Nurses not prepared for Ebola, SUN says

While the Saskatoon Health Region says it is ready for a case of Ebola, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) say its membersaren't.

Dr.Johnmark Opondo said during a newsconference this morning thatthe region is ready if a case of Ebola turns up in the area.Ebola equipment and training is in place, he said.

However SUN president Tracy Zambory said that if someone showed up with a fever at a hospital in Saskatoon or Regina and were recently in West Africa, nurses aren't prepared for the situation.

They actually feel completely unprepared for what's about to come down.- SUN president Tracy Zambory

"The conversations that we've been having with our members [tells us] that they have not been involved in any conversation, they actually feel completely unprepared for what's about to come down or potentially could come towards them in the hospital setting," Zamborysaid.

Opondo said that while the risk of Ebola is low, preparations began in July.He said Ebola isolation units will be set up at Saskatoon's Royal University and St. Paul's hospitals.

He said the next step is training health care workers on how to prevent their own infection.

"When you go into a higher level of personal protective equipment that you're not used to using, then it takes on another level of complications, or another level of risk," he said.

Opondosaid the biggest risk is when people are taking off the gear.

SUN seeks 'highest level' of safety equipment

Zamborysaid provincial officials have been making plans since August, but the nurses' union was just told of them this morning. She saidthe province has advised nurses they will be using "standard equipment"to deal with a suspected case of Ebola.

"None of our members have been made aware what that equipment is and we are going to message very loud and clear that it must be the highest level of equipment and that means the Hazmat, that means the facial goggles," she said.

Zambory said nurses will work with the province now to try to ensure the safety of patients and health care workers if a case of Ebola arrives in the province.

Dr. Denise Werker, deputy chief medical health officer for Saskatchewan, said Thursday that it will take some time to bring everyone up to speed.

"We do want obviously all our health care workers to feel comfortable in terms of managing this," Werker said. "This is not going to happen overnight. This is an ongoing process for making sure that health care workers feel that they're adequately trained and we're committed to working with them and reaching a place that makes everyone happy that the health care workers are safe, I mean I think that is our shared goal and that's what we need to focus on."

When asked if the training could have been done sooner, Werker said officials have been doing their best.

"I think that hindsight is always fraught," she said. "I think we have done the best that we have done up to this point. There are always opportunities for improvement."

SUN's president said union leaders asked officials in the province's health ministry why they were not consulted, when it came to planning, and were told that it was impractical.

"And the answer that SUN gave was that: That is absolutely who you need to involve," Zambory said. "You need to involve the people who are going to actually meet [patients] at the emergency room door or meet them in the rural and remote areas of this province."