Nursing and the Ebola Virus

Published

For those of us in unaffected countries, are you concerned about the ebola virus spreading? Would you care for ebola patients? I live in an area with a very high density of African immigrants and come into contact with these individuals regularly. We have a lot of African immigrants who bring back tuberculosis from their home countries and at my unit we end up caring for them. We take care of a lot of rare infectious diseases. I was reading an article and it dawned on me how plausible it would be for me to encounter this virus. And I admit, it's terrifying and I might refuse that assignment. Many healthcare workers in Africa are dying because of caring for the ill.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

So, hmmm....to those who say that the doctor and the nurse should not have been brought to America....it would be okay with you if your husband or wife who were helping to care for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone/Guinea/Liberia and contracted the disease were left there? Or, if YOU were the one, it would be okay? As to the comment about whomever is responsible for sending the patients back to America suiting up and going into isolation with you (I think it was Biff who made the comment)....I have no doubt that Franklin Graham and the leader of SIM (the organization that Mrs. Writebol is with) would do that very thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
So, hmmm....to those who say that the doctor and the nurse should not have been brought to America....it would be okay with you if your husband or wife who were helping to care for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone/Guinea/Liberia and contracted the disease were left there? Or, if YOU were the one, it would be okay? As to the comment about whomever is responsible for sending the patients back to America suiting up and going into isolation with you (I think it was Biff who made the comment)....I have no doubt that Franklin Graham and the leader of SIM (the organization that Mrs. Writebol is with) would do that very thing.

They knew what they were getting themselves into when they went to east Africa. They knew the risks and took a chance.

Glad I'm not the one having to make the decisions because it's a tough one

I really hear both sides

Up Vote Up Vote ×
They knew what they were getting themselves into when they went to east Africa. They knew the risks and took a chance.

Glad I'm not the one having to make the decisions because it's a tough one

I really hear both sides

They took a chance? Perhaps it’s not your intention, but to me that sounds rather cavalier.

By helping to treat people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (countries in West Africa) these individuals are also helping you and me. It’s in all our interests for both humanitarian reasons and self-interest that this outbreak is contained.

This isn’t someone else’s problem, it’s our problem. I for one am very happy and thankful that there are medically trained individuals who care enough about the plight of their fellow human beings to be willing to go despite “knowing the risks involved”. Perhaps they are actually even going because they know the risk involved.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I feel the need to clarify something that is increasingly bothersome for me recently.

Yes, Ebola traditionally has a 90% mortality rate.

This current outbreak strain is currently being recorded as a 55% mortality rate. Social media, traditional media, and individuals are failing to recognize that that is a large difference in mortality rates.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
They took a chance? Perhaps it's not your intention, but to me that sounds rather cavalier.

By helping to treat people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (countries in West Africa) these individuals are also helping you and me. It's in all our interests for both humanitarian reasons and self-interest that this outbreak is contained.

This isn't someone else's problem, it's our problem. I for one am very happy and thankful that there are medically trained individuals who care enough about the plight of their fellow human beings to be willing to go despite "knowing the risks involved". Perhaps they are actually even going because they know the risk involved.

I certainly didn't mean to come across as cavalier....

And I'm Surely not heartless- and didn't mean to come across that way

But going to third world countries does come with risks. As medical professionals they knew the risks and decided expose themselves anyway.

I commend them tremendously, I really have a ton if respect for them! I just am not 100% certain that bringing them back at the risk of millions of Americans was correct.

Like I said, I'm glad I wasn't involved in this decision and I really do hear both sides

I hope they both have a speedy and successful recovery

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.
I find it interesting that so many people are all freaked out about these 2 people with Ebola in a self contained isolation unit yet there is no uproar about the vast numbers of people out there with drug resistant TB or other resistant organisms. Those are far more likely to pose a threat to you and your family!

Probably because TB doesn't have an up to 90% fatality rate? Just a guess.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I commend them tremendously, I really have a ton if respect for them!

:up:

I just am not 100% certain that bringing them back at the risk of millions of Americans was correct.

The two individuals being treated in Atlanta do not pose a threat to millions of Americans. Individuals entering the US who have, unknown to them, contracted the Ebola virus would pose a larger risk but they wouldn’t either get close to threatening millions. Nowhere close. That’s not how this disease spreads.

The current outbreak in West Africa has been ongoing for about six months. As of August 1st 1.603 individuals in four countries have been afflicted by the Ebola virus, out of that total 887 have died.

WHO | Ebola virus disease update - West Africa

This is the death toll in countries with a major shortage of physicians and nurses, a shortage of medical supplies including personal protective equipment, a shortage of medications, poor infrastructure, overcrowded housing, poor sanitary conditions, a population who often mistrust government and healthcare officials. People will in many instances care for their diseased family member themselves rather than seeking medical attention. The tradition surrounding burials also differ from what we’re used to.

With all this factors working against them the death toll is at less than a thousand in six months’ time. I’m not saying that it isn’t a considerable loss of human life. It is serious. This outbreak needs to be contained. But there is no way that millions of people would get sick in a first-world country, and certainly not from two people being cared for in isolation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Ebola continues to spread in Africa. Attempts at containment are failing. Bringing Americans infected with this disease home for treatment makes no sense. It just doesn't.

Since it doesn't make any sense, my imagination has run rampant. What does the CDC or WHO know that we don't? What possibility exists that would be worth the risk of bringing Ebola to the US?

Yikes!!! I sound like the jacket on a bad science fiction novel.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care - Adult, Med Surg, Neuro.
I would not consider someone selfish for refusing to care for a patient, except in the event that the same person expects others to help with them or a love one when sick.

Hilter reference, thread over. :p

I evoke Godwin's Law

Godwin's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just a bit of off topic, carry on.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuroscience.

Godwin's law: you started it, have some fellow respect of those in the nursing profession (or in school). Intelligent people abound here.

If ebola makes it here during the prime flu season, that's when we will see a major spread in the disease. It's a scary world, but it is what it is.

Also: Hitler...Jews...Nazi...swastika...Indiana Jones.

That should fulfill your Godwin's law. You're welcome. Let the thread continue.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I don't see how we can refuse to care for those patients. That's not a saint/nurse response. Our job description does not exempt us from caring for diseases that present the greater risk.

As a practical question, how would you make assignments?

There would obviously be strict isolation, but who would staff it?

If every nurse said "not me", then who?

Would a hospital continue to employ nurses, who decided the risk involved in that part of their job was unacceptable?

If those nurses who refused were fired, how many would be left?

Would the nurse managers be expected to take a turn in the isolation areas, if nobody wanted to go?

I've been following this outbreak since it was first reported back in Feb/March. I don't see how it can be contained.

I made a comment earlier to one of my threads, but this was BROUGHT to us by the CDC and State Department. They could be treating those Americans in Africa, where they were - they could have provided everything that they are getting here over there. Now, it is a threat.

I would not put my life in danger knowing how easily transmitted this disease has been thus far. I have a family (as we all do), but the meaningless "we are not concerned" comments made by some higher ups that are not in the trenches is just that, meaningless. They need to bring in specialized CDC staff for these isolated patients. I don't trust our equipment, don't trust our isolation rooms, or the fact that there might be other patients I might expose. Nope, not me. I don't really care about the question of "then who." Not me, that's all I know. My self-preservation is a higher concern, and being there for my family, then the irresponsible actions of groups/governments that could care less about me and my career choices (or assignments.)

They can't contain it in Africa. They say "we're not concerned." Yet with 90% fatality rates, you have to ask yourself, "am I a martyr?" And "for what?" We didn't ask for this to be brought here. We all deal with diseases brought into our country, and as for Ebola if there isn't a period of 21 days of quarantine, then we could all be potentially exposed to those arriving in who might have been exposed themselves. Think about it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I believe he died yesterday

says he's still alive, as of today, but of course that's if you believe what is being told on media outlets.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion