National Nurses United

J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 0 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 9 I n september 2019, union nurses from around the world gathered in San Francisco for the Global Nurses Solidarity Assembly, to build our collective power against common threats. Little did we know that four months later, we would be joining forces to combat a potential pandemic. As cases of the novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) continue to spread globally, nurses are call- ing for an end to the corporate greed that heightens our risk of contracting infectious diseases. Of course, in the United States, we are used to our employers cutting corners. Every day, we are missing the IV pumps, ther- mometers, and other basic equipment and medications we need to care for our patients because our hospitals prioritize profits over lifesaving supplies. And if dealing with understocking is just a typical day for nurses, you can bet our employers are not prepared with sufficient inventories of personal protective equipment (PPE), let alone adequate training for a sudden infec- tious disease outbreak. That's why National Nurses United and our global allies are demanding hospital employers follow the "precautionary princi- ple," which says we shouldn't wait until we know for sure that something is harmful before we act to protect people's health. Employers should prepare now, before receiving a patient suspected of having COVID-19. Waiting until it's too late could not only put nurses at risk, but also our patients, their families, and other health care staff. Unfortunately, nurses know our employ- ers won't do what's right out of the goodness of their hearts. We have to stand together and demand they take action. To that end, Global Nurses United (GNU), comprising NNU and nurse and health care worker unions in 28 countries, recently sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO), calling on the WHO to strengthen its interim guidance on infec- tion prevention and control. Acting in solidarity is critical, as the virus has spread to countries that include GNU member nations Canada, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, and India. NNU also sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), urging stronger guidance on prevention and control of the novel coronavirus. The CDC recommends patients with symptoms of a respiratory infection be placed in a "separate, well- ventilated space that allows waiting patients to be separated by 6 or more feet." However, this may not prevent spread of the virus. Patients with suspected COVID-19 should be placed in an isolation room, preferably one with negative pressure.Our collective recommendations are based on enforceable infectious disease protections the California Nurses Association (CNA) helped pass in 2014, after two Texas nurses contracted Ebola from a patient. California nurses lobbied to ensure that it was clear how employers needed to protect them from possible exposure to Ebola. In the California protections and in our letter to the WHO, we call on employers to provide screening protocols, training, and education about the virus and how to recog- nize potential cases. We're also demanding employers ensure prompt isolation of patients with possible or suspected cases in airborne infection isolation rooms (when- ever possible) until COVID-19 has been ruled out or the patient has recovered. Employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers caring for patients with possible infections, including N95 respirators, plus covering of the eyes or powered air-purify- ing respirators (PAPRS), not to mention gloves, gowns, and other PPE for droplet and aerosol precautions. And we can't forget safe staffing, which allows us to provide care to patients safely. These are global nurses' demands. And in America, we are also fighting for protections at the systemic level in our fight for Medicare for All. We know that eliminating the profit motive in health care could shift the focus back to public health: what's best for nurses, patients, and our communities, including investing in the best PPE and training. When trying to contain a deadly virus, we also know that a system that makes care cost prohibitive for patients keeps infectious diseases out in the community. What good are isolation protocols if patients are priced out of even entering the hospital? With Medicare for All, patients could receive the treatment they need, when they need it, preventing further spread. COVID-19 has not yet been declared a pandemic, but no one knows what's on the horizon, including a future coronavirus even more deadly and contagious than the current one. What nurses do know is that we give our all to protect our patients, and we deserve for our employers to do everything in their power to protect us, in turn. COVID-19 is a global wakeup call, and nurses will keep fighting until our employers put optimal infectious disease pro tections in place. There's no time left to press snooze. Bonnie Castillo, RN is executive director of National Nurses United. Bonnie Castillo, RN Executive Director, National Nurses United Virulent Greed Nurses demand hospitals prioritize infectious disease protections, not profits National Nurses United and our global allies are demanding hospital employers follow the "precautionary principle," which says we shouldn't wait until we know for sure that something is harmful before we act to protect people's health. Employers should prepare now.

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