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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.

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

A petition to the White House (has no authority over state nursing licensure, that is relegated to the state board of nursing as supported by the attorney general (if charges or enforcement is needed)) to remove a nurse's license for bucking a hysterical response to an epidemic seems counterproductive.

I do not agree with her public statements or how she is going about the PR throwing a public tantrum. Her response could be more professional by citing EBP and experience to boost her case. Because I think the one TV interview I saw make her seem dramatic & histrionic does not mean I think there is cause to rescind her license to practice nursing.

A White House petition in this scenario is inappropriate and the wrong forum.

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Truth is, Macawake (please insert generous amounts of sarcasm here). . .

It's probably safer to just go ahead and off her (tongue in cheek). In fact, I think I have a solution for the African Ebola problem!! In fact, for all problems that distress white Americans!!

taking a deep breath now. . .

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Everyone was complaining that enough wasn't being done, and now that someone is being proactive it's a problem.
'Everyone' includes members of the largely undereducated and hysterical public, many of whom don't give a rat's behind about an asymptomatic and afebrile nurse. The petition is incredulous and idiotic. I will never sign it, even if hell freezes over.

Let's take a look at who never got sick after exposure:

1. The fiancee of the now-deceased Thomas Eric Duncan, who shared living quarters with him while he was sick.

2. The son of Thomas Eric Duncan, with whom he spent extensive time prior to succumbing to Ebola virus disease.

3. The masses of people who were in the Dallas Presbyterian ER waiting room during Thomas Eric Duncan's two visits.

4. The multitude of people who landed at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with Thomas Eric Duncan. Not one of the hundreds of travelers is sick.

5. The myriad of people who landed at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with Amber Vinson, the nurse who rendered care to Mr. Duncan. Not one of those travelers is sick.

6. The multiple family members that Amber Vinson visited in Ohio.

7. The boyfriend of Nina Pham. Not sick, even though they are lovers!

8. 310+ million other Americans are free from Ebola virus disease. Hallelujah, it's a miracle! It's a hard disease to get, folks. Don't get swept away in hysteria and throw our fellow nurses under the bus.

Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I think we ought to start a petition to name her Nurse of the Year. She is standing up to incredible BS and maintains her composure and professionalism throughout. She is right, the hysterical public is wrong. She has got one doozy of a lawsuit, and I think she should pursue it.

Let's review:

1. Quarantine is contraindicated according to EBM and best practice guidelines.

2. She does not have Ebola.

3. She has rights and those rights supersede other peoples irrational fear.

That about covers it. Anyone who doesn't get that (those are facts, not opinion) doesn't belong in Nursing. So all the ignoramuses should get out and make room for some new grads that might actually understand how to review and interpret evidence.

Some representatives of Nursing are an embarrassment.

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
If she is this bullheaded about something like this amidst an international crisis, I can only imagine how she is as a nurse.

Probably more amazing than her resume indicates. She's being bullheaded about favoring evidence-based practice rather than bowing to superstition and supposition.

As someone else here pointed out. . . A full-fledged witch hunt based on fanciful tales spread by rumor and public hysteria. I can understand this when science was in its infancy but I sure wished we had evolved. . .

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Probably more amazing than her resume indicates. She's being bullheaded about favoring evidence-based practice rather than bowing to superstition and supposition.

As someone else here pointed out. . . A full-fledged witch hunt based on fanciful tales spread by rumor and public hysteria. I can understand this when science was in its infancy but I sure wished we had evolved. . .

Regardless of how she is choosing to express her opinion, she has science and evidenced based practice on her side. She is correct. Even if the post flight temperature check was accurate for a fever, she tested negative for ebola. She was trained in proper techniques to protect herself and clearly followed protocol as she was not infected.

Honestly I would trust her experienced, educated, professional judgement over a state governor any day of the week when it comes to the need (or not) for random quarantine. I'm certain if she was symptomatic she would quarantine and seek appropriate professional treatment immediately. She worked with affected patients overseas and knows first hand this disease process.

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Also last night, out of curiosity, I did a search of my university's library (peer-reviewed only, high quality, controlled studies, all in the last 5 years) and those forehead thermometers are not reliable. Multiple peer-reviewed studies in medical and nursing journals where they were proved unreliable.

This is my thing...it is always best to be safe than sorry. Since much is not known about Ebola, what harm is coming to her by being in quarantine. I am not fearful, nor am I uneducated. I consider myself cautious. When I caught the flu, I had a headache and fever. I was very sleepy at best. I would prefer not to catch something that can make bleed internally or be given to family via my secretions . I see a nurse who is choosing to fight because she is an over entitled American Nurse. I know I will get flap about saying that, but that's how I view her. If this virus takes 21 days to incubate, then it could be possible that if she had contracted the virus, her viral loads were not high enough to be detected. I mean she could just as likely be negative, but there is a possibility that she could still develop the virus within this 21 day window. I mean, she didn't want to be in the tent. That's cool, I can kind of understand that. Now she's refusing quarantine at home (where she wanted to be) in Maine. That's just ridiculous, and any professional should be reprimanded for their ignorance. People got all up in arms when the lady from NBC broke VOLUNTARY quarantine for some food, and now we have someone who is telling us they ARE NOT going to do it. she deserves to have her license yanked because that is NOT the way of the nurse.

Now she's refusing quarantine at home (where she wanted to be) in Maine. That's just ridiculous, and any professional should be reprimanded for their ignorance.

But don’t you see it? She isn’t ignorant. She actually knows this disease. That’s why she can confidently say that she poses no threat to another person’s health when she’s asymptomatic.

Since much is not known about Ebola, what harm is coming to her by being in quarantine.

I get the feeling that since Ebola Virus Disease is relatively new on most people’s radar and they don’t know much about it, they automatically assume that the experts don’t know anything about it. This isn’t correct.

MSF have been battling this disease for decades, it’s was first identified in 1976.

The harm is that you send a false signal to the public. It sends the message that a person who appears perfectly healthy can actually spread this potentially fatal disease. They can’t, and people shouldn’t be led to believe that it could happen.

There's also the civil rights issue, how could it possibly be legal or acceptable to deprive people of their right to move around freely and work, when there is no scientific rationale to support the decision. Also, by making it more difficult for people to volunteer, it may become significantly more difficult to get the outbreak

in West Africa under control. That wouldn't only be catastrophic locally, but would threaten the entire world.

I am not fearful, nor am I uneducated. I consider myself cautious.

There's cautious, and there's refusing to let oneself to be calmed by the available scientific evidence. This quarantine decision is more than cautious, it actually isn't rational from a scientific point of view.

I see a nurse who is choosing to fight because she is an over entitled American Nurse.

Do you honestly regard a person who voluntarily travels to a third-world country to help people in need, an entitled person?

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

1. This is my thing...it is always best to be safe than sorry.

2. Since much is not known about Ebola, what harm is coming to her by being in quarantine.

3. I am not fearful, nor am I uneducated. I consider myself cautious.

4. People got all up in arms when the lady from NBC broke VOLUNTARY quarantine for some food, and now we have someone who is telling us they ARE NOT going to do it.

Sorry, but I numbered your points I wanted to address because I don't know the tricks on this site to multi-quote.

1. I would strongly encourage you to find more professional ways to express yourself than clichés. Some are fine, for casual conversation, but as a professional nurse, the bar is set higher.

2. I'm stunned, it's not quarantine just because, it's quarantine because State officials are using political pressure and upcoming elections to cede to mass hysteria.

3. Your fear is evident in your statement about "better safe than sorry". I believe you to be educated. I urge you to pull on your education versus your fear.

4. The lady from NBC agreed to self-quarantine. She then broke her agreement. Kaci has the cajones to be upfront about her intentions. This is actually one of the dangers of enforcing this non-evidence based political imprisonment. The more honest ones are probably not going to be allowed to take the time off they would need to volunteer in Ebola-ravaged areas because it will entail 3 weeks of sitting at home (or secured in a tent). When's the last time you got 3 weeks off from work, much less the time to do any volunteering. The less honest, but still more do-gooding than most of us, will just say, "Oh, yes, I was in West Africa touring the cultural areas, Ebola? No way, stayed away from that!"

What Kaci agreed to do is follow the precautions advocated by her Federal government and all the Aide agencies that have been dealing with this disease for decades.

I'll be up front. . . even though my family has a strong missions background, I won't be going to volunteer over in Africa. I'm a bit too comfort-oriented. I also think she's a bit mouthy, I might not have fought as loudly or publicly as she has. I'm glad there are strong people out there to stand up for what is right.

Blood Test For Ebola Doesn't Catch Infection Early : Shots - Health News : NPR.

Heres a link about Ebola testing.

TiffyRN, there's no need to be condescending. We just disagree, it's as simple as that. When you know better, you do better. She's an epidemiologist for heaven's sake, she should know and do better. Her 15 minutes of fame are up. I commend her for helping those in need, but at the same time I feel like she could and should handle this more professionally than she is currently doing. There's a time and place for everything, and this is not that time. Two Texas nurses and a NY doc have contracted this virus. Thankfully they are in good health, but each story started the same. They felt fine, they monitored their temps, they travelled, and later developed the virus. How would you feel if you were in the hospital being treated by a nurse who refused quarantine for exposure to this virus? I also don't see how quarantining people would deter volunteers to Africa. If the thought of contracting Ebola didn't do it, I doubt a 21 day quarantine will. The soldiers who were deployed there weren't even exposed to the level this has been, and they are currently quarantined. You also haven't heard a complaint out of their mouths.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

The petition is ridiculous and there's no way in hell I would sign it.

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