Nurses at Napa’s Queen of the Valley Medical Center were part of a statewide action at hospitals operated by Providence-St. Joseph Health on Friday, demanding equal personal protective equipment (PPE) for Nurses assigned to suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
The California Nurses Association (CNA) claims that nurses at PSJH hospitals in California are asked to care for COVID-19 patients with varying levels of PPE, from simple surgical masks to full CAPR respirators.
Even within single hospitals, nurses on different units and different shifts are provided different levels of PPE protection, the CNA maintains.
“All Nurses are asking for is equality and consistency of PPE protection,” said Leigh Glasgow, RN, an ICU Nurse at Queen of the Valley. “COVID-19 is a global health crisis and Providence should be providing every Nurse who cares for a suspected or confirmed COVID patient with the same high level of PPE protection on all units and shifts.”
Nurses at the Napa facility were inspired to act in solidarity with PSJH Nurses across the state when earlier this week, Nurses at St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica were suspended for objecting to COVID patient assignments with only a surgical mask.
In response to public protests, St. John’s changed its practice, but PPE policies remain inconsistent throughout the state.
CNA represents approximately 3,500 Nurses at PSJH hospital across the state from Humboldt County to San Bernardino and from Napa to Long Beach.
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