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October 16, 2014
"We've Been Lied To": Nurses Union On Ebola "Ignored By The White House And The CDC"
By Susan Duclos
The first video below is a statement by a spokesperson of the nation's largest union of registered nurses, stating outright "we've been lied to" in terms of the preparation in the hospitals to protect nurses from Ebola transmission, and that "we've been essentially ignored by the White House and by the CDC."
National Nurses United hosted a conference called with 11,500 from accross the US where "RNs from California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Texas described widespread concerns in their hospitals about inadequate preparedness at a time at least two nurses have been tested positive for the Ebola virus in a hospital where one patient infected by the disease has died," according to their website.
They also have addressed Barack Obama asking him to use his executive authority as President to order all US hospitals to meet the highest standards to protect patients, and medical personnel, describing portions of an open letter with the following.
“Every healthcare employer must be directed to follow the Precautionary Principle and institute the following:
• Optimal personal protective equipment for Ebola that meets the highest standards used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center • Full-body hazmat suits that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1670 standard for blood penetration, the ASTM F1671 standard for viral penetration, and that leave no skin exposed or unprotected and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved powered air purifying respirators with an assigned protection factor of at least 50 – or a higher standard as appropriate. • There shall be at least two direct care registered nurses caring for each Ebola patient with additional RNs assigned as needed based on the direct care RN’s professional judgment with no additional patient care assignments. • There will be continuous interactive training with the RNs who are exposed to patients. • There will also be continuous updated training and education for all RNs that is responsive to the changing nature of disease. This would entail continuous interactive training and expertise from facilities where state of the art disease containment is occurring. • If the Employer has a program with standards that exceed those used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the higher standard shall be used.
CNN is now reporting that nurses at Texas Presbyterian Hospital, where the first imported Ebola patient, Thomas Duncan died, and two healthcare workers that treated Duncan have now contracted the deadly virus, "may walk off the job." (Transcript here)
