Almost 20,000 nurses joined the strike on Tuesday calling for better Ebola protections.
The nurses who participated in the strike in Northern California were from 86 hospitals and clinics managed by Kaiser Permanente and other health providers. The strike is a prelude to a nationwide protest organized by the National Nurses United, which will be attended by 100,000 nurses from 15 states and the District of Columbia on Wednesday.
The nurses are staging a protest to convey the unpreparedness of the U.S. hospitals in handling Ebola patients. They have created red and yellow "strike for health and safety" picket signs that will be used in the two-day strike until Thursday at 7 a.m.
Demand for better protection surged following the positive Ebola diagnosis of a Dallas patient. Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan tested positive with the virus, and later died because of escalated symptoms. He infected a nurse, even though she was wearing protective gear.
"Inadequate preparedness for Ebola symbolizes the erosion of patient care standards generally," National Nurses United spokesman Charles Idelson told Reuters. "We have a lot of patient care issues that we have presented to them that they have stonewalled and ignored."
Meanwhile, Kaiser told the Associated Press that the nurses organizing the strike during the flu season and the height of Ebola "seems particularly irresponsible." It also mentioned that the nurses' actions are not supported by facts, as healthcare providers are "well-equipped" to care for Ebola patients.
A couple of days ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it is spending $2.7 million for 50 kits of protective gear that will be distributed to the hospitals. Each kit includes face shields and hoods, boot covers, gloves, impermeable gowns, coveralls and aprons, N95 respirators, purifying respirator systems and disinfecting wipes. Each kit will protect medical teams against the disease for five days.
In preparation of the strike, Kaiser will reportedly be deploying replacement nurses, and will reschedule some procedures and appointments.
