Nurses in California and other areas of the country say they have not been properly trained or provided with appropriate equipment to deal with Ebola cases, KTVU reports (Lee, KTVU, 10/7).
Details of Nurses’ Concerns
In a recent National Nurses United survey, 80% of registered nurses said their hospital has not communicated “any policy regarding potential admission of patients infected by Ebola.” The survey, which began weeks ago and is still accepting answers, includes responses from 700 RNs at more than 250 hospitals across 31 states (Zara, International Business Times, 10/4).
In addition, the survey found that:
87% of nurses say their hospital has not held Ebola education sessions with time for questions and interaction;
Nearly 40% say their hospital does not have a plan to equip isolation rooms with plastic covered mattresses and discard linens after use; and
33% say their hospital does not have a sufficient supply of impermeable gowns and eye protection.
NNU is calling for hospitals to launch interactive training for all nurses, ensure there is an adequate supply of protective gear and properly equip isolation rooms (NBC News 3, 10/5).
The California Nurses Association recently joined NNU in a protest to push hospitals to provide a standard plan and training regimen for responding to Ebola.
Kaiser Permanente Says It’s Prepared for Ebola
Kaiser Permanente said its facilities are prepared to handle Ebola cases.
Stephen Parodi, director of operations for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, said the health system has an Ebola response plan and will distribute information on the plan to employees later this week. In addition, Parodi said Kaiser will hold Ebola drills at its Northern California facilities over the next month (KTVU, 10/7).