How have your hospitals been handling the Ebola threat?

[KristalR]

How have your hospitals been handling the Ebola threat? Do you feel thoroughly prepared to treat an Ebola patient?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I work at a specialty hospital where all patients are pre-screened by admissions liaisons either at home or another healthcare facility prior to getting admitted. These admissions liaisons must now perform a screen for Ebola during the pre-screening process.

What does our Ebola screen consist of? I'm still unsure of that. They have not provided training or inservice education to anyone yet. And no, I do not feel prepared to render sufficient care to patients infected with Ebola virus disease, nor do I feel protected if I were to provide care.

[KristalR]

Thanks for your response Commuter! Based on the fact that its a specialty hospital. Are you a little less concerned about the likelihood of coming into contact with the virus? Especially since there's a bit of a screening buffer before patients are admitted.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Based on the fact that its a specialty hospital. Are you a little less concerned about the likelihood of coming into contact with the virus? Especially since there's a bit of a screening buffer before patients are admitted.

I am a little less concerned since people cannot simply walk in and receive treatment (we have no emergency department). However, some of the admissions liaisons who perform the pre-screening assessments have questionable assessment skills since they've worked in 'desk job' roles for years. In addition, not all of them are nurses: some are RTs and/or LMSWs.

[nowim clean]

Like a joke, the screening depends on a nurse asking the questions and the patient being honest we all saw how that worked in Dallas.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

They've sent out a few emails. No training offered. No, I don't feel prepared. And I'm in NY state in an area frequently traveled by those from NYC so I feel it's only a matter of time til we get a case.