New CDC Guidelines & Ebola Preparation Press Release

Columnist · Oct 23, 2014

NURSES REACT TO UPDATED CDC EBOLA GUIDELINES--

SKEPTICAL ABOUT SWIFT IMPLEMENTATION AND GETTING SUFFICIENT TRAINING

EXCELSIOR, MN, October 23, 2014 - A new survey and information from allnurses.com, the largest online networking and support site for nurses, shows that even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its updated guidelines, nurses continue to have serious concerns about dealing with Ebola.

The survey of more than 1,900 nurses, taken on October 21, 2014 one day after the CDC

announcement, shows confidence in a speedy implementation of those guidelines is extremely low. Only 23 percent believe their hospital or medical facility will be able to effectively implement the guidelines within the next 30 days. It also reveals more than half (52 percent) of respondents did not feel that nurses working with Ebola patients would be sufficiently prepared, even once the guidelines were implemented in their facility.

"Our nurses are saying that while the guidelines look good on paper, the true test is whether or not our hospitals and clinics can invest the time and resources necessary to get it right," said Brian Short, Founder of allnurses.com, and a registered nurse himself. "It basically comes down to a matter of trust: nurses know the training and tools they need to deal with this - and any other potential infectious disease outbreaks in the future - but need to see that they will get that information and training in a timely manner."

Additional concerns voiced by allnurses.com members include lack of adequate staff to effectively use the buddy system outlined for PPE procedures as well as the fact that these guidelines are recommendations rather than mandates, meaning facilities have the option to either follow them or not.

Media Note: For full survey results, please contact Melissa Rubin at Rosica Communications, 201-843-5600 or [email protected].

ABOUT ALLNURSES

Founded by Minnesota Registered Nurse, Brian Short, allnurses.com is the leading networking site for nurses and nursing students. For nearly 20 years, allnurses.com has been the collective voice of the nursing community, supporting the profession by providing a place where nurses can network, share, and learn from each other. With an ever-growing community of more than 855,000 registered members, allnurses.com is the go-to place to communicate and discuss nursing, jobs, schools, NCLEX, careers, and so much more. For more information, visit allnurses.com.