Ebola in Texas

Nurses COVID

Published

  • Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You are reading page 6 of Ebola in Texas

azhiker96, BSN, RN

1,129 Posts

Specializes in PACU, ED.

I would just like to see the CDC take off their bio suits and demonstrate their recommended precautions with actual Ebola patients.

allnurses Guide

herring_RN, ASN, BSN

3,651 Posts

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

U.S. nurses say they are unprepared to handle Ebola patients

Nurses, the frontline care providers in U.S. hospitals, say they are untrained and unprepared to handle patients arriving in their hospital emergency departments infected with Ebola.

Many say they have gone to hospital managers, seeking training on how to best care for patients and protect themselves and their families from contracting the deadly disease, which has so far killed at least 3,338 people in the deadliest outbreak on record.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly said that U.S. hospitals are prepared to handle such patients. Many infectious disease experts agree with that assessment...

... Sean Kaufman, ‎president of Behavioral-Based Improvement Solutions, an Atlanta-based biosafety firm, helped coach nurses at Emory University through the process of putting on and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE) while they were caring for two U.S. aid workers flown to Atlanta after becoming infected with Ebola in West Africa.

Kaufman became known as "Papa Smurf" to the Emory nurses because of the blue hazmat suits he and others wore that resembled the cartoon character.

"Our healthcare workforce goes through so many pairs of gloves that they really don't focus on how they remove gloves. The putting on and the taking off doesn't occur with enough attention to protect themselves," he said.

Nurses say hospitals have not thought through the logistics of caring for Ebola patients.

"People say they are ready, but then when you ask them what do you actually have in place, nobody is really answering that," said Karen Higgins, a registered nurse at Boston Medical Center...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/03/us-health-ebola-nurses-idINKCN0HS18C20141003

MassED, BSN, RN

2,636 Posts

Specializes in ER.
Top US doctors: Hospital worker infected with Ebola by 'breach in protocol,' changes in handling patients are coming

Top US doctors: Hospital worker infected with Ebola by 'breach in protocol,' changes in handling patients are coming | Fox News

In this article, both Dr. Thomas Frieden and Dr. Anthony Fauci state that the health care worker, whom they've not met or interviewed, engaged in a breach of protocol, causing exposure to Ebola. The hospital disagrees.

"Fauci said he thinks the unidentified health care worker is a nurse."

CDC director: Second case of Ebola in US result of 'breach of protocol'

CDC director: Second case of Ebola in US result of 'breach of protocol' | Fox News

In this article, public health officials indicate that they will protect the privacy of this nurse, as she has requested. They also remind us that the only way to contract Ebola is to have direct contact with an infected person or his/her body fluids. Then they go on to this:

"You cannot contract it by walking by people on the streets," he said. "There is nothing about this case that changes that basic premise of science."Dr. Daniel Varga, of the Texas Health Resource, said the worker was in full protective gear when they provided care to Duncan during his second visit to the hospital.

Varga said the family of the worker has "requested total privacy."

Varga said the health care worker reported a fever Friday night as part of a self-monitoring regimen required by the CDC.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the Dallas Fire Department's rescue hazmat team has decontaminated any open areas of the health care worker's apartment complex.

"Police are standing by to make sure no one enters that apartment complex," he said.

Rawlings said officials have knocked on every door within a block of the apartment and have spoken with every person that came to the door. Reverse 911 calls have been made to residents within four blocks of the apartment complex and printed materials have been left at each door, he said.

A team has decontaminated and secured the vehicle the health care worker drove to the hospital. Rawlings said hazmat units will go into the worker's apartment and clean up the interior Sunday."

Is anyone else here dizzy from the double speak coming from our nations top public health agencies and officials?

First we were told that the risk of healthcare workers contracting Ebola was virtually zero, due to the protective gear and practices that would be put into place. We were assured that our healthcare facilities (not just those specially prepared, but all of our hospitals) were ready to safely care for Ebola patients. Now we're told, with certainty, even though neither of these doctors have seen, spoken to, or examined the now-infected nurse, that she breached protocol, causing her to become infected. That's supposedly extremely rare, or easy to do, depending on which version of the story you read. And it happened with the very first case of Ebola admitted to a non-designated facility.

Then we're reminded of the very limited circumstances by which one can be exposed to Ebola, and told that the nurse's privacy will be protected, while local officials knock on every door and make reverse 911 phone calls to every number in the vicinity of the nurse's apartment complex, which is being completely closed off.

Is it any wonder that the confidence of the American people in our government is at an all-time low?

Please, CDC, NIH and local public health officials, get your stories straight.

"Breach" my backside. Once again, throwing staff under the bus.... This story, as all before, will prove to be b.s.

Watch Frieden spew his lies.

allnurses Guide

herring_RN, ASN, BSN

3,651 Posts

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Learning to utilize a new protocol requires practice, not just an on line class, and certainly not telling staff to go to the CDC site.

I wonder how that texas hospital "trained" their staff/

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Well the plot thickens. The first infection of a health care worker in US boundaries. I do wonder, what "Breach" in protocol took place. I am left with many more questions than answers.

tntrn, ASN, RN

1,340 Posts

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
Learning to utilize a new protocol requires practice, not just an on line class, and certainly not telling staff to go to the CDC site.

I wonder how that texas hospital "trained" their staff/

And that is a great question. Our yearly "competencies" were computer based things with a 30-45 minute presentation to watch and then the test. The challenge was to take the test without ever watching the presentation......which saved lots of time if you could do it and since we had to do it while at work (not given extra time for it) it was fine with most of us. And since there was no penalty for taking the test until you passed it, that is what most of us did. Now factor into that the insane idea that we became "competent" on some things some of us, as OB nurses only, had NEVER EVER seen, let alone done and it's easy to see that our competency in some areas was non-existent, except on the record.

I have to wonder what happens with the protective clothing once it is removed by the health care worker. Is it incinerated or otherwise disposed of, is it sanitized in some way, or do they think it can be reused? Clearly, if the virus can live on surfaces for a number of hours, the protective clothing itself becomes a source of potential contamination.

I also don't believe, for a micro-second, that we are being told the truth about much of this.

Dewman

113 Posts

In this article, both Dr. Thomas Frieden and Dr. Anthony Fauci state that the health care worker, whom they've not met or interviewed, engaged in a breach of protocol, causing exposure to Ebola. The hospital disagrees.

"Fauci said he thinks the unidentified health care worker is a nurse."

Further proof that shite always rolls downhill.

A problem with corporate or institutional policies and procedures results in an epic screw-up?

Blame the nurse! Yeah! That's it!

azhiker96, BSN, RN

1,129 Posts

Specializes in PACU, ED.
Learning to utilize a new protocol requires practice, not just an on line class, and certainly not telling staff to go to the CDC site.

I wonder how that texas hospital "trained" their staff/

If the protocol is new, I agree with you. When I checked the CDC guidelines it just looks like standard droplet protection PPE like we've used for decades. Nothing special or new.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/ppe-poster.pdf

What I don't see in their guidelines are the full coverage suits with respirators and taped seams that I've seen the CDC representatives wearing as they escort known or suspected Ebola infected people.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXTxNztUei8AteiJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIzaHJkYmIzBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANiMGNhYjMxMWVmOWQ2ZTVlNDcxMDdmN2I5ZDMxMDBiNQRncG9zAzk4BGl0A2Jpbmc-?back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DCDC%2Bebola%26n%3D60%26ei%3DUTF-8%26y%3DSearch%26type%3Dch.31.vs.nt.18-01.us.dis_dn._._%26fr%3Dyhs-avg-fh_lsonsw%26fr2%3Dsb-top-images.search.yahoo.com%26hsimp%3Dyhs-fh_lsonsw%26hspart%3Davg%26spos%3D12%26nost%3D1%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D98&w=1600&h=1072&imgurl=2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cHXYDNvRjuc%2FVCs22nAhVJI%2FAAAAAAAA0HU%2FdsWKzW7gbbM%2Fs1600%2F140807-ebola-spain-7a_467e254a065a484d2c28f83b36a56d08.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftruenewsusa.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F09%2Ffirst-confirmed-case-of-ebola-confirmed.html&size=294.8KB&name=...+USA%3A+First+confirmed+case+of+%3Cb%3EEbola%3C%2Fb%3E+confirmed+in+the+United+States%3A+%3Cb%3ECDC%3C%2Fb%3E&p=CDC+ebola&oid=b0cab311ef9d6e5e47107f7b9d3100b5&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&tt=...+USA%3A+First+confirmed+case+of+%3Cb%3EEbola%3C%2Fb%3E+confirmed+in+the+United+States%3A+%3Cb%3ECDC%3C%2Fb%3E&b=61&ni=160&no=98&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12kc38a5n&sigb=17a5egef1&sigi=1434hn9s5&sigt=12olrs3gb&sign=12olrs3gb&.crumb=CBWgmucb1p0&type=ch.31.vs.nt.18-01.us.dis_dn._._&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg

I also don't see the full coverage tyvec suits and spray decontamination such as is used in Africa.

http://murchiip.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wpid-ebola-workers-guinea-killed-pulse-ng12.jpg?w=640

allnurses Guide

herring_RN, ASN, BSN

3,651 Posts

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
If the protocol is new, I agree with you. When I checked the CDC guidelines it just looks like standard droplet protection PPE like we've used for decades. Nothing special or new.

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/ppe-poster.pdf

What I don't see in their guidelines are the full coverage suits with respirators and taped seams that I've seen the CDC representatives wearing as they escort known or suspected Ebola infected people.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXTxNztUei8AteiJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIzaHJkYmIzBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANiMGNhYjMxMWVmOWQ2ZTVlNDcxMDdmN2I5ZDMxMDBiNQRncG9zAzk4BGl0A2Jpbmc-?back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DCDC%2Bebola%26n%3D60%26ei%3DUTF-8%26y%3DSearch%26type%3Dch.31.vs.nt.18-01.us.dis_dn._._%26fr%3Dyhs-avg-fh_lsonsw%26fr2%3Dsb-top-images.search.yahoo.com%26hsimp%3Dyhs-fh_lsonsw%26hspart%3Davg%26spos%3D12%26nost%3D1%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D98&w=1600&h=1072&imgurl=2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cHXYDNvRjuc%2FVCs22nAhVJI%2FAAAAAAAA0HU%2FdsWKzW7gbbM%2Fs1600%2F140807-ebola-spain-7a_467e254a065a484d2c28f83b36a56d08.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftruenewsusa.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F09%2Ffirst-confirmed-case-of-ebola-confirmed.html&size=294.8KB&name=...+USA%3A+First+confirmed+case+of+%3Cb%3EEbola%3C%2Fb%3E+confirmed+in+the+United+States%3A+%3Cb%3ECDC%3C%2Fb%3E&p=CDC+ebola&oid=b0cab311ef9d6e5e47107f7b9d3100b5&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&tt=...+USA%3A+First+confirmed+case+of+%3Cb%3EEbola%3C%2Fb%3E+confirmed+in+the+United+States%3A+%3Cb%3ECDC%3C%2Fb%3E&b=61&ni=160&no=98&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12kc38a5n&sigb=17a5egef1&sigi=1434hn9s5&sigt=12olrs3gb&sign=12olrs3gb&.crumb=CBWgmucb1p0&type=ch.31.vs.nt.18-01.us.dis_dn._._&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg

I also don't see the full coverage tyvec suits and spray decontamination such as is used in Africa.

http://murchiip.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/wpid-ebola-workers-guinea-killed-pulse-ng12.jpg?w=640

I was last checked off on the removing all personal protective equipment in 1983 when I worked on a AIDS unit. My competence is NOT current. I would need practice to safely protect others and myself from a virus that is present in sweat.

SC_RNDude

533 Posts

We're supposed to believe that the nurse got ebola because she took off her suit the wrong way, and you can only contract it from close human contact. Why then the need to go door-to-door for 4 blocks around her house and to make reverse 911 calls? What BS!

allnurses Guide

Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN

11,304 Posts

I was last checked off on the removing all personal protective equipment in 1983 when I worked on a AIDS unit. My competence is NOT current. I would need practice to safely protect others and myself from a virus that is present in sweat.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I had this training . . . . went by our infection control a bit ago and the nurses were all talking but no plans made for training.

azhiker96, BSN, RN

1,129 Posts

Specializes in PACU, ED.

I do agree that people should get training/practice if they don't feel confident with the equipment. If I went decades without starting an IV or dropping an NG I'd want a refresher.

In my area it's not unusual to use this equipment so we're pretty confident in its use. I'm just not confident this PPE is sufficient, especially since the CDC goes way beyond this when they are near a victim.

+ Add a Comment