Nursing and the Ebola Virus

Nurses COVID

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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.

Specializes in LTAC.
If I were your manager, I would send you packing, and report you to the BON in case I could get your license in trouble. I recall seeing people flatly refuse to care for AIDS patients back in the day, and I still don't understand why they weren't fired and stripped of their licenses on the spot.

At the hospital I work at we had a TB patient and the nurse scheduled to care for this patient politely refused because he was worried about bringing it home to his children. He wasn't fired or looked down upon. EVERYONE understood. He switched patients with other nurses who were okay and willing. Yes, the nurse supervisor stepped in and helped with this patient. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as the patient is getting the care they need.

Specializes in Surgical ICU nurse.

No judgement here... :whistling:

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Just forget the moral and ethical issues of caring, or not caring for, patients with Ebola. Forget about conspiracy theories, or what ulterior motives might be involved in bringing the infected Americans from Africa to the US.

Forget about the families. Forget about the patients as people.

Then just put your nurse and science hat on, and consider one thing. From a purely scientific viewpoint.

How does it make any sense to move a deadly virus from an area of contamination, to an area that is so far secure?

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
Good gawd - y'all sound like the books I love to read and that scare the you know what out of me.:roflmao:

Because Ebola isn't that dangerous?

Because it won't kill you?

Because you can't get it if you wear PPE?

Because it won't possibly spread?

Because quarantines have been affective?

Because our government is deliberately breaking quarantine?

Because.......

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

Thank you everyone who is participating in this discussion. I agree that the ebola virus should not have been brought to the United States under any circumstances. My heart goes out to these healthcare workers who contracted the disease, but they knew the risks. And now we are placing an entire country at risk if in fact this disease can spread in ways which we aren't aware of.

I still stand by my belief that I would refuse to care for these patients.

I think we should close the borders to international travel to places where the outbreak is occurring. This is such a reality to me as, stated before, I live in an area with one of the highest concentrations of African immigrants. In fact, a large majority of my co-workers are African immigrants. I was one of the only staff of European descent in my previous position. I hope our infectious disease doctors are preparing for this.

Specializes in ICU,ER,med-Surg,Geri,Correctional.

Okay: Did anyone catch the interview with Dr Gupta and the head of the CDC?. Its not the CDC that is wanting these patients over here. Its was arranged and is the organization Samaritan Purse who is run by Franklin Graham son of Billy Graham. So it looks to me like we have insurance companies deciding the level of our care, and Religious groups making decisions on the fate of bringing a epidemic and a unstable disease to out country. In fact when the head of the CDC, which BTW had a bit of an Anthrax incident not long ago told both Dr Gupta and later in an interview Anderson Cooper. That this organization is taking the lead in the transportation. So I ask while the entire crew be quarantined for 21 days?, and will the Rev Franklin Graham be onboard and part of the evacuation team?

One of the infected pts is being flown to Emory Hospital in Atlanta. Emory is a huge university/healthcare system with 4 hospitals and a reputation for being the best in Atlanta and is not affiliated with the CDC at all. They have a special isolation area for special circumstances. Personally, I don't know how comfortable I'd be if I were assigned to that pt, but can we refuse an assignment? I don't work at Emory but I am outside Atlanta and am hoping that nothing goes wrong. It's a little too close to home.

Okay: Did anyone catch the interview with Dr Gupta and the head of the CDC?. Its not the CDC that is wanting these patients over here. Its was arranged and is the organization Samaritan Purse who is run by Franklin Graham son of Billy Graham.

Both of the patients being transported were in Africa working with Ebola patients as part of Samaritan's Purse.

I couldn't find the interview you mention -- what network/show was it on?

Specializes in ICU,ER,med-Surg,Geri,Correctional.

It was on CNN around 1300 today. I was very impressed with Dr Gupta's questions. They also noted that all we can do here is supportive care Really nothing special. Still in that case at least stabilize them prior to transport. I could see this if we had some magic bullet or something. Also we all know from micro-bio 101 that you bring in a virus into a different environment. That it will replicate and mutate for its survival. The best you can hope for in any outbreak is to keep it local. These brave folks were following the proper isolation techniques and they are now infected. Being honest in my nursing career I don't believe I ever can say that a patient has been in 100% isolation. If negative pressure rooms is the best to offer. I am hoping that Emory has some really special equipment and PPDs that I don't know about. I pray for my brother and sister nurses and healthcare workers who will be taking over their care. I am not being unkind to these 2 folks who are infected. I just think that the safety of the US citizens should be our CDC's first priority. The old gruel but true the Best interest of the few versus the best interest of the many!.

It was on CNN around 1300 today. I was very impressed with Dr Gupta's questions. They also noted that all we can do here is supportive care Really nothing special. Still in that case at least stabilize them prior to transport. I could see this if we had some magic bullet or something. Also we all know from micro-bio 101 that you bring in a virus into a different environment. That it will replicate and mutate for its survival. The best you can hope for in any outbreak is to keep it local. These brave folks were following the proper isolation techniques and they are now infected. Being honest in my nursing career I don't believe I ever can say that a patient has been in 100% isolation. If negative pressure rooms is the best to offer. I am hoping that Emory has some really special equipment and PPDs that I don't know about. I pray for my brother and sister nurses and healthcare workers who will be taking over their care. I am not being unkind to these 2 folks who are infected. I just think that the safety of the US citizens should be our CDC's first priority. The old gruel but true the Best interest of the few versus the best interest of the many!.

Amen.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

first we had well meaning christians shouting that the refugee children had ebola and dengue fever and were a threat to national health, now we have a christian group arranging for the transport of actual ebola patients (citizens) into the country

go figure

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Those of you who seem to think that keeping these two patients out of the country will keep ebola out are a tad naive. Considering the global nature of the world's population, and reports of people traveling on airplanes and then getting ill (I believe I did read one specifically about ebola), there are any number of ways pathogens can introduce themselves into the US and zero guarantee that we can keep them out. Hospitals in third world countries don't have anywhere near the resources we, as a wealthy first world nation, do. Denying return to a medical facility that has an established isolation unit and the resources to maintain that isolation sounds a bit like denial of care (ahem, death panels), and that is something that we shouldn't get into. People are worthy of treatment if they seek it, regardless of the disease.

I take a risk everyday by getting in my car and driving to work. I take a risk everyday by leaving my house and exposing myself to who knows what it the public domain. As long as the facility provided the appropriate protective gear, yes, I would put myself in the situation of caring for these patients.

Flame away, I've got my flame resistant suit on.

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