Survey: Majority of nurses want more Ebola training

Nurses around the country said they’re not ready if Ebola shows up in their hospitals. The concerns comes after a Dallas nurse caught the deadly virus. She’s been identified as 26-year-old Nina Pham. This is the first transmission of the virus in the United States and it brings health care protocol into question.

University of Missouri Health System said its nurses have been trained and are ready if Ebola makes its way to Mid-Missiouri. “They get routine annual training on how to put your equipment on, how to take it off, which situations do you wear what. Sometimes only glove and gown are necessary. Sometimes you need a negative pressure room, etc. etc. And that is ongoing at all times,” said Dr. Stevan Whitt, chief medical officer for MU Health System.

A recent National Nurses United survey shows an apparent lack of communication on Ebola in U.S. hospitals. It found that 80 percent of nurses said their hospital hadn’t talked to them about Ebola treatment protocol. ‘We’re going to have to get trained in that and practice it and be ready — so, we assure that our nurses everywhere are protected and have the skills to use the personal protective equipment and that’s a challenge facing us right now,” said Lynelle Phillips, instructor for MU School of Nursing.