Nursing and the Ebola Virus

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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.

I admire these nurses and all health care staff who are selflessly caring for these patients. Where would we be if Nightingale and other nurses and volunteers did not go to Crimea? These nurses deserve our support and esteem. This issue reminds me of a quote I read many years ago, "We are the somebody in somebodies got to do it." That, to me, is one of the requirements for being a nurse. I look forward to reading about their experiences, insights, and knowledge we will gain because of these nurses.

This is so funny (and informative):

The Paranoid Hypochondriac's Guide to the Ebola Outbreak

I especially liked these comments:

"Freaking out about Ebola in the U.S. while antibiotic resistant superbugs rampage in our hospitals is like fearing Freddy Kruger will ring the doorbell while Jeffrey Dahmer sits at your dining room table.

The truth is, the people most at risk are caregivers and medical professionals in contact with infected individuals. My rational brain knows that. The rest of my brain is planning on barricading the front door with 2x4s.

and especially:

The good news amid all this almost cinematic potential for disaster is this little nugget of information: Ebola can be killed by hand washing.

So it's the new STD?

Specializes in Acute Care - Adult, Med Surg, Neuro.

Nigerian Nurse Who Treated Ebola Patient Dies Of The Disease

Nigerian RN caring for ebola patient dies from the disease

FYI, for anyone needing further fueling of their conspiracy theories, Outbreak is available on HBO On Demand. :)

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

"Send the "safe care" there, to where Ebola can be contained. Don't bring it here. Why sacrifice millions for a few?

Because this is America and that is how we roll?

I do not think they can provide the level of care needed with the issues inherent in the African medical system. Also, to find a vaccine they most likely need to be here.

And lastly because hopefully we are a compassionate people who values special and selfless people while at the same time carefully evaluating and accounting for risk to the rest of the population.

Nice PR bit, but I would be more impressed to hear from the nurses themselves in their own words, particularly the two that cancelled their vacations to treat the patients! They really should let these nurses have their moment in the spotlight. They deserve it!

No doubt this is a PR piece from the hospital but I believe that it also accurately portrays how many nurses and other healthcare workers at Emory Hospital and elsewhere think and feel.

It’s also vital to bring information like this to the public. It won’t change the minds of those prone to believing conspiracy theories. Those people are generally not swayed by reason, science or facts. The general public and judging by some posts seen here quite a few healthcare workers as well, don’t have much knowledge about the Ebola virus and factual information will serve to educate and as a result lessen any anxiety and fear they might have.

I agree that the nurses directly involved in the patient care at Emory Hospital definitely deserve their moment in the spotlight. However I don’t necessarily think they want it, at least not at the present time. Putting your face and name out there in a newspaper will make you the target of threats. With the amount of ignorance and aggression displayed in social media and elsewhere I think that their everyday life and their ability to carry out their jobs would be negatively affected by the attention they’d receive.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
If I took that upon myself to go to that region, knowing what I was getting into - then YES, I would want to keep myself there. This was something they signed up for.

You have "no doubt" about Franklin Graham? Really? Do you know him or that organization? NONE of us know what another would do. Don't let the guise of religion fool you that they make the best decisions for the greatest good. Puullease.

Actually, I do know the organization that Mr. Graham is the head of, as well as SIM, the organization that the nurse is from. Religion really has nothing to do with it. It is more than that, and difficult to understand from our limited perspective.

I wasn't asking if you would stay, I was asking if you would be all right to be spoken about and treated as many on this thread have spoken about and suggested the two should have been treated.

Specializes in ER.
(Bold is mine, it's the parts I'm responding to.)

I'd say that preventing widespread panic is a worthwhile goal, especially since that panic would be unfounded.

Are you operating under the assumption that every single bacterial/viral/fungal disease in existence is airborne simply because human beings have the ability to sneeze? I really don't understand the point you are attempting to make.

There are many ways an infectious disease can potentially spread. Person-to-person contact/exchange of bodily fluids, droplet spread (requires close proximity), airborne transmission (seen with infectious agents that can travel long distances and remain suspended in the air for an extended period of time), contaminated objects, vector-borne disease, food and drinking water, animal bites and zoonosis, soil or water containing infectious organisms. I've probably forgotten a few.

Anyway, not all infectious diseases spread via all these routes. It varies depending on the disease. I've seen no evidence that transmission/infection of the Ebola virus is airborne.

Preventing panic when it is unfounded is reasonable. Suppressing real information is altogether another issue. I am not operating under an assumption about a disease having the ability to go airborne because of a sneeze, it is absolutely a likelihood. We are talking about Ebola on this thread. If they knew HOW to contain it, don't you think the efforts to prevent the transmission would have already occurred? They are not even clear on the origin of Ebola (and it has been around since the 1970's.) Keeping in mind that this year alone is the WORST year since it's first appearance in the 70's. Why is that? Do they know? Don't assume we are safe because we are told we are...

You've seen no evidence Ebola is airborne? What experience do you have, personally, with it? Hopefully none, as I do. KNOWING they say that it is in human secretions and saliva is a secretion and humans can and DO sneeze, cough, etc. Then logic leads you to the conclusion that it is airborne. Period. Whether or not the CDC or WHO has said that (to prevent mayhem) is another issue. Let's not put aside common sense.

Specializes in ER.
What continues to bother me is that the two infected Americans are not untrained laypeople, but a doctor and a nurse. In the face of such a deadly virus, I can't see them being anything less than vigilant with PPE. Given that, how did they become infected? That's what scares me the most. If the experts are getting it, what hope is there for the rest of us?

I agree. And did they not wash their hands, as a poster said that's all it takes to eradicate the threat of transmission of Ebola? Do we think the doctors and nurses didn't have soap? There are pieces that are unknown to this entire sequence of events with those two that were infected.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
This is so funny (and informative):

The Paranoid Hypochondriac's Guide to the Ebola Outbreak

I especially liked these comments:

"Freaking out about Ebola in the U.S. while antibiotic resistant superbugs rampage in our hospitals is like fearing Freddy Kruger will ring the doorbell while Jeffrey Dahmer sits at your dining room table.

The truth is, the people most at risk are caregivers and medical professionals in contact with infected individuals. My rational brain knows that. The rest of my brain is planning on barricading the front door with 2x4s.

and especially:

The good news amid all this almost cinematic potential for disaster is this little nugget of information: Ebola can be killed by hand washing.

Why wear hazmat suits?

Specializes in ER.
No doubt this is a PR piece from the hospital but I believe that it also accurately portrays how many nurses and other healthcare workers at Emory Hospital and elsewhere think and feel.

It's also vital to bring information like this to the public. It won't change the minds of those prone to believing conspiracy theories. Those people are generally not swayed by reason, science or facts. The general public and judging by some posts seen here quite a few healthcare workers as well, don't have much knowledge about the Ebola virus and factual information will serve to educate and as a result lessen any anxiety and fear they might have.

I agree that the nurses directly involved in the patient care at Emory Hospital definitely deserve their moment in the spotlight. However I don't necessarily think they want it, at least not at the present time. Putting your face and name out there in a newspaper will make you the target of threats. With the amount of ignorance and aggression displayed in social media and elsewhere I think that their everyday life and their ability to carry out their jobs would be negatively affected by the attention they'd receive.

Just because many out there are uncomfortable with challenging what is provided to you (via media), you call those that challenge "conspiracy theorists." Consider all options, open your mind and don't just accept what is hand-fed to you.

» 33 Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True, What Every Person Should Know… Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

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