Posted on Oct 15, 2014
Are our healthcare workers not being careful enough when treating potential Ebola patients?
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Recently a second healthcare worker in the Dallas hosptial that treated the first American Ebola patient (Thomas Duncan) was diagnosed with Ebola. Do we need to have our healthcare workers re-trained on simple, common-sense methods of protecting themselves and others they come in contact with.
I know as a Red Cross trainer for First Aid, CPR, etc., one of the first lessons we went over was the proper method to put on and take off protective gloves. Invariably, every nurse, nurse assistant and doctor - to include emergency room doctors all failed to demonstate how to safely and properly take off the gloves. Even the nurse assistant that is being treated in Spain has apparently admitted to having touched her own face with the gloves after dealing with a patient with Ebola.
I know as a Red Cross trainer for First Aid, CPR, etc., one of the first lessons we went over was the proper method to put on and take off protective gloves. Invariably, every nurse, nurse assistant and doctor - to include emergency room doctors all failed to demonstate how to safely and properly take off the gloves. Even the nurse assistant that is being treated in Spain has apparently admitted to having touched her own face with the gloves after dealing with a patient with Ebola.
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PO1 (Join to see)
SFC James Sczymanski You may be joking amigo...but you hit on a very sensitive issue for FEMA. Whenever we are assigned to a disaster in the great state of TEXAS, I always remind everyone that the only person you have to be friends with in the county you're in is the county judge - no one else matters. Many a FEMA employee have found themselves heading home early because they failed to heed that tidbit of advice.
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You would think some re-training would be in order. One thing I remember from NBC training, as well as Combat Lifesaver, and I am also a first aid/cpr/BBP/AED trainer is the emphasis on post-care infection (needle sticks, fluid contact, DECON procedures, etc.) I can't help but think that perhaps proper attention is not being given to these.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Training only goes so far. We train and re-train SHARP until we are blue in the face, yet we STILL have issues. I will tell you from both the bedside clinician and management points of view, training will only get you half-way there. The rest of the way, it becomes incumbent upon the individual to not become complacent and do what they were trained to do.
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PV2 (Join to see)
I think it's a combination of many factors. Being a former nurse, the flimsy excuse for isolation gowns and PPE (personal protective equipment), I agree with SGT Richard H. that post case procedures aren't being followed. I have had just about every body fluid splashed in my face, needle sticks, and such, but I personally continued my own follow up after I left the nursing field. Many folks wont do that or the facilities once you leave don't view it as your problem. I also think proper isolation equipment and setup is also essential. Also PO1 (Join to see) nailed it with proper procedures too. We have grown lazy as a society. You have to follow isolation rules and decon procedures properly. No excuses!
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SPC Michael P.
And the proper training comes from spending money to teach . and to have correct supplies and have them at the ready not having to physically touch a contaminated object . and if they do then they need the correct supplies to clean them selves . and as a person who has a wife working as a CNA , i know for a fact that it's the bean counters who aren't allowing this stuff to be done . cause i've seen it with my own eyes working on hospitals and general observation when being in there for seeing a doc. or picking some one up from there .
You can't believe how many troops would die in an NBC environment . Just going to the toilet in a contaminated area of a war zone is a night mare . i know i was a chemical personal in the army . i hear what you are saying . but the fact is if the higher upps don't want to spend money to teach how is a first year CNA or nurse going to know how to handle some thing like this ?????? education and communication is really lacking in the medical field , i see it when my wife was going threw the course . plus half of this stuff needs to be longer more hands on training in a real life environment .
You can't believe how many troops would die in an NBC environment . Just going to the toilet in a contaminated area of a war zone is a night mare . i know i was a chemical personal in the army . i hear what you are saying . but the fact is if the higher upps don't want to spend money to teach how is a first year CNA or nurse going to know how to handle some thing like this ?????? education and communication is really lacking in the medical field , i see it when my wife was going threw the course . plus half of this stuff needs to be longer more hands on training in a real life environment .
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PO1 (Join to see)
SPC Michael P. All excellent points! I also agree that longer and more effective real life training and evaluation is needed.
As for the NBC environment - no, I have no problem believing how many would die. During the planning stages of Desert Storm/Desert Shield I recall a briefing on the numbers of expected casualties if Hussein used chemical weapons - and the stunned silence when the question was asked: "so, how many body bags will we need to have on hand?" The briefer's response - "All of them" The follow-on question: "You want 500,000 body bags?" The reply: "If that's all you have, yes, and you need to order more.....a lot more. And soon, as in yesterday."
As for the NBC environment - no, I have no problem believing how many would die. During the planning stages of Desert Storm/Desert Shield I recall a briefing on the numbers of expected casualties if Hussein used chemical weapons - and the stunned silence when the question was asked: "so, how many body bags will we need to have on hand?" The briefer's response - "All of them" The follow-on question: "You want 500,000 body bags?" The reply: "If that's all you have, yes, and you need to order more.....a lot more. And soon, as in yesterday."
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I agree. Im Currently a Corpsman in norfolk and everytime i come in contact with a patient its called PPE. (Personal protective Equipment). I'm Fairly sure that that was drilled into our heads from the very beggining of my medical training. NOT ONLY THAT, But isnt it also stated that you assume the worst and belive what the patient has to say and rule out what they say is wrong before automatically saying no you don't have ..... I mean come on, if a patient says she feels sick and she was around someone with Ebola...BAM Immediately into Seclusion away from everyone else and if you came into contact you go into seclusion too until ebola is fully ruled out. Thats the Guideline at the clinic i work at currently. People say this wont turn into a epidemic...yes it will if people will stop being so stupid. Yes there are worse diseases out there but ebola is stilll bad enough to cause millions of death. This needs to get handled now...and soon!
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