WSNA Webinar April 9, 2020 1
State advocacy • Request for transparency • Conversations with State Leaders • L&I workers compensation • Vulnerable workers 2
State advocacy Child Care Resources: 1-800-446-1114 Housing Options 3
4
Hashtag campaign - selfie@wsna.org 5
L&I Division of Grays Harbor Community Hospital Occupational Safety and Kadlec Regional Medical Center Health (DOSH) complaints Multicare Tacoma General Hospital MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital Lack of PPE Overlake Hospital Medical Center Inappropriate use and reuse of PPE PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Lack of training and proper use Seattle Children's Hospital Concern on cleaning & maintenance of PPE St. Joseph Medical Center (Tacoma) PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center (Bellingham) Virginia Mason Medical Center 6
COVID agreements • Paid leave due to Covid-19 exposure • Timely notification of exposure/assessment/testing • Accommodate nurses in high risk groups • Proper PPE including scrubs and a secure location to change • Low census and float where appropriate. • Hazard pay 7
Petition - 17,000+ wsna.org/covid-19 8
COVID-19 Healthy Workplace Survey – wsna.org/covid-19 Nearly 2,000 responses so far • 2 out of 3 nurses required to use the same respirator or facemask to care for more than one patient • 2 out of 3 nurses required to use the same respirator or facemask for an entire shift • 1 out of 3 nurses not notified by the employer when exposed to COVID 19 patients • 77% are concerned/very concerned about transmitting COVID-19 to family members • 80% are stressed/very stressed during this COVID-19 crisis 9
10
Member voices 11
▪ No established length of time for wearing a facemask/N-95 We are required to use a ▪ Change when mask becomes surgical mask the whole shift to go in and out of COVID and soiled, damaged or hard to breathe non-COVID rooms. The ▪ Continuous wear for multiple hospital states this is per CDC patients preferred over donning/ guidelines. Do you think doffing surgical mask used for 12 ▪ Use N-95 for aerosol generating hours will protect us from procedures getting infected with the ▪ Consider use of a face shield disease? Meticulous hand hygiene 12
▪ Homemade masks not considered PPE ▪ Protection varies What is the ▪ true effectiveness of Extended use of facemasks homemade masks? between patient recommended Should we be wearing ▪ Use of homemade masks with a these when we are not face shield only recommended doing patient care and when facemasks/N-95 supply is interacting with coworkers exhausted since, we aren’t allowed to ▪ Homemade masks are wear masks at that time? recommended for public as adjunct to social distancing 13
Time varies depending on: ▪ Size of room; air pressure/air I have found conflicting exchanges per hour; time information about patient was in the room; aerosolized particles and coughing/sneezing; aerosol how long they can remain in generating procedure the air. How long is it ▪ Allow sufficient time for air recommended that exchanges to remove potentially everyone in the room infectious particles protect themselves using ▪ CDC provides general guidance airborne precautions? on clearance rates ▪ Consult with your IP and facilities personnel 14
• CDC/NIOSHdo not recommend cleaning disposable N-95 respirators • Avoid attempts to clean at home; Is it an acceptable autoclaving; use of disinfectant wipes practice to de- • Per the CDC, N-95 decontamination/ contaminate N-95 reuse considered in crisis situation to respirators for reuse? support availability • 3/28/2020 the FDA issued emergency authorization for use of the Battelle system to decontaminate compatible N-95 respirators 15
• It should be assumed that health care workers acquired the How can an organization COVID-19 virus in the line of claim that although duty. • WSNA raised this issue with the employees have tested Governor and we are hopeful positive for COVID-19, there will be important clarity on they did not contract it this issue coming soon. through direct patient • If you are not permitted to work, care but through and are not being paid, or you are required to use your earned community exposure? time off due to COVID-19 How to File a Workers Comp Claim exposure or a positive test, you https://lni.wa.gov/claims/for-workers/file-a- should file a workers claim/ compensation claim . 16
• Consult with your health care provider and talk to your employer I am a high risk about your need for reasonable accommodation. employee. Currently • WSNA is working with the Governor’s office to provide clear guidance to employers to make reasonable taking FMLA to stay accommodationsfor at risk workers and if reasonable accommodationscannot be met, to prevent employers from taking home due to my adverse action againstemployeesand ensure continued access to health benefits and an opportunityto return to work after this crisis high risk and PPE ends. availability. What • WSNA has called on employers to bargain with us on number are other options? of COVID-19 issues including workplace accommodation and that work continues. What do I need to • You may also be entitled to unemployment benefits. ask for? Visit https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment for more information. 17
You may have to make a decision about accepting an assign- ment involving abnormally dangerous conditions that pose an imminent risk to your safety and health and could poten- tially cause serious injury or death. What are our rights if our If you have already accepted the assignment your profes- employer can’t provide sional license may be at risk if you fail to continue that assignment, unless you have handed off the assignment and PPE? Can we refuse to been relieved of responsibility for the patient. If you decide to refuse the assignment, you should remain enter COVID rooms? At at the workplace and offer to perform other work that does what point is it considered not pose an imminent risk to your safety and health (e.g., an assignment for which you are provided proper safety patient abandonment? equipment and training). A decision to refuse an assignment could result in discipli- nary action taken against you by the employer. Under the collective bargaining agreement between the employer and www.wsna.org/covid-19 WSNA, there must be “just cause” for any disci pline. WSNA would defend you if you are subjected to unjust discipline, but resolution of any such discipline would likely be delayed and the outcome may be uncertain as a result of the current national and state emergency declarations. 18
What state resources are available in terms of unemployment benefits, paid sick and family medical leave, and workers comp? www.esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19 19
www.wsna.org/covid-19 20
Webinar info online https://wsna.to/aprilcovid SLIDES FROM WEBINAR RECORDING OF WEBINAR KEY LINKS/RESOURCES 21
Please reach out to your WSNA local unit officers or Nurse Representative for additional questions or concerns 22
Thank You For Attending! 23
Recommend
More recommend
