Nurses group to CDC: No excuse for N95 shortage
Given all the warnings to prepare for pandemic influenza during the past few years, it is just inexcusable for employers to shortchange nurses by not providing proper respiratory protection with N95 respirators, says the American Nurses Association (ANA).
The ANA issued the October 26 statement to the CDC as a warning that continued N95 shortages, reported by numerous state nurses associations, could seriously affect the quality of H1N1 influenza patient care.
“Registered nurses want to come to work and do our jobs to take care of patients—we historically have put patients’ needs ahead of our own,” said ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. “It is reasonable to hold our employers accountable for providing necessary equipment to protect the safety of health care employees and our patients.”
The ANA also took exception to prioritized use of N95s, as recommended by the CDC, and substitution with face masks under certain conditions.
“It is well known that facemasks were not intended to be considered “personal protective equipment,” says the ANA document. “A facemask is a ‘physical barrier’ that does not filter airborne particles and does leak. At best the facemask is a ‘better than nothing’ device,” the ANA adds.
Recently, the ANA also reiterated its opposition to mandatory H1N1 vaccinations for nurses, a controversy that, even with the suspension of mandatory vaccination by New York State, continues to divide healthcare workers and employers.
Is there an inherent inconsistency that the same organization can demand N95s for nurses and yet not support mandatory vaccinations? Or does each issue stand on its own merits? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.
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David LaHoda
David LaHoda, the managing editor of Medical Environment Update and OSHA Watch, has produced healthcare training videos and consulted for medical practices and ambulatory healthcare facilities.
David has written 196 posts.
Comments
We actually have a different mask that would solve all of the worlds mask shortage problems. The material it is made out of actively kills bacteria and viruses on its surface and it is completely washable and reusable up to at least 20 times. So take those figures that the american government says they need in their stockpiles and divide it by 20 and that’s how many of our masks you would need. A lot less. As the mask actively kills the virus on its surface you dont contaminate yourself if you touch the outside of an infected mask and then touch your eys/mouth etc. Also if someone is sick and they wear one of these masks the virus that they breath out gets killed on the surface of the inside of the mask. No chemicals are involved in the mask. completely inert to humans. This mask would solve a lot of the worlds problems and fears about a mask shortage during a pandemic. It is not classed as a N95 as it has different characteristics that there is no current category of classiciation for. If you are interested in hearing about it further just email me at chris@earthsense.com.au. It is an australian invention that not many people seem to know about.
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