US Nurses: We Can't Handle Ebola!

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Ask a doctor you trust and respect if he thinks 'any' hospital in America is equipped to manage the care of a patient with Ebola.

Or just look back to the end of July and August to all the information abounding when they brought the two patients back what they were saying about containment and BSL4 and how very, very few hospitals are even remotely equipped to handle this disease.

At that time, to squelch public outcry and concern over the decision, it was useful to propagandize all the extreme measures being taken and all the specialiazed and equipment and training at Emory.

Now, it's oh all hospitals can handle it. Right.

Even then we saw the lies they told us about preparedness with our own eyes and are still learning about now areas where they were not at all prepared, such as there was no protocol in place for the removal of infected materials and waste.

And sure, we learned from that, and will keep learning, but 99.99999999% of all U.S. hospitals are not equipped for an outbreak and won't magically be elevated to anywhere near the level of Emory, for example, in the foreseeable future.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
The ugly truth is, if our government has allowed this disease into our country. We are screwed.

Absolutely.

originally posted by: jimmyx

originally posted by: texasgirl

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.

Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful but I live here in Dallas and hearing you and the other nurse posters say you'll quit and won't help the victims is very sad for me. If I were to come down with it myself you guys are telling me you won't help me.

And if a little kid comes down with Ebola are you saying you're running in the other direction?

what?....you expect here to put her life and the lives of her family on the line for you?...what if one of her kids contacted ebola from her, when she was helping you, and the kid died...let her make her own choice, without you, trying to guilt-trip her into possible disaster...geez...I've been to Texas several times, and never once had a thought about moving there...thanks for reinforcing that decision?

She's a NURSE who cares for the sick! Yes, I expect her to help me AND others who come down with it. Maybe I'm wrong but don't people who go into this profession know the risks beforehand?

What if it was YOU who contracted Ebola or YOUR KID who got it? Wouldn't you expect to get help?

a reply to: texasgirl

What if it was YOU who contracted Ebola or YOUR KID who got it? Wouldn't you expect to get help?

I would expect that those in charge of seeing that our country is prepared to dea with one of the most deadly pathogens known to man would ensure that the people working our hoapitals have the proper training and equipment to deal with said pathogen.

That seems not to be the case however.

Would you expect a fireman to show up to a fully involved house fire in a Volkswagen beetle to fight the fire with a garden hose?

originally posted by: randyvs
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.

Don't know if you're being serious or not but you're right. Well a Christian - who believes in healing and can pray for the Lord to heal them.

Got any other alternatives handy?

originally posted by: Mr Headshot
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.

Normalcy bias. Nice. They also call it denial.

a reply to: ~Lucidity


So true....

I also heard last week that it takes a staff of almost 25 to care for 1 ebola patient........

How many before that overwhelms a hospital to the point they cant function?

how long before people are too scared to come in because they dont want to give it to their families?

Its a sad situation.......

People keep blowing this whole thing off , im starting to see its the same people who said months ago "meh its just in Africa and its just so many people im sure this will die down were fine here" now its come to our shores and not under the protection of the CDC on some containment flight.......

Add to this the fact that the CDC and others arent being honest about whats going on........seems to be its reason to be concerned....

People always want to down play things until its on their front door.......

Well this is 50 miles away from me here, and the people around here arent as blase' about the situation as many here on ATS seem to be.......

Don't forget the Lab Techs

We do the tests on the samples and so far every one I have talked to (15+) are more than a little worried to say the least.

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
a reply to: texasgirl

What if it was YOU who contracted Ebola or YOUR KID who got it? Wouldn't you expect to get help?

I would expect that those in charge of seeing that our country is prepared to dea with one of the most deadly pathogens known to man would ensure that the people working our hoapitals have the proper training and equipment to deal with said pathogen.

That seems not to be the case however.

Would you expect a fireman to show up to a fully involved house fire in a Volkswagen beetle to fight the fire with a garden hose?

No, I don't expect that but I bet he'd still show up and do everything possible to stop the fire. It's what he does.

a reply to: texasgirl

Yes he does, and I bet he would give it a hell of an effort but the house would still burn to the ground.

One major difference is that he is not very likely to take a bit of the smoldering rubble home with him unknowingly and burn his own house down too.

Which would then be fought by more beetle-dricing firefighters with garden hoses only to have that house burn down too and then them bringing home smoldering rubble...

How long before the entire city is ablaze?




Look I'm not advocating for doctors and nurses just to go running off at the first sign of infection.

Ill I'm saying is that the freaking federal government, whose job it is to actually secure this country, provide those who are fighting this disease the proper training equipment required to do so.

Anything less is utter failure

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
a reply to: texasgirl

Yes he does, and I bet he would give it a hell of an effort but the house would still burn to the ground.

One major difference is that he is not very likely to take a bit of the smoldering rubble home with him unknowingly and burn his own house down too.

Which would then be fought by more bettle-dricing firefighters with garden hoses only to have that house burn down too and then them bringing home smoldering rubble...

How long before the entire city is ablaze?

Yeah, okay, I see that. So maybe it's time the nurses get together and contact CNN and tell them what's really going on. It seems when it's aired on CNN officials scramble together and try to resolve the problem. They can do this and be part of the solution rather than quitting (and putting more burden on the nurses who decide to stay) and walking out.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Having fun.

"What about the outliers? The ones on whom our methods are ineffective?

Best Regards, Fox.

originally posted by: FlyersFan

The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

originally posted by: texasgirl
She's a NURSE who cares for the sick! Yes, I expect her to help me AND others who come down with it.

I would expect that as well ... IF they had the training and the equipment to do the job. According to this nurse, and other ATS members in the medical field, these health care professionals who are on the front line (nurses and doctors and first responders) aren't being given adequate training or equipment to do the job. For them to just jump in on ebola cases like it's business as usual ... well, they would just get themselves killed. No use committing suicide.

This is a failure on the part of the hospitals to provide adequate training and equipment to the health care workers. It's not the fault of the nurses or doctors or ambulance drivers.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

I get it. Like I said in the above post they need to try and RESOLVE this by coming forward and getting it out into the public instead of quitting. Call CNN and FOX, break it out into the open.

Quitting isn't going to guarantee nurses and their families won't get it themselves. It will make it harder for the others to fight it and it has a better chance of spreading if there's less help.

As sad as this situation is, the reality is that there are solutions that no one wants to talk about. And it will hurt, inconveince people and ultimately be the only solution out there. I am not a doctor, nor am I a nurse. I have some rudimentary medical knowledge and have read a lot. One of my hobbies at one time was studying and understanding Ebola, including when it came up and where it struck.

As sad as it is, the response has to be containment, that means those in the countries where this is happening should not be allowed to leave at all. There can not be a chance, for them to spread it to other countries and parts of the population. That part has failed and now people are scrambling to figure out how to prevent it from spreading and getting worse or causing outbreaks in other parts of the cities and worlds. As I stated, the solution that I came up with is harsh, and as sad as it is, means that sacrafices will have to be made. If I was in charge of this outbreak in Texas, one hospital in the city would be the hot hospital. All personal would be removed and it would be made to be a hot hospital, where no one save those who have Ebola, or who have come in contact would be allowed. it would have to be retrofitted quickly to ensure that the floors are isolated and that those who have it, like the one man is kept separated from the rest of the population. There would be a clean and hot rooms, with full disenfectants all around. Each floor would have a designation, along with each elivator. Stairs would be locked down.

The staff would have to be picked to be best, with round the clock care, with them being on for 6 hours at the max, then go through decontamination. That which could be decontaminated, would be, that which could not, would have to be burnt up. The air would have to be recycled and ultimately, it would reek of bleach and heavy chemicals. Everything is trucked in, and only waste is taken out to be destroyed. It is the only way to contain an outbreak and prevent its spread.

The Op is correct, the US is not prepared for an outbreak, and it is going to be a trial by fire, in an attempt to contain and prevent its spreading, along with preventing the population from catching this dangerous contagion. The only bright note, is that the US has no natural carriers of this disease, and that is one bright note. The down side, is that it may become where we start using more exotic animals as the proverbial canary to detect and see if it is around.

If they caught this in time, then it should be fine, however, what the concern for every one will be, what if they did not and someone else, or 2 show up sick, then what? The panic will ensue and chaos will ensue.

a reply to: randyvs
Huh.... I wouldn't have expected -that-, but OK... if you say so.

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
a reply to: texasgirl

Yes he does, and I bet he would give it a hell of an effort but the house would still burn to the ground.

One major difference is that he is not very likely to take a bit of the smoldering rubble home with him unknowingly and burn his own house down too.

Which would then be fought by more beetle-dricing firefighters with garden hoses only to have that house burn down too and then them bringing home smoldering rubble...

How long before the entire city is ablaze?

 

Look I'm not advocating for doctors and nurses just to go running off at the first sign of infection.

Ill I'm saying is that the freaking federal government, whose job it is to actually secure this country, provide those who are fighting this disease the proper training equipment required to do so.

Anything less is utter failure

If he didn't show up the house will still burn down and may burn down the entire city, too

a reply to: FlyersFan


It gets worse too..........

I was flying home to Dallas/Fort Worth yesterday and was at a layover in Denver, one of the stewardesses sat next to me to charge her phone, she was on her way home. We got to talking about the situation of Ebola, and I asked her point blank if the Airlines and informed them on how to approach the situation or what to look out for, if they were suppose to alert anyone...

She told me flat out they haven't told them anything, they haven't had a notice, they werent told to be alert,they hadn't even broached the subject with them.

I asked her what she thought about the idea of closing off the flights to and from Africa, and even tho we both know she isnt "in the know" she does work in the industry. She said her and her colleagues had talked about that, and had talked to some of the pilots about their point of view.......

The consensus? No way its going to happen, no company is going to cut off that revenue stream

she was genuinely concerned about the lack of discussion within the industry and employees about vigilance on flights and contingency plans and honestly so am I...

There seems to be some gross negligence going on here on all fronts

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
a reply to: FlyersFan


It gets worse too..........

pardon the deflection... I'm just excited that someone used the word 'too', and used it correctly.

ok, back to the topic at hand.