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Nurses Say Hospitals Aren't Ready for Swine Flu

Nurses Say Hospitals Aren't Ready for Swine Flu
The California Nurses Association says many hospitals aren't prepared for an outbreak of swine flu. The nurses union says a number of hospitals don't have the proper masks to protect staff.

Swine Flu: Are we ready?

The California Nurses Association says many hospitals aren't prepared for an outbreak of swine flu. The nurses union says a number of hospitals don't have the proper masks to protect staff.

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A nationwide survey by the CNA shows large gaps in safety equipment and infection control training in hospitals. The survey reveals 15 percent of hospitals don't have respirator masks for staff.

CNA board member Geri Jenkins, who works at UCSD Medical Center, says her hospital doesn't have enough isolation rooms.

"And so we do have concerns about what kind of provisions they're going to make if we have a big influx of patients, because they're going to have to come up with a way to isolate these patients," says Jenkins.

UCSD officials say they have contingency plans if isolation is necessary. They say their hospitals adhere to the highest infection control standards.

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