Ebola Nursing Survey: to Quarantine or Not to Quarantine

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Survey Update......Survey is now closed. Please go to Survey Results to see the response from the allnurses community.

Once again, it is a nurse who has taken the Ebola media spotlight this week. Kaci Hickox, a nurse who cared for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone found herself quarantined against her will in New Jersey upon her return to the US, in spite of the fact that she tested negative for the virus. After a 3 day isolation in less than desirable accommodations, she was transported home where she was supposed to remain under home quarantine but is now declaring that the quarantine is unnecessary and counterproductive, and is openly defying the order by going out in public.

Additional breaches in voluntary quarantine from those returning from Ebola-plagued Africa occurred when NBC medical correspondent, Dr. Nancy Snyderman in New Jersey and Dr. Craig Spencer in New York left their homes and ventured out into public spaces.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called for voluntary home quarantine for workers with the highest risk for Ebola infection. It also specified that most medical personnel returning from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea would not need to be kept in isolation.

In spite of this, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, mandated a 21-day mandatory quarantine policy for all healthcare workers exposed to Ebola. Although this move has received much criticism, it did get the support of Dr. Bruce Beutler, an American doctor and researcher and Nobel Prize winner for Medicine and Physiology for his work researching the the body’s overall immune system. He is currently the Director of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at the University of Texas Southwestern Center in Dallas. He favors Christie’s quarantine policy “because it’s not entirely clear that they can’t transmit the disease,” referring to asymptomatic healthcare workers like Kaci Hickox.

New York and Illinois have also have followed suit and mandated mandatory 21-day home quarantine policies. Although there is plenty of scientific evidence indicating there’s very little chance that a random person will contract Ebola unless they touch bodily fluids of an infected person, the thought is that the authorities need to do something to calm Americans’ fears. As Mike Osterholm, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, says, "You want to try to eliminate not just real risk, but perceived risk."

There are thoughts on both sides of this issue which has led to heated discussions at times. There are concerns about the potential impact with both pathways of re-entry requirements for Ebola healthcare workers. What are your thoughts about this? Please take our survey to share your opinions. Let your voice be heard.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I'm a huge supporter of Kaci, but I do believe she is having a negative impact on public perception of nurses. I think the media needs to do a better job of explaining her rationale.

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

I'm a huge supporter of Kaci, but I do believe she is having a negative impact on public perception of nurses. I think the media needs to do a better job of explaining her rationale.

Absolutely this.

[SandyB]

I think it may be a very good public teaching moment if the media does it right. She is not a danger to anyone at this time. The public needs to understand that so they panic less.

[toomuchbaloney]

I think it may be a very good public teaching moment if the media does it right. She is not a danger to anyone at this time. The public needs to understand that so they panic less.

At least half of the population hear folks like George Will spread fear and misinformation about ebola transmission on television. At least half of them will have that fear fanned when Breitbart republishes that nonsence. More are concerned because Rand Paul (ophthamologist) used ebola ruminations as political jabs against the POTUS and the ruminations are based in fear of airborne transmission rather than in actual credible scientific or medical fact or recommendations. In other words, Dr. Paul's comments were complete hogwash yet folks believe him and he has no need to walk the language back.

Then we have folks like Sean Hannity who promote the notion that the nurse quarantined for no good scientific or epidemiological reason is being "selfish". Yeah, he said that and now we see that language on AN. That nurse who gave of her time and energies to serve the sick and dying in Africa is "selfish" according to Mr. Hannity. And his viewers are sharing that same fear and ignorance based baloney here and elsewhere.

[TheGooch]

She is not a danger to anyone at this time.

That's just it. At this time she isn't a danger but who's to say down the road she doesn't start having symptoms. Then the authorities will have to track down all the people she came into contact. Seems to me that a 21 day self quarantine is not much to ask in the big picture. She's an arrogant and self entitled woman.

[SWM2009]

I'm a huge supporter of Kaci, but I do believe she is having a negative impact on public perception of nurses. I think the media needs to do a better job of explaining her rationale.

Oh I know she's having a negative impact...."selfish, entitled, revoke her license" are just some of the tamer things being said about her. I don't care though. I think her personal freedom/rights trump trying to pacify hysteria. It would be one thing if she had Ebola but she does not.

[kids]

CDC policy is CDC policy, it doesn't matter if you agree or not.

Healthcare professionals don't get to pick and choose what public health or infection control policies they follow.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

CDC policy is CDC policy, it doesn't matter if you agree or not.

Healthcare professionals don't get to pick and choose what public health or infection control policies they follow.

I'm good with the CDC policy. I'm betting we never would have heard of Kaci if the NJ governor hadn't imprisoned her, which is not CDC policy, and arguably not within the purview of State Health authority (have to be known infectious).

[toomuchbaloney]

That's just it. At this time she isn't a danger but who's to say down the road she doesn't start having symptoms. Then the authorities will have to track down all the people she came into contact. Seems to me that a 21 day self quarantine is not much to ask in the big picture. She's an arrogant and self entitled woman.

Why is she arrogant and self entitled woman? Is it because Sean Hannity said so? Is it because she knows what she is talking about and is speaking up for herself in the face of hysteria and fear mongering?

IF she becomes symptomatice THEN she is a contagion risk and ONLY THEN do her contacts need to be monitored. Fearful people are welcome to self quarantine until she is past their window of panic (presumably that takes 21 days). That will keep them much more safe than following sound guidelines and recommendations as those things will not address the irrational fear on display.

[SArguinzoni]

I don't believe that it is making a negative outlook on nurses, but I do believe that it will confuse those who don't know anything about healthcare. So many people are oblivious as to how to take care of themselves and are associating EBOLA with just.. death. I believe that as nurses the main thing is to educate your patient... even before they become your "patient". Prior to this event even taking place, my personal opinion is to keep those that have been exposed, quarantined for 3-4 weeks and be carefully monitored so that symptoms can be treated right away. Nurse, doctor, patient, passerby, whatever your position... protect yourself and everyone around you.

[ICURN7]

CDC policy is CDC policy, it doesn't matter if you agree or not.

Healthcare professionals don't get to pick and choose what public health or infection control policies they follow.

That...