Over the past few weeks I have received emails and private messages from registered nurses throughout the U.S. asking me about their rights to refuse to treat an Ebola patient at their RN job. I have also been on national television with Stuart Varney of Varney Co. to bring attention to this very issue.
The Dallas hospital involved in the Thomas Eric Duncan case settled for an undisclosed amount before a lawsuit was even filed. By doing so the hospital avoided a costly legal battle as well as the potential for a lot of negative publicity regarding race and lack of insurance.
It’s been 41 days since Thomas Eric Duncan presented as the first Ebola patient to be diagnosed (and misdiagnosed) on American soil. I’ve been on national TV four times to address hospital preparedness for Ebola and I am in deep gratitude to the 500 registered nurses throughout the U.S. who took your time to share what you know about the state of hospital preparedness.
I’ve been asked to go back on “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson” on FOX NEWS today due to the fourth Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. They want to know if the 3.1 million RNs are any better protected today than they were four weeks ago.
Wednesday I was on “Street Smart” on Bloomberg TV and yesterday on “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson” on FOX NEWS to address the rising fear among RNs of treating Ebola patients without adequate training, preparedness and appropriate PPE.
Thomas Eric Duncan died yesterday from Ebola and I would like to express my deepest sympathy to his family and loved ones. I also feel for the 48 people being monitored for symptoms after their possible exposure. In view of the high mortality of Ebola his death may not have been preventable, but U.S. healthcare showed a poor face for its first Ebola diagnosis on American soil.
As if RNs working in hospital jobs aren’t stressed enough – along comes Ebola. For the record, I am not panicking about an Ebola epidemic (yet). The official death toll from Ebola at the date of this blog is just under 4,000 people – this is in some of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world.
*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
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