Ebola

I am no Ebola expert.
I am an emergency room nurse and I am president of a 350 member RN union, and I am concerned, and I feel a responsibility to keep my nurses and my patients safe, to the extent I can.
That means working with the Hospital, the Department of Public Health, and my state and national federations to stay updated on all the news and to be a voice in the narrative.
My heart goes out to the people and families who have succumbed to this disease and their families and to the nurses and other healthcare workers who have become sick, potentially exposed, and/or frightened. Healthcare workers worldwide feel a kinship, similar to the kinship felt among unionists. The effected nurses and healthcare workers are my sisters and brothers.
I believe it is prudent for us to be concerned and do all we can do to stay safe, I do not believe hysteria helps us one bit.
Healthcare unions are pushing education to our members and the public. We are advocating for appropriate PPD (personal protective equipment) and protocols to keep patients, public and members, safe.
http://www.aft.org/healthcare
Healthcare workers do not face the same dangers on the job as say, police or fire.  But we do face physical aggression and in cases like this, viruses.
We want to serve our patients the best we can, and then return home safe to our families.
All workers deserve this.
I ask you to remain calm, to stay informed, and to use your voice to help us contain and eradicate this virus