California nurses and public health experts are calling for more training to protect health care workers from the Ebola virus.
A California-based national nurses union said it wants more hands-on training with protective equipment such as hazmat suits in case workers are faced with Ebola.
Dr. David Eisenman, Director of the UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, said the U.S. has never seen anything like Ebola.
“Until now, it’s unlikely that they have been trained in that level of complex personal protective equipment. So it’s natural that they would have fears and concerns for their health and their family’s health,” he said.
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Eisenman said that protocol involves more hand-washing than the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control.
Eisenman said the U.S. has never seen anything like Ebola, and it is unlikely health care workers have been trained for such a high level of infectious disease control.
He said he expects workers will get that training in the coming weeks, and that the U.S will be able to control new Ebola infections.
“Every time a layer comes off, you wash the glove, and when you’re finally touching you’re face, when all the gloves are off, you use your clean hands, and wash them again. So there’s washing hands at every stage of taking off a layer of your equipment,” Eisenman said.
Eisenman said he has no doubt the hospitals will give nurses that training. He says he has faith that the U.S health care system is prepared to manage an Ebola outbreak and treat any new patients.
