Share your unit's new Ebola protocol

[Emergent, RN]

We're starting to be trained on how to respond to a possible Ebola pt coming to our ER. If one is identified we take the patient to a special isolation room that is being set up. There is another dressing room next to it.

We call another nurse who will be our trained observer in assisting us in donning and doffing the PPE. This nurse will read aloud the steps required. The trained observer will also have PPE of a lesser degree, since he/she won't have pt contact.

Prior to beginning we will remove our clothes, jewelry, and all other personal items, and put on disposable scrubs. We then, with the observer, inspect the PPE to be used. Then we go through the steps required, the observer reading and coaching.

We will be doing the very minimal treatments for these pts. We will have an intercom and someone outside of the room will chart for us. After care is complete the observer will assist us in adhering to proper steps in doffing our PPE. After that is complete, we will disinfect our shoes and proceed to a shower room to bathe. They predict that we will be a one on one with the pt for 4 hours.

There will be buckets of bleach water in the room for disinfecting as we go along, such as if a pt vomits or we get anything on our PPE. During the doffing procedure the gloves are disinfected in between each steps. Of course, two heavy duty chemo gloves will be used. The procedure seems to be quite thorough. I'm pleased with the plan we've devised. Our infection control nurse was also very receptive to our input. I feel much better than I did when this crisis first came to light

[chare]

Ours is similar, however we will always enter the patient care area in pairs with one providing care and the other acting as an in room monitor. And if one of us has to leave for any reason, we exit as a pair as well. Also, our observer is dressed to the same level that we are, and will always be in the warm zone outside of the patient room at any time any caregiver team is in the room.

We began training slightly more than a month ago. Since then, based upon updated CDC guidelines as well as suggestions from participants in the program several changes were made. Since then, we have started twice weekly simulations for those of us on the care team, and management strongly encourages and supports us attending.

Overall, I feel very comfortable in our preparations and would have no qualms in caring for a patient with EVD.

[Pudnluv, ASN, RN]

We do much the same. As one of the designated "Ebola" hospitals in my state, our guidelines exceed the CDC guidelines. We have a special room (negative pressure) for the patients and we have converted another room for doffing. We use three people for both donning and doffing, one to get in and out of the gear, one to assist and one to observe. We have added a cowl to our gear and an outside waterproof gown. No skin is left uncovered. We are also limited in the time spent with the patient (no more than 20 minutes, I believe). We started working on Ebola preparedness a couple of months ago and now have mandatory training every 30 days. I feel much more confident with all the precautions we are now taking.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

The circus is still convening, literally as I type, never have I seen so many suits on the department, and because we have the big shiny new hazmat room guess who gets them ALL? yep US! The Peds ER, plan is 90 minutes or less and then up to PCTU because they have the best isolation rooms. It's the donning and taking off of the hazmat suits that has been rewritten I don't know how many times, they need to stop trying to reinvent the wheel. It's now back to the way we have been training for years with an added layer of gloves and foot wear.