPE....there should be a plan, otherwise I will not be there. If they can't be prepared, I wouldn't trust that they could handle this emergency....obviously my safety wouldn't matter to them. I will not be a casualty due to someone else's poor planning.

I liken this to lack of oxygen on an airplane, you always put your mask on first....before helping anyone else. You have a responsibility to yourself....IMHO it is stupid to think otherwise.

I don't want to be permanently terminated....comprende?

Maisy

MY goodness, it is true, we have become a nation of" WHAT ABOUT ME. WHAT ABOUT MINE", no wonder we have been called the ugly americans and can sustain involvement in any venture longer than 60-90 days. Get a grip, if there is a pandemic and we don't want all of us terminated then some of us will have to RISK exposure without PPE. nanacarol

What does this have to do with being American? Do you think nurses in other countries would act any differently? Why would you work without PPE? That's suicide. Are you in a hurry to infect your loved ones?

Specializes in Too many to list.

Current research suggests if you have had the flu vacine every year you will likely be the survivor of a pandemic.

Here is a little on the St Jude research, and what one of the authors had to say:

http://www.physorg.com/news90591069.html

"The jury is still out on whether the seasonal flu vaccine is definitely a reliable way to offer people some protection from H5N1," said Richard J. Webby, Ph.D., assistant member in the Virology division of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude. "But our initial results suggest that this is a research trail worth following."

Comment:

South Korea is currently battling several outbreaks of avian flu in their poultry

farms. Sendinging in their soldiers to help with culling or burying the dead birds is

smart because the military always vaccinates for seasonal flu. The advantage of

this is probably not to protect them from bird flu but rather to prevent them

from becoming hosts with two different strains of influenza. Remember, our

seasonal influenzas are easily transmitted from human to human, but bird flu has

not "learned" to do that yet. It needs to infect a host that has a co-infection with

an easily transmissible virus to pick up that trait via reassortment or recombination

of genetic material from one virus to the other. I suspect that this is another

reason for the increasingly stronger messages pushing for the seasonal flu

shots.

Specializes in Too many to list.

The scenario in the poll calls for working without PPE. Is that smart?

Of course not, especially for anyone under age 40 or so, but someone

has to has to take care of the patients.

It is a good guess, that masks will be in short supply if outbreaks last

more than a week as they most likely will. Here is a last ditch

alternative that might be more appropriate for home care but if you

have to work with no protection, you might want to remember this,

and though you might be tempted to dismiss this information, think

about the fact that no one has any immunity to H5N1 unless you

already had it and survived. This is better than no mask at all.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no06/05-1468.htm

Quality commercial masks are not always accessible, but anecdotal evidence has showed that handmade masks of cotton gauze were protective in military barracks and in healthcare workers during the Manchurian epidemic (6,7). A simple, locally made, washable mask may be a solution if commercial masks are not available. We describe the test results of 1 handmade, reusable, cotton mask.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

Having read this post from top to bottom, I can only say that I can't say whether I'd report for work right away. I have 2 daughters & 2 grandsons, I am also over the age stated as dangerous in this thread. SO on one hand, my age offers "protection", on the other hand I want to ensure my family are taken care of properly. I can't see area hospitals doing that. Thier waiting rooms are constantly packed to the limit with no thought of segregation of infectious or non-infectious diseases. Staff is overworked and stressed out now, can you tell me that when the outbreak occures management will suddenly start "taking care" of staff?? This is an excellent environment for burning out immune systems and ensuring and spreading the infection. I think I may end up home caring for my own. If I manage to get them thru the worst and know they have immunity from the flu, then I would go in. After all, with the above concerns, chances are that the over worked & stressed staff will need replacing and perhaps treatment. I wonder if this sounds selfish, it is the only way I can see of ensuring my family's future and following the dictates of my heart for my fellow man.

Yes I would go to work during a pandemic. Current research suggests if you have had the flu vacine every year you will likely be the survivorof a pandemic. Didnt anyone take care of sars r/o patients ?

The flu vaccine didn't even effectively prevent the flu!!!:banghead:

Nope, I'm staying home...

mc3

Specializes in PACU, ED.
The scenario in the poll calls for working without PPE. Is that smart?

I think many people would refuse to work today if they did not have PPE. What nurse would assist in surgery, dressing changes, blood draws, etc w/o PPE?

I think a better discussion would be what should be done to stockpile PPE, extend supplies, or switch to reusable/sterilizable PPE.

Oh heck, I didn't read all your post. Folks are looking into reusable masks. Thanks for he link. :)

Nurses in any other country already are working at a disadvantage, so let's be real. They don't have an expectation of the latest PPE, they respond most often to the immediate need. I respect your response not to do so but to use your family's safety as the excuse rather than saying "I'd be scared as HELL to respond in such a situation" is a copout". It is okay to be honest and real. All ofus would be scared. Many of of would respond in the positive because we would believe that it might, just might extend the life of those we care about MOST.

Nurses in any other country already are working at a disadvantage, so let's be real. They don't have an expectation of the latest PPE, they respond most often to the immediate need. I respect your response not to do so but to use your family's safety as the excuse rather than saying "I'd be scared as HELL to respond in such a situation" is a copout". It is okay to be honest and real. All ofus would be scared. Many of of would respond in the positive because we would believe that it might, just might extend the life of those we care about MOST.

I AM extending the life of those I care about most. ME, and my immediate family. Anyone with a brain in their head would be scared, but lots of things are scary and we deal with them every day. I come from an EMS background. Shooting scenes, violent psych patients, all kinds of infectious pathologies, domestic violence calls, ambulance full of blood like a horror movie, all part of the daily grind. Scared has nothing to do with it. Scary is part of the job. I don't know where you get this sense of smug superiority, but if you get some sort of feeling of grandeur from believing you would violate the most basic rule of health care by failing to protect yourself first, knock yourself out.

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