I was watching TV today and heard that 16,000 California nurses are planning to strike and picket at the hospitals of California Health Care West on October 30. The strike comes out of concern that the hospitals are not implementing safety precautions around the H1N1 flu. They are not following the CDC guidelines. Specifically, they are not isolating patients or providing adequate protection gear, including masks.
Here's the thing with masks: A normal mask is sufficient for protection from the flu. When someone is getting a breathing treatment such as a nebulizer (a medication is aerosolized and then the patient breathes it in via a device to relax constricted breathing tubes) or on a ventilator, a special mask is required. This is the same mask that we use for TB patients. It has to be fitted individually. We are fit tested once a year. I'm sure these masks are expensive. Apparently they have run out of them at these hospitals.
There was concern at our hospital in the last couple weeks of having enough regular masks. Fortunately, my hospital bought extra last spring in anticipation of the return of the flu this fall. I can easily seek there being a shortage of masks nationwide.
In my ER, those with flu symptoms are masked at triage and when they go to a room they are put in isolation. Its the standard of care.
Those California nurse are some shit kickers. They have a reputation for being an activist group. The thing is, few nurses probably know that the unionized nurses in the US who number about 160,000 recently joined with the California to form a national union. I can't wait to see what happens. Nursing needs a good kick in the butt....
3 comments:
Nursing also needs to band together to require a minimum BS degree for entry-level RN's. Otherwise, our jobs are being taken by Pyxis, MA's, IV certified LVN's. Of course, all current Rn's will be grandfathered in.
Nursing has changed. We do what MD's used to do (in many ways). We do need to protect our profession.
It is Catholic Healthcare West, and just because the stupid California Nurses' Ass. uses the number 16000 because that is how many nurses they are stealing money from does not mean that we all want to go along with this ridiculous crapfest of a union. Several nurses at my hospital will be striking, but none of them because of a shortage of flu masks, but rather for some genuine safety concerns and because the contract that was supposed to be settled in July is still on the table and so are the yearly raises that go with it.
Just because they steal my money does not mean I agree with the Nurses' Ass.
Update on the CNA strike. The CHW CEO interviened to assure the Nurses that CHW will implement our H1N1 safety language and address the numerous other issues that have stalled in negoiations. In exchange CNA has posponed the strike. Both parties are as I write this locked in 2 days of contract negioations to get the contract settled. If CHW's promise turns out to be a delay technique we will be re-issueing the 10 day notice and set a new strike date. H1N1 is the public issue and its important. Within CHW there has been a RN death from H1 and another lost 3rd trimester pregnancy and numerous hospitalizations. CNA is asking for the CAL-OSHA regulations to be put into their contract and persumptive elgibility for workers comp where approperiate. The other issues are the delay in the settlement, benifit takeaways, excessive call offs, and wages. Were close on wages. And Branden, that California Nurses Ass you claim that steals your money has made you one of the highest paid nurses in the country. It is also the group that brought Nursing ratios after a long fight that made the practice of ED Nursing tolerable for those of us who are in this for the long haul. If you are a CHW RN those ratios are also contractual so even if the law changes you still have ratios. Dont be such an ingrate.
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