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Nurses COVID

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There's a petition on a website to have nurse Kaci Hickox's license revoked for refusing quarantine after working directly with Ebola patients in West africa.

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Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

6 Articles; 11,662 Posts

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Unscientifically based quarantine is something we stand for as nurses? She has had two negative tests, is afebrile, is asymptomatic. What is the basis of quarantine and revocation of her license for refusing to be quarantined? I have seen zero reports of any nurses who have cared for or are currently caring for ebola patients in US hospitals being quarantined as a result of coming into contact with those patients. The quarantine policies are nothing more than politicians pandering to the unfounded fears of a public misinformed by the media or simply uninformed. I am one nurse who would never sign such a petition. I may not agree with the way she is going about her refusal for quarantine (stating that she will not comply instead of waiting for a court decision), but I can certainly understand her rationale.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

I absolutely will not sign that petition. She is asymptomatic, has tested negative twice for ebola showing no discernible sign of the virus in her blood. No way I am going to advocate that this nurse lose her license.

She has stated she will use the courts to fight her quarantine. That is the way she should go about it if she is this against it.

scottaprn

292 Posts

Actually I agree with her 100%. Everything I stand on as a nurse is respect and dignity and not overreacting to news and common media reports.

If you find yourself in Ohio let me know Kacie and I will buy you lunch.

elkpark

14,633 Posts

I would never support such a ridiculous petition. The kneejerk "quarantine" policies being put into place in some states are completely antiscientific and are nothing but pandering to uninformed hysteria within the public. As nurses, we should be supporting Hickox and helping educate the public, not doing exactly the opposite.

The White House doesn't issue or revoke licenses in any case.

LilBitty

38 Posts

I'll sign it. This is ridiculous. As a nurse, I am appalled by her actions. I don't care if she tested negative 15 times, if she is still within her 21 days she needs to toughen up and shut up. Good grief, it's only 21 days. If she is this bullheaded about something like this amidst an international crisis, I can only imagine how she is as a nurse. Everyone was complaining that enough wasn't being done, and now that someone is being proactive it's a problem. If that were me, and I can back from a heavily infected area, I would voluntarily quarantine myself in a tent because I would be too paranoid to be around my husband and children during that time frame.

macawake, MSN

2,141 Posts

I'm seriously considering starting a petition to have the licenses revoked for every nurse who bases his or her professional decisions on personal opinions and beliefs, rather than on science/research.

I thought I'd seen it all... :no:

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD

2,315 Posts

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

"There's a petition on a to have nurse Kaci Hickox's license revoked for refusing quarantine after working directly with Ebola patients in West africa.

malenurse122879;

You'll have a rough time in your FNP research classes if you stand by public opinion for setting policy.

There are lots of practices I wish were evidence-based, but they aren't. Yanking licenses from highly trained, humanitarian, do-gooder nurses with Masters in Public Health (i.e., her healthcare knowledge far outranked all those who imprisoned her) is not on my political activism to-do list.

Specializes in NICU, Pediatric Urgent Care.

Are her 21 days up yet? Nope. Theres your science.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP

1,774 Posts

Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

I will absolutely not sign that petition.

macawake, MSN

2,141 Posts

Are her 21 days up yet? Nope. Theres your science.

So you don’t accept that an asymptomatic person isn’t infectious but have no trouble believing that the maximum incubation period is in fact 21 days? Do you have some kind of system for picking and choosing which research and empirical data you decide to believe in and which you choose to ignore?

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