prnewswireMarch 31, 2020
Tag: COVID-19 , N95 masks , PPE , Berkshire Medical Center
Registered nurses at Berkshire Medical Center represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association are calling for stronger personal protective equipment (PPE) standards for frontline nurses and healthcare workers and a triage area outside the hospital to limit the exposure of coronavirus (COVID-19) to patients, staff and the community.
BMC instituted an expanded personal protective equipment (PPE) policy on March 26, requiring all staff in contact with patients to wear surgical masks, eye protection and gloves. However, only BMC staff who are in contact with COVID-19 positive patients or patients being ruled out for COVID-19 are provided the N95 masks that offer the highest level of protection from infection when used in combination with eye protection, a gown and gloves. In fact, BMC is not even giving N95 masks to every nurse in the emergency department.
"We all know that coronavirus is a highly infectious and stealthy virus that can be spread by asymptomatic people, leaving frontline healthcare workers and hospital patients at risk unless we have the highest standard of protective equipment," said Alex Neary, an ICU RN and Co-Chair of the BMC MNA Bargaining Committee.
"Every nurse and healthcare worker on the front lines at Berkshire Medical Center must be able to use personal protective equipment that can effectively guard against the widespread risk of exposure to COVID-19," Neary said. "At this point, to be safe and limit the spread among staff and our community, we must assume any patient could have the virus and act accordingly."
Areas of Progress/Appreciation
BMC nurses acknowledge and appreciate areas in which the hospital has made progress and/or has supported frontline staff during this outbreak:
Background on Asymptomatic COVID-19
Infectious disease experts studying COVID-19 have detailed how infected people can be asymptomatic for periods of time and be able to spread the virus to others:
Massachusetts Nurses Association PPE Recommendations
Despite the CDC's change in its PPE guidelines during the outbreak, the MNA maintains that healthcare workers should be provided the PPE under previous CDC guidelines and World Health Organization standards. The MNA also calls for everyone frontline healthcare worker to be able to use an N95 mask to limit spread within their facility and flatten the curve in their communities.
From MNA Letter to Gov. Baker on March 24, 2020:
"The shortage of PPE is widely known at this point. Our health care workers are being put in the position of caring for their patients without the proper supplies to protect themselves and their patients. Over the past several days, we have worked with many groups to collect and distribute disposable N95 masks to frontline health care workers providing direct care to patients, but there are still not enough. And while the public's generous offers of hand-sewn masks are appreciated, these are not appropriate for frontline health care workers. The N95 masks have micron filters made from melt blown fabric. This is necessary to filter out sub-micron particles. Homemade surgical masks do not offer this level of protection. Instead, for those providing direct patient care, we should be focusing on increasing the supply of N95 masks as well as Power Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) which safeguard health care workers against contaminated air. The benefit of the PAPRs is that unlike N95 masks which should be disposed of after each use, the PAPRs can be safely cleaned and reused
"Beyond the shortages, however, there are additional concerns that must be addressed. Protective clothing including scrubs and gowns should be donned and doffed on location to reduce the risk of spreading the virus outside the health care facility. Showers should also be made available on site to health care staff. And given the shortage in paper gowns, we recommend that cloth gowns be utilized, as they can be laundered after each shift just as scrubs are laundered."
Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
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