Ebola - do you have the right to walk away?

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I just want your insight... would you or would you not accept the assignment if they gave you a patient positive for Ebola. Can you or do you have the right to walk away? :down:

Specializes in ICU.

I also have taken care of many full-blown AIDS patients, and HIV positive babies. It isn't that I am so afraid of Ebola or any other deadly disease, but I have had a very hard life thus far, and really would like to just live in peace for my final years! I lost my son to cancer, and my other child is disabled. I lost my parents at an early age, and lived in a foster home for 2 years. Not to sound selfish, but I have done for others my entire life, and would like to just work for a few more years, then retire. If I were younger, I might feel differently.

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Would I care for an Ebola pt? yes. Ideally, only after training for level 4 bio safety/hazard training and was equipped w/droplet PPE and rubber. I have had the discussion with other RNs... It's been 50/50 yes/no. I think the decision is solely up to the RN and their decision should be respected.

And I DEFINITELY think the gov't is down playing the potential airborne and spread of this. ERs/Hospitals would not be able to sustain themselves w/the influx of pts who think they have Ebola w/flu like symptoms. Which in turn takes resources away from pts with other needs.

They also need to get there sh** together and start treating RNs like Golden Gods, we should be getting anything we ask for in terms of EVD, right now, like yesterday NOW. Bc if this thing really kicks off and RNs (i.e. me) don't feel 100% supported

and safe, the gov't leadership can have a field day cleaning Ebola diarrhea.

One. Time gov't. One time, just this once... Please don't screw this up!

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I would walk away very fast and refuse it based on - 1. It is outside my scope of practice (I am not trained to handle Level 4 biosafety hazards) and 2. I do not have the adequate PPE to do the job thus putting my family and others at risk of me getting the disease and transferring it to someone else. However, if I get the training that those who work for NGOs in Africa and those that work with Level 4 biosafety hazards get than yes. I want a positive pressure suit, a respirator, the proper footwear, the proper gloves, disinfectant sprayed on me when I'm done, and ultraviolet lights. I also want a buddy and a hygiene team coming behind me to clean. That is how it's done in Africa - why aren't we, as a "more developed" nation doing the same. I think the teams in Africa are handling this much better than we are here as far as with healthcare workers. I encourage all of us to research how the Ebola teams put on and take off PPE in Africa as well as how the CDC handles Ebola in biocontainment units and then ask yourself if you have the same safeguards. These patients should be treated in the most appropriate facility - which is a biocontainment unit.

But in spite of all their knowledge and experience and safety precautions still over 200 healthcare workers have gotten Ebola and many have died including Dr's! How are we going to fare any better, esp with substandard gloves, gown, and mask and no decontamination or buddy system, no hazmat suits or respirators! Tell me that!

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I'm a student taking pre-reqs for nursing school. I have no hospital or critical care experience being that I'm just in school. I wouldn't dare refuse treatment to patient with any disease, all I could think about is what if it was me or one of my family members and someone refuses treatment. I feel that everyone deserves the proper treatment. That's why I'm coming into the nursing field .

That's a laudable sentiment, however, if you are placed in an unsafe environment without adequate protective equipment you could end up dying for naught! I'm thankful the National Nurses United are speaking out as a whistle blower for the nurses at Presby and for so many of the rest of us who have received no training and do not have adequate equipment! Hopefully they will prevail and hazmat suits and respirators will be provided as a national govt directive!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

There was mention of the other nurse being sent to Emory over concerns of workers walking off the job at Presby. I saw this on a Cnn video. Does anyone know if this is true, have nurses walked off the job or are they threatening to? Nurses in Africa have fled and some in Nigeria are striking and demanding hazard pay!

I'm not impressed with the CDC leader, he looks so ****** and self righteous when he's talking, always looking to blame someone, mostly the nurses, even when someone at the CDC told the nurse it was ok to take a plane back home with a fever! I wonder if he will resign and someone else would take over. How about Dr Skinner he seems to know what he is talking about!

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
There was mention of the other nurse being sent to Emory over concerns of workers walking off the job at Presby. I saw this on a Cnn video. Does anyone know if this is true, have nurses walked off the job or are they threatening to? Nurses in Africa have fled and some in Nigeria are striking and demanding hazard pay!

I'm not impressed with the CDC leader, he looks so ****** and self righteous when he's talking, always looking to blame someone, mostly the nurses, even when someone at the CDC told the nurse it was ok to take a plane back home with a fever! I wonder if he will resign and someone else would take over. How about Dr Skinner he seems to know what he is talking about!

Yeah Frieden has annoyed me from the first time "zero chance of transmission" came out of his mouth.

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Thimbalina- yes, bleach kills Ebola.

And to everyone- no, it is not airborne. The virus must be in a bodily fluid to remain alive. If a patient is coughing or vomiting, they are projecting (can't think of the correct word) virus particles. If a person breathes in those particles, or gets them in their eyes or mouth, they can become infected. But if you are on beyond the traveling distance of those particles, they won't be breathed in. If you then walk over to the patient and touch the fluids coughed up, then there is a risk.

Like I said, I'm not a nurse yet. Just someone who has been learning about Ebola for 15 years now. This is why I'm going into nursing. Here is a link to the WHO website, it is a protocol manual for donning and doffing the protective gear. WHO | Ebola: Protective measures for medical staff

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Thimbalina- yes, bleach kills Ebola.

And to everyone- no, it is not airborne. The virus must be in a bodily fluid to remain alive. If a patient is coughing or vomiting, they are projecting (can't think of the correct word) virus particles. If a person breathes in those particles, or gets them in their eyes or mouth, they can become infected. But if you are on beyond the traveling distance of those particles, they won't be breathed in. If you then walk over to the patient and touch the fluids coughed up, then there is a risk.

Like I said, I'm not a nurse yet. Just someone who has been learning about Ebola for 15 years now. This is why I'm going into nursing. Here is a link to the WHO website, it is a protocol manual for donning and doffing the protective gear. WHO | Ebola: Protective measures for medical staff

Except now they are considering that the virus can live for up to 6 hours on surfaces. Kind of kills your idea that it needs to be in body fluid to remain alive doesn't it?

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

If I have the appropriate equipment and resources that are proven effective, and that infers adequately protected in, I would accept the assignment. However, the recommended PPE that I've been seeing isn't something I would feel comfortable in. I would want a HazMat suit type thing!

Sent from the iPhone of PatMac10, RN

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Specializes in Critical Care; Palliative Care.

They also are not intubating and dialyzing patients in Africa. Talk about procedures that increase staff exposure! Would also like to know if it was CRRT or regular hemodialysis.

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I would not accept an assignment in taking care of an ebola patient unless it was a close friend or relative

Reasons 1) I value my well-being

2) I do not know this person

3) A job isn't worth it

4) Even if I got fired, it would likely be a blessing in disguise.

5) I do not trust the system currently in place

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Thimbalina- yes, bleach kills Ebola.

And to everyone- no, it is not airborne. The virus must be in a bodily fluid to remain alive. If a patient is coughing or vomiting, they are projecting (can't think of the correct word) virus particles. If a person breathes in those particles, or gets them in their eyes or mouth, they can become infected. But if you are on beyond the traveling distance of those particles, they won't be breathed in. If you then walk over to the patient and touch the fluids coughed up, then there is a risk.

Like I said, I'm not a nurse yet. Just someone who has been learning about Ebola for 15 years now. This is why I'm going into nursing. Here is a link to the WHO website, it is a protocol manual for donning and doffing the protective gear. WHO | Ebola: Protective measures for medical staff

No offense but you don't know ****

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