EBOLA National tv news: Ambulances are no longer delivering new patients to the Dallas Hospital
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Betty_Rose
Veteran Member
Whoa.
That's quite a story.
So much for the United States being "well able to handle an outbreak."
When you say, "National News" - do you mean a specific news agency or just ABC/CBS/NBC type new station?
changed
Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
I believe it was NBC, but am not sure, I was switching between ABC, Fox, and NBC. I have it on NBC and am hoping they will play the report again. In the morning, they usually cycle them each hour.
I interpret "staffing issues" as employees saying screw that! I'm not going anywhere near that hospital. This has huge consequences if you break your arm or have some other illness.
I interpret "staffing issues" as employees saying screw that! I'm not going anywhere near that hospital. This has huge consequences if you break your arm or have some other illness.
colonel holman
Veteran Member
THIS is how E will affect our society... not by widespread pandemic but by workers staying home... first in HC then in other sectors.
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
We USUALLY use "Diversion" when we run out of beds.
If they have staffing issues, it's from a couple sources..."Nope, not coming in" or "You need to go home, STAY home for a few days" or....
If they have staffing issues, it's from a couple sources..."Nope, not coming in" or "You need to go home, STAY home for a few days" or....
Sasquatch
Veteran Member
What reasons have you experienced for "Diversion"?
changed
Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
I think what he means is that when the beds are full they divert new patients to other hospitals.
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
It isn't a HUGE story, since "Diversion" is actually a much used process. Which LITERALLY happens every day in MOST cities and counties around the country...
Now, it being staff issues makes it a larger than routine story.
In a city like Dallas, with the number of tertiary hospitals in town (Parkland and about 5 others) this becomes more of a slightly longer ambulance ride. than anything else, PLUS there ARE specific situations where "Diversion" means hougatz, depending on what the medics are dealing with in the ambulance.
MORE than once, when I opened my discussion with a squad, telling them we were on diversion, they have told me what they had, and then talked to MedCOntrol, and they have been cleared into the hospital, even WITH no available beds...Heck, national Stroke Center Protocols say bring them in and worry about a bed after the first diagnosis and tPa (or Streptokynase or other clot buster therapy) administration.
So, "Diversion" is hardly complete. And less than a CRITICAL issue especially in a hospital environment like Dallas-Fort Worth. Heck they're better hospitalled than Cleveland, and WE're pretty much 20-30% over-bedded in Tertiary Facilities, not to mention the allied neighborhood hospitals.
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Sorry, was typing.
Yes hospitals go on Diversion when their staffable beds are all full of patients.
The goal then is to send patients out to Skilled Nursing Facilities, or home or...
Pretty much anything REASONABLE to empty staffable beds.
And no, it's not reasonable to try to call in more nurses to open another floor or "division". The logistics of that are seriously more than one might think if they haven't played in the industry.
It's not like calling in another couple lathe operators.
Yes hospitals go on Diversion when their staffable beds are all full of patients.
The goal then is to send patients out to Skilled Nursing Facilities, or home or...
Pretty much anything REASONABLE to empty staffable beds.
And no, it's not reasonable to try to call in more nurses to open another floor or "division". The logistics of that are seriously more than one might think if they haven't played in the industry.
It's not like calling in another couple lathe operators.
Not necessarily. We have gone on divert due to our CT scanner being down, the lab not having a machine functioning, and weather issues. This only stops ambulance traffic. MY worse cases (including the chain saw accident this weekend) have walked in. Gotta agree with nightdriver - this is a 'not coming in' or 'don't come in' issue.
I have noticed that our ambulances (for our county) have been stating 'pt has not been out of the country in 3 months' in all their reports. This is not something that was done 1 1/2 to 2 weeks ago. I've heard it enough I'm thinking it has become their protocol.
Another thing - the news keeps repeating that there was a 'breach of protocol' that allowed the nurse in Dallas to get Ebola. Something about that just irks me, but I can't quite articulate why.
changed
Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
Right, that's why nightdriver said "usually."
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Yep, there ARE other reasons but I really never saw them given that UH had more than it needed...
I can articulate the issue:
The guy is saying that "WE can't be wrong on what needs to be done, so, if YOU followed our rules YOU would NOT HAVE GOTTEN SICK!! YOUR FAULT!!"
Which is just so much carp.
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
I was just watching channel Fox 5 in atlanta and the reporter said that the best thing you can do right now in response to ebola is get a flu shot.
OMG that was well thought out.
AWK!
===============================================
Oh, and for the record, as far as my PERSONAL concern goes, Ebola still doesn't have the top spot alone.
A week ago, the rank was Resistant TB, then VRE, and then MRSA, because those are in the wild, with MRSA and VRE here in the wild where I am, with Ebola 4th.
NOW it's advanced to share the top spot with Resistant TB. Which again is a possible threat to me, as are the other two.
===============================================================================
Now, when
I head out to the the camper for real that ranking will likely change, since the camper is an hour from Dallas.
pauldingbabe
The Great Cat
Yep....there are only so many people working per shift.
If you called in another say, thirty nurses and five docs you would not only screw other shift working patterns but would overload all of the ancillary departments (lab, xray, etc.) As well. Not to mention overtime.
Hospitals are run like a closed environment. You overload one part and all the other parts are effected as well.
I have been on diversion many times, even while working life flight.
Cascadians
Leska Emerald Adams
Hopefully not a staffing issue because the staff are IN the beds.
Sasquatch
Veteran Member
I can understand the beds being full but I was also wondering if under staffing had ever been encountered before and any other reasons that would cause Diversion.
We know that the ER beds are not full, so are they planning to include the ER beds with the 24 ICU beds for Ebola patients only, is where I'm going.
prepgirl44
Veteran Member
Yes, they were diverted for a time as announced at the conference yesterday, but later in the day I read a news article on the Dallas thread that said they were again accepting ambulance patients.
I wonder if this is old news and the network didn't get the update...
I wonder if this is old news and the network didn't get the update...
changed
Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
I heard it this morning at a little after 7:00 am. Maybe they were admitting ambulance patienst who had ebola?
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I was just watching channel Fox 5 in atlanta and the reporter said that the best thing you can do right now in response to ebola is get a flu shot.
I just had a sickening thought; 'what if this has cross mutated with the flu"?...and THAT is why it doesn't totally act like the regular Ebola Zaire strain?
ginnie6
Veteran Member
I was just watching channel Fox 5 in atlanta and the reporter said that the best thing you can do right now in response to ebola is get a flu shot.
Well....he is obviously NOT living up to his potential. I mean he could be winning a Noble Peace Prize or some other academic award being that he is such a genius!
MtnGal
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I heard that too and went to find the article where they were again accepting ambulance patients and it was gone. It was on Yahoo news last night.
angelight
love, light and laughter
MtnGal- I read the same thing yesterday- they were on diversion- went off diversion.
I worked in a major NYC suburban hospital ED for 23 yrs. we frequently went on diversion for reasons as stated by night driver. Staffing issues didn't fly to get diversion very often unless we were SEVERELY short staffed. Getting staff from an agency was at times difficult since working in an ED is considered a specialty area (like and ICU) and nurses were not available.
I worked in a major NYC suburban hospital ED for 23 yrs. we frequently went on diversion for reasons as stated by night driver. Staffing issues didn't fly to get diversion very often unless we were SEVERELY short staffed. Getting staff from an agency was at times difficult since working in an ED is considered a specialty area (like and ICU) and nurses were not available.
msswv123
Veteran Member
cuz1961
Membership Revoked
the news keeps repeating that there was a
'breach of protocol'
that allowed the nurse in Dallas to get Ebola.
,, ya,,, the word games media and admin uses is 'pandemic'.
it wasnt a breach of protocol,
it was a protocol breach,
i.e. using
level 2 protocol
for a level 4 pathogen.
jmho
i agree with helen, the nurse is being scapegoated
'breach of protocol'
that allowed the nurse in Dallas to get Ebola.
,, ya,,, the word games media and admin uses is 'pandemic'.
it wasnt a breach of protocol,
it was a protocol breach,
i.e. using
level 2 protocol
for a level 4 pathogen.
jmho
i agree with helen, the nurse is being scapegoated
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The breach in protocol started with allowing people or infected people from the effected countries to get on a plane to the U.S. and this is common sense.
emeraldrose
Contributing Member
I recall hearing somewhere yesterday that at least 50 people were involved in Duncans care. Is it possible they have quarantined all of them?
changed
Preferred pronouns: dude/bro
On the news this morning they said that the Duncan family is being watched and no one has developed symptoms yet. I hope this isn't another lie.
Vegas321
Live free and survive
A hospital "diversion" is typically used when the ER is full and they can't take any new patients. I this case i think it's being done for several reasons. The hospital needs to reexamine it's Ebloa protocol, staffing issues due to exposure and staffing reassurance to calm their fears.
NamasteMama
Senior Member
Would you all seriously want to be treated at that hospital? Umm not me.. no thanks..
helen
Panic Sex Lady
Do you think the hospital can be sued if a patient catches Ebola with no other chances for exposure?