Survey Results: To Quarantine or not to Quarantine

[tnbutterfly - Mary]

To Quarantine or Not to Quarantine......That is the Question that we posed last Thursday. We just want to thank the 3800+ of you nurses who took the time to participate in the latest survey. Your voices have been heard and here is what you said about Kaci Hickox and other healthcare workers who have cared for Ebola patients.

Many posters felt that nurses who took care of Ebola patients should voluntarily quarantine themselves and not run the risk of infecting others....we should err on the side of caution. Some thought quarantine should be mandatory. Many comments were made that we don't know enough about Ebola, and that is causing a lot of discomfort. Some felt that quarantine was not necessary since she is asymptomatic, and some interesting comments pointed to hysteria and reactionism to the possible need for quarantine. Other comments included that the nurses should get paid for this time and several others weren't quite sure of the need for quarantine or not and wanted more information. Some felt "this nurse should be setting a good example for others."

There were 581 comments on this question

The second question garnered 441 comments.

Many comments were made to the effect that this nurse needed to more closely monitor her interactions with the media. Nurses usually have no public relations experience and for this nurse it was the cause of much negative publicity. "Kaci has turned this into a media frenzy." While many agree with her position, they feel she has handled this poorly.

Summary of comments

There were over 2300 comments:

Most responders said that until we know more we should quarantine with pay. Many felt that education and following CDC guidelines was the way to deal with healthcare workers exposed to Ebola. Another commonality was to provide more information to the public so that hysteria and panic was averted. Many posters felt that self-quarantine was the way to go and others felt that these healthcare workers should be monitored in a CDC facility.

[Over-the-hill-Nurse]

GrumpyRN- Thank you so much for your response. I was merely quoting my own reasons for voting the way I did. Clearly I am out of the loop these days. I do appreciate the comments. I am never to old to learn. I was not trying to contradict anyones statements or comments. Everyone has valid points and I do think that more education is needed. Do I think that the media exploits their info? Yes. I also believe that everyone has a different degree of what EBP is. I am probably one of many who do not understand every aspect of it. I certainly have more to learn when it comes to the Ebola virus.

[Over-the-hill-Nurse]

Boston FNP- thank you so much for the information. I was clearly not trying to challenge anyone on the need for more education, nor on EBP. I was merely trying to voice why I voted the way I did on the survey. I clearly also need to bolster my own education on Ebola and also on EBP. I am sure that what I learned of it was very basic at its best. I do appreciate the info you posted. It will give me a better understanding of Ebola and how it is transmitted. Being out of the healthcare field now for 4 years, I am sure that I am out of date on many of my resource materials and the information out there. Thank you so much for responding to my post. I humbly appologize to anyone if I stepped on toes. Not my intention.

[GrumpyRN, NP]

I certainly have more to learn when it comes to the Ebola virus.

You and me both sister.

I think the news services seem to have taken a less hysterical view over here from what I am gathering (I may be wrong and fully accept that my information from America is limited). More of the 'how do we stop it and what are we doing' instead of the 'we're all going to die' scenario (exaggerated for effect) . For example, the British nurse who had ebola was seen at an interview after he was cured and that was the last we have heard of him (he is I believe back in Sierra Leone).

The BBC website is full of information about ebola

BBC News - Ebola outbreak

[dizzygatorrn]

I think the news services seem to have taken a less hysterical view over here from what I am gathering (I may be wrong and fully accept that my information from America is limited). More of the 'how do we stop it and what are we doing' instead of the 'we're all going to die' scenario (exaggerated for effect)

The difference between US vs UK Ebola news coverage:

(The black guy is also a comedian.)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

That hilarious LinkedIn thread has been taken down. Good thing, because it was making a lot of RNs look really stupid. It's been resurrected by the same guy but so far is fairly peaceable. We'll see what happens. ::getting out the popcorn bowl::

[OCNRN63, RN]

There's a totally hilarious thread on LinkedIn going where somebody says her grandpa founded the CIA and they have the lock on a patent for Ebola, and the president knows all about it, and there's this huge plot to infect the nation being run out of the White House aided and abetted by the CDC (granted, they haven't covered themselves in glory here, but still), and we are crazy if we don't prepare for the worst and see it for what it is, and on, and on, and on. Precious few voices of reason there, and most of them seem to have decided to leave and let the crazies enjoy themselves. I like to drop in and chuckle from time to time. And this is in a forum mostly populated by nurses, many with advanced degrees.

It will be so sad for these people soon. I mean, what do rabid catastrophists do when the calamitous catastrophe doesn't develop and so there's no proof of the big conspiracy and it all goes pooooooofffff? Every day that goes by without all those people in the bowling alley in NYC, or folks (or squirrels) on the biking trails of Fort Kent ME, or the schoolteacher's colleagues in KY, or more people in TX starting to come down with fevers and hemorrhages undermines the rationale (if I can use such a word, as it's hardly rational) for their hysteria. You know they'll never say, "Umm, okay, we overreacted and I guess we got it wrong," will they? Will they be disappointed if, like, nobody else dies? Or even gets infected? Bummmmmmerrrrr!

Here's a hint for them. Cue the late, great Gilda Radner (as Roseanne Rosannadanna): "Nevermind ..."

I think "It's always something" is equally apropos.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Boston FNP- thank you so much for the information. I was clearly not trying to challenge anyone on the need for more education, nor on EBP. I was merely trying to voice why I voted the way I did on the survey. I clearly also need to bolster my own education on Ebola and also on EBP. I am sure that what I learned of it was very basic at its best. I do appreciate the info you posted. It will give me a better understanding of Ebola and how it is transmitted. Being out of the healthcare field now for 4 years, I am sure that I am out of date on many of my resource materials and the information out there. Thank you so much for responding to my post. I humbly appologize to anyone if I stepped on toes. Not my intention.

I am glad we made you think of nothing else, gives me some more hope that other nurses will do the same!

Sent from my iPhone.

[BlueDevil, DNP]

So the only conclusion one can extract form this is that >80% of nurses are completely ignorant.

Terrific.

[Guest219794]

Got to agree, this poll is pretty embarassing.

Can somebody please explain something? Is there also a move to quarantine nurses who treat Ebola in the states, or in non-African countries?

[ButterflyRN90, ASN, RN]

Idk why you consider majority of nurses ignorant based on their poll choice. I would quarantine, but that's based on the fact that I am a HCW with a weak immune system. My body may not be able to handle illnesses as such. So sue me for wanting to live long enough to fulfill my duty. It's not airborne, we know that, but given how tiny mistakes in universal precautions occur, it's possible to acquire it. I'm not saying it's like that in all cases, but I caught a simple "cold" from my boyfriend. Simple, right? I'm still recovering now from a full blown URI. Quarantine away if you must. Call me selfish, but I'm guessing those nurses who'd hesitate are thinking of NOT acquiring this illness.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Idk why you consider majority of nurses ignorant based on their poll choice.

I will try to explain if for you if you don't understand. Ignorance is assumed because the pool demonstrates that the majority of nurses do not understand the scientific process, evidence based practice, and the viral transmission of the Ebola virus.

I would quarantine, but that's based on the fact that I am a HCW with a weak immune system. My body may not be able to handle illnesses as such. So sue me for wanting to live long enough to fulfill my duty. It's not airborne, we know that, but given how tiny mistakes in universal precautions occur, it's possible to acquire it.

It is possible to acquire it given mucus membrane contact with active virus from a the bodily fluids of a symptomatic individual. This has nothing to do with quarantining symptomatic individuals; that is standard of practice. What this is about s the quarantine of asymptomatic individuals which have no risk of transmitting the virus.

I'm not saying it's like that in all cases, but I caught a simple "cold" from my boyfriend. Simple, right? I'm still recovering now from a full blown URI.

Was he symptomatic when he "spread" that cold to you?

Quarantine away if you must. Call me selfish, but I'm guessing those nurses who'd hesitate are thinking of NOT acquiring this illness.

If they think that for the same reason as you, then they demonstrate a very poor understanding, which indicates that nurses need more theoretical and clinical education.

[casi, ASN, RN]

This is really interesting. Thanks for posting this. The results aren't at all what I expected.