Nurses suspended for refusing COVID-19 care without N95 mask

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

Nurse Mike Gulick was meticulous about not bringing the coronavirus home to his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. He’d stop at a hotel after work just to take a shower. He’d wash his clothes in Lysol disinfectant. They did a tremendous amount of handwashing.

But at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, Gulick and his colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without first being able to don an N95 respirator mask was risky. The N95 mask filters out 95% of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks. But administrators at his hospital said they weren’t necessary and didn’t provide them, he said.

<snip>

Then, last week, a nurse on Gulick’s ward tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The next day doctors doing rounds on their ward asked the nurses why they weren’t wearing N95 masks, Gulick said, and told them they should have better protection.

For Gulick, that was it. He and a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldn’t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital suspended them, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said.



Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/nurses-suspended-refusing-covid-19-care-n95-mask-70176442?cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

[RockCreek]

1. Another horrific Admin response

Against people doing the right thing for patient care.

I was born in that hospital, and used to be happy to say that.

[customerserviceguy]

16. It seems like

everybody's admiring healthcare workers these days, with the notable exception of hospital administrators, who have become dicks.

[RockCreek]

24. I think they were dicks before!

It's just being noticed more now.

[NNadir]

2. I'm sure that the ignorant unqualified self declared medical expert Jared Kushner...

...if asked to go in himself and share his self declared expertise in medicine, would suddenly find some of "his" masks, paid for the American taxpayers but grifted by him.

[bluestarone]

3. Fucking stupid decision

Sue the fuckers for FULL BACKPAY!!!!

[luvtheGWN]

4. This is what happens in private, for-profit hospitals.

When the bottom line is all that matters, then to hell with the disposable medical staff. This action is akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face. Or do they think that there are trained professionals just lining up outside the HR office begging to be hired, and treated the same way?

[machoneman]

5. Watch this site for a total walk-out. Then and only then will the hospital...

pay attention and supply the needed gear. Sadly, it's the patients that will suffer the most.

[George II]

6. Saint John's Health Center is NOT, repeat NOT, a "private, for-profit" hospital.....

Why do people immediately jump to that conclusion without doing a simple google search?

Your apology would be greatly appreciated.

[luvtheGWN]

7. I apologize

with this proviso: The actions taken belie the statement above. "Belief that healthcare is a human right" and "our caregivers provide quality, compassionate care to all those we serve", for example. If a hospital is not going to protect caregivers, then there isn't a whole lot of compassion, is there?

I "jumped to that conclusion" because this sort of behaviour would NOT be allowed in Canadian hospitals.

[George II]

8. Thanks. I appreciate that. This situation is because of a misguided administrator or manager....

....I suspect he/she will be fired or demoted pretty quickly.

[customerserviceguy]

17. It's a mission statement

Come up with by a group of pencil-pushers at a seminar, no doubt. Besides having beautiful buzzwords, it was never intended to mean anything.

[lapucelle]

22. That's not their mission statement.

https://www.providence.org/about/our-mission

https://www.providence.org/about/our-missionhttps://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images.provhealth.org/Communications/AdvocacyAgenda.pdf

[90-percent]

12. to put it the way Frank Zappa did at the 1985 PMRC Senate Hearings

"It's like curing dandruff by decapitation."

-90% Jimmy

[ehrnst]

14. That's not a private, for profit hospital... the not for profit hospitals have issues as well

See also, the Veterans' Administration hospital scandals.

[AllyCat]

9. That is what we are being told at my hospital

Unless it is an aeresolizing procedure, no N95. I was denied one just this week. Fortunately, I had brought one from home.

[ffr]

10. You shouldn't have to make that choice on your own.

Fuck! If you chose to stay at home, nobody would look down on you for it.

Be safe!!!!!!!

[kacekwl]

11. Why if we we hear every day there are masks,

ventilators, tests, everywhere everyone has more than what they need why are these stories reported daily ? Who's lying here ?

[AllyCat]

13. The administration and management at my hospital.

[George II]

15. Administrators are not medical people.

[TeamPooka]

19. actually sometimes they are. Many nurse admins are actually RN's, like my wife

[treestar]

18. Wow, they need a union

or contracts the specify that they have the right to protective equipment. This is ridiculous.

[Massacure]

23. They are in a union

Per the article, "The hospital suspended them, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said."

[Joinfortmill]

20. Unf'ing believable.

[mpcamb]

21. Who is the hospital administrator? Fire his ass! Reinstate Gulick. There, saved the hosp. a bundle.

Overinflated salary- gone.
Great nurse- back on duty.

[ck4829]

25. K&R