National Nurses United

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 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 MICHIGAN N urses at one Michigan hospi- tal succeeded this November in winning contract language that provides protections in case of Ebola, but the rest of the state is still not heeding nurses' warnings. On Nov. 12, a delegation of Michigan nurses spoke with the media outside of Gov. Rick Snyder's office in downtown Lansing about the need for an Ebola state standard. The governor continues to refuse to speak with the front- line nurses MNA represents regarding Ebola preparedness in the state, including ignoring a certified letter requesting a meeting. "There's no doubt we've had differences with this governor," said John Armelagos, RN and MNA president. "He said he'd contact us and he hasn't. But this isn't about politics. This is about making sure that nurs- es, the primary caregivers for Ebola patients, are safe and that our communities are safe." Nurses, healthcare workers, and the general public can sign an online petition requesting Governor Snyder mandate a state standard for Ebola care. The petition is post- ed on the MNA website at www.minurses.org. Like nurses across the country, Michigan nurses are concerned about the level of training taking place across the state for Ebola preparedness. Some hospitals are holding interactive hands-on drills with the correct equipment while others are showing PowerPoint presentations or sending e- mails with links to the Centers for Disease Control. The continuity lacking in prepara- tions for treating an Ebola patient leaves nurses exposed to the dangerous virus with- out adequate knowledge of equipment, protocols, or training. A review of protocols and procedures from more than 30 hospitals and public health departments where the nurses are represented by MNA for collective bargain- ing showed: • Over 60 percent of the information received didn't refer to personal protective equipment (PPE) and those that did were not specific in whether the equipment meets the correct criteria for Ebola. • Only 27 percent showed hands-on interactive training, including putting on and taking off PPE. • Over 70 percent of those responding did not show how they would incorporate CDC guidelines locally • Over 85 percent had nothing in writing about how they would choose nurses— voluntary or mandatory—or how many nurses would be needed per shift Only one hospital in Michigan currently has contract language that protects nurses with the correct equipment, training, staffing, and coverage for their health, income, and seniority. On Nov. 4, the University of Michi- gan Professional Nurse Council/MNA (UMPNC/MNA) and the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) agreed on contract language that provides the following for nurses who care for an Ebola patient: • Appropriate personal protective equip- ment (PPE) • Continuous, interactive training with particular attention to donning and doffing of PPE, screening and isolating, waste management, and orientation to the isola- tion unit • Appropriate staffing—no fewer than three nurses per 4-hour shift • Protection of benefits and working conditions for nurses including no loss of pay, paid time off, extended sick time, or position if a nurse is either quarantined for suspicion of being infected with Ebola and/or becomes ill with Ebola Believed to be the first of its kind in the entire nation, the contract language now allows nurses to volunteer to serve on the team that would take care of an Ebola patient. The hospital will provide accommodations for a nurse for the 21-day quarantine period if a nurse cannot return to his or her home. In addition, University of Michigan Health System would provide for all treatment, in - cluding psychological counseling if warranted. MNA members are now negotiating with many of their hospitals and public health departments to make sure nurses will be protected in case an Ebola patient is found in Michigan. The negotiations are based on the University of Michigan Health System contract language, but tailored for each local union. Not all hospitals in Michigan would admit an Ebola patient, but protections are being negotiated for the time nurses could be taking care of the patient in an isolation room until he or she is transferred to a hospital with a bio-containment unit. Negotiations continue with MNA-repre- sented public health departments to make sure the nurses who are monitoring quaran- tined patients are protected should Ebola symptoms appear. —Ann Sincox Michigan nurses win contract language for Ebola protections at one hospital, seek similar statewide standards

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