US Nurses: We Can't Handle Ebola!

Thank god nurses are speaking out!!! I work on a unit with our hospitals ONLY 2 negative pressure rooms! 2!!!! And we serve a huge suburban population. I completely agree we are unprepared for Ebola outbreaks!
Our ER is on code diversion several times a week!!! That's how busy we are. And we are a level II trauma center!

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: judydawg
a reply to: lovebeck

I don't blame any of you. A saying on FB the other day said,"Nurses are there to keep the doctors from killing you."

If the public knew how completelytrue that statement really is....

I don't know lovebeck when that care-taking comforter spirit in you takes over, you never know what you might do, you might just go on auto pilot

originally posted by: lovebeck
a reply to: Stormdancer777

Wow. I've worked with a few of those types...don't know how they made it thru school and passed their boards!

exactly

originally posted by: Stormdancer777

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: judydawg
a reply to: lovebeck

I don't blame any of you. A saying on FB the other day said,"Nurses are there to keep the doctors from killing you."

If the public knew how completelytrue that statement really is....

I don't know lovebeck when that care-taking comforter spirit in you takes over, you never know what you might do, you might just go on auto pilot

What? Stay and care for Ebola patients? Nahhh, not this nurse! It won't happen...

Plus, I work w/kids. Can't imagine seeing a kid with Ebola.

a reply to: lovebeck

Face shields. You would need face shields as well to protect you from spittle contamination to the eyes. That is how the health care workers in Toronto caught SARS.

As a former RN who happily left the madness of understaffed hospitals, I do understand your worries and fears.

Allow me to be candid. Your floor manager should press the hospital admin for a *realistic run-through and practice unit* to make you and your team all feel more competent in the face of that danger. If your whole body is covered and you step out of your contaminated outfit with the help of someone in the dirty change room, there is less danger when you are confident in the disposal and decontamination practices. Runthroughs will alert you to your weaknesses if there are any, and will shore up your confidence in your strengths. Some hospitals offer shower facilities which is something to consider before changing into street clothes to go home.

I think you are expressing a genuine need for reassurance, not the verbal reassurance kind but one that comes with competently practiced and proven methods that will leave you feeling ok. Your entire team needs that by the sounds of it, and I strongly encourage you to lobby admin as a unified team. If you do, I'm confident you will get the results that will satisfy you. Do not allow the mention of budget or expenses to come up in your discussion. Let the top admins worry about that and obtain the funds from wherever. What you need is competence practice and good equipment.

Hang in there. I hope you can continue to express your needs and demand training. If you become confident again, you will automatically take the necessary precautions to protect your family and their mom.

All the best. I'm pulling for you. I've been there, done that and came out intact and proud of my work and my abilities, just as you can do also.

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: Stormdancer777

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: judydawg
a reply to: lovebeck

I don't blame any of you. A saying on FB the other day said,"Nurses are there to keep the doctors from killing you."

If the public knew how completelytrue that statement really is....

I don't know lovebeck when that care-taking comforter spirit in you takes over, you never know what you might do, you might just go on auto pilot

What? Stay and care for Ebola patients? Nahhh, not this nurse! It won't happen...

Plus, I work w/kids. Can't imagine seeing a kid with Ebola.

You never know until you are faced with the situation, I read this article about another man laying in the street for days they thought was dead, then he moved, people just left him for dead for days,

www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: aboutface

Don't get it twisted...I'm all sorts of confident in my skills as a nurse and as a health care worker in general. Has nothing to do with confidence. I could read and train myself online in regards to Ebola and be better prepared than with anything the hospitals will roll out. An education module and a test? Come on!

My issue is with the EQUIPMENT they hospitals would provide the nurses, ancillary staff, housekeepers, etc. we don't have a dirty change room. We have neg pressure rooms, but without an ante room.

So there's that....

originally posted by: Stormdancer777

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: Stormdancer777

originally posted by: lovebeck

originally posted by: judydawg
a reply to: lovebeck

I don't blame any of you. A saying on FB the other day said,"Nurses are there to keep the doctors from killing you."

If the public knew how completelytrue that statement really is....

I don't know lovebeck when that care-taking comforter spirit in you takes over, you never know what you might do, you might just go on auto pilot

What? Stay and care for Ebola patients? Nahhh, not this nurse! It won't happen...

Plus, I work w/kids. Can't imagine seeing a kid with Ebola.

You never know until you are faced with the situation, I read this article about another man laying in the street for days they thought was dead, then he moved, people just left him for dead for days,

www.dailymail.co.uk...

< br />
Sad. I hate those sorts of stories. But, I doubt I would change my mind. Just not worth the risk of bringing it home. Like I said, I'm not worried about me, but I do worry about my family...

Who knows maybe us nurse are immune? We're so vaccinated and exposed to everything under the sun, you never know! Lol...

a reply to: ItCameFromOuterSpace "don't get their body fluids on you"

apparently, you missed the story of that one dr guy who came back really ill, he became hostile and combative, pulling out his iv, fighting with everyone.....throwing his poop at workers....he died, but, the point is he was COMBATIVE, on the other hand, I did not hear about anyone being infected....but they knew he was and were prepared.

a reply to: lovebeck

You and others like you have to take a stand when there is no med to take and it has to be grown, there is no cure as you well know.

The insane thing is the people that don't even want to attempt any prevention like stopping flights from the effected country's expect the health care workers to step up and put there life on the line like the ones in Africa that became infected.

They only care about "political correctness" and could care less about the health care workers and there family's, let the liberal socialist that preach this crap step up and help at the hospitals... YA RIGHT!!!!

a reply to: Battleline
That's a good point about taking a stand, this dangerous situation can be prevented if they would STOP the FLIGHTS

a reply to: lovebeck

You maintenance department should have those HEPA shrouds they use for ceiling tile work.

Those can be used as an ante-room.

(Joint Commission standards)

a reply to: lovebeck

From everything I've heard an infected person doesn't need
a nurse. He/she needs a preacher. So there you go. Ebola patient
rolls in and you go find a preacher.

Problem solved.

a reply to: lovebeck

I never said anything about an education module and test, but read your OP again to see why I replied as I did.

If there are no clean and dirty ante rooms then where in heck are you supposed to gown up and then to decontaminate, in a hallway? It's a valid concern. They could build those in no time providing there is the room for it. In our children's hospital they stole some square footage from larger hallway end rooms.

a reply to: lovebeck

If a sweaty sick ebola person touches the handle on the door to open it and someone else touches that handle. BINGO, you get ebola. How are they supposed to handle that situation. Post doornob cleaners on every door with bleach. YEAH, RIGHT. Like that will happen. Well, on a positive note. The rubber glove companies must be making a huge,huge profit.

a reply to: Stormdancer777

They did not lock down the African states that the Ebola started in and look what is happening.

Every country should lock down until this thing is contained. If the health care workers take a stand out of fear for there own lives and there family's then who will stop the horror, and for those workers that say "I will do it" I commend you but consider what happen to the doctors in Africa with no vaccination, no cure and having to GROW the only cure that might work.

This is a lose lose situation while the political correct idiot's act like its no big deal, how many of them is it going to have to kill before they realize there ideology's have killed possibly millions.IMO

a reply to: lovebeck

Wife is an RN on a peds unit in SOUTH OKLAHOMA, she asked her nurse manager about the plan and was told *and I quote* "Don't make me make a plan before I have to."

YOU FREAKING HAVE TO. It's past the time of "maybe," there MUST be a plan, like now. People are just burying their heads here, nobody cares. Normalcy bias is insane.

a reply to: Battleline

I hear ya battle

originally posted by: Battleline
a reply to: lovebeck

You and others like you have to take a stand when there is no med to take and it has to be grown, there is no cure as you well know.

The insane thing is the people that don't even want to attempt any prevention like stopping flights from the effected country's expect the health care workers to step up and put there life on the line like the ones in Africa that became infected.

They only care about "political correctness" and could care less about the health care workers and there family's, let the liberal socialist that preach this crap step up and help at the hospitals... YA RIGHT!!!!

The politically correct crowd sent all, I repeat all of the "cure" to Africa

leaving NONE in the US. It has to be grown as others have pointed out and that takes time.

Why, because of liberal/progressive thinking and pressure from the Democrat party to give it all away and not save any for our own people.

The politically correct crowd refused to stop people from infected countries coming to the US.

Why, they are predominately black and it would be a form of "racism" according to the liberals/progressives/socialist/Democrats.

And now, they got the liberal nocturnal emission.

Fast depopulation, thanks to their political correctness.

Who cares about people, after all people are the scourge of the earth according to environmentalists who support and are a huge part of the Democrat party and liberal agenda.

I am beginning to think like many on this site and even on TV as well as radio. Did the Obama administration allow Ebola and Opolio (the mystery illness) enter the US on purpose to complete the
"fundamental transformation of America"
that Obama promised us all when he was elected.

I sympathize with the Nurses who say they will refuse to go to work. But I can actually see our government trying to force health care workers to work under duress and threats. That is what has become of the US now that it is nearly fundamentally transformed.

Quitting might be what a lot of people would do, and who could blame them if they are unprepared and unprotected? As we found out in August with the Emory patients, there are very few hospitals that are equipped to handle BSL4.

And the crazyiness we're seeing now with lowering standards for disposal of waste is just...well I'm speechless.

I was talking to a paramedic friend of mine last night and another who is a nurse, and they both said they would definitely quit. To be honestm I would too. I think most people would, even though we'd all love to be heroes and heroic like in the movies, and even though we already know from past challenges that horrific circumstances can bring out the best in some, it might not be enough, and life isn't really like the movies. Very few people have the fortitude.

Sigh....

a reply to: Battleline

Yep. Just like they took seemingly forever to ground flights on 9/11. Makes ya wonder all the more.