Survey: Four Out of Five Nurses Have Gotten No Ebola Training At All

Mother Jones ^ | October 15, 2014 | Gabrielle Canon

[2ndDivisionVet]

A new survey conducted by the National Nurses Union shows US hospitals may not be adequately prepared to handle Ebola patients, should the virus continue to spread. Out of the 2,200 nurses who responded to the union's questionnaire, 85 percent reported that their hospitals had not provided education on Ebola. 76 percent said their institution had no policy for how to admit and handle patients potentially infected with the virus. More than a third claimed their hospitals didn't have enough safety supplies, including eye protection and fluid resistant gowns.

The survey results were announced on Sunday, just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a health worker in Texas had tested positive for the virus. The CDC's director, Thomas Frieden cited a "breach of protocol" as the likely reason.

Now—as agency officials scramble to figure out just what that breach was—nurses are pushing back. On Monday, NNU nurses in red shirts rallied in Oakland, Calif. with signs reading, "Stop Blaming Nurses. Stop Ebola."

"We have been surveying nurses for almost two months about Ebola preparedness," Charles Idelson, an NNU spokesman, said Monday. "What these survey results clearly indicate is that hospitals are still not doing enough to be properly prepared to respond."(continued)

[Grampa Dave]

A question being asked by a lot of freepers, "Excuse my language, but how in the **** are the hospital personnel contracting this while supposedly in protective gear but Duncan’s family is not infected while interacting unprotected with his bodily fluids????"

The answer to this critical question is shown below. The woman in the protective gear is/was wearing the CDC's recommendation for protective gear.

Below is a photo of the deputy as he was being admitted to the Dallas hospital. Look at the lack of coverage by the so called Haz Mat gear around the HCW's throat.

Thanks to Black Agnes for posting the link to the picture below.

However, in the birthplace of PC ism, Great Britain HCWs had even worse recommendations re Haz Mat garb for the UK’s medical workers.

[Resolute Conservative]

And if we closed off the damn flights from ebola land they would not have to.

[NRA1995]

A new survey conducted by the National Nurses Union shows US hospitals may not be adequately prepared to handle Ebola patients

But their self-esteem is off the charts!

[familyop]

Mother Jones: it’s the males’ fault. They didn’t make us listen to anything other than man-hating instruction in the university nursing departments.

[And many students have noticed that each women’s studies head had some queers in tow: future Amazon worshipers in politics.]

[Cyman]

So we are to believe that nurses have never seen, heard nor practiced isolation protocol while working in an American hospital that is monitored by JACHO? The same JACHO who will cite you for using an extension cord and not having your water bubblers not cold enough?

[Vermont Lt]

Most of them have trained. But not regularly. And usually they are training for other blood borne, not as infectious diseases.

The real problem is not when you are in with the patient, but when you are disrobing.

In a haz mat emergency they use one person to spray you down with what looks like a lawn sprayer. Then you have someone help you disrobe.

If you leave the slightest bit of blood or feces on your clothes and you touch it and it contacts your skin...you might be infected. It is really that easy.

You have to be in pretty close contact with someone. BUT, that contact does not have to be A LOT to get the virus. That is the thing with ebola. Hard to get if you are careful, but if you get it...chances are good you will die.