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After Gov. Kate Brown announced the first case of coronavirus in Oregon on Feb. 28, state health officials warned people experiencing mild flu-like symptoms to stay home and rest rather than flood emergency rooms.
Oregon's nurses hope people listen.
Health care workers are especially susceptible to contracting the virus because of their close proximity to potential COVID-19 cases. That impact became clear on March 2, when Kaiser Permanente's Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro quarantined dozens of employees out of concern that they were exposed to the virus. (The Oregonian first reported on the quarantine.)
Lynda Pond, the president of the Oregon Nursing Association, who worked as a registered nurse for 35 years, spoke to WW about what front-line workers are experiencing.
WW: How are nurses feeling right now?
Lynda Pond: Nurses are concerned. I don't think I would use the word "frightened," but they're concerned about hospital preparedness across the state.
Do you expect the state to see more quarantines of nurses in the weeks ahead?
It's highly possible. I would truly hope that this was a wakeup call for all of the facilities across the state, and that they are scrambling right now to really make sure that they're employees are really prepared for what might walk through the door.
What happens in the situation of a nursing shortage?
If you think about that incident [at Kaiser Westside], that's 80 to 100 people out of the workforce. The people that are in the workforce, left behind them, have to pick up the slack. If, within the two-week period that those people are off, somebody else presents, and another hundred people have to be laid off, now you're 200 behind. As you multiply that on a consistent basis, the staffing shortage gets very real, very fast.
Would Oregon bring in nurses from outside of the state?
Absolutely. Most hospitals have a running contract in place [with traveling nurses]. But there may not be any that are available. They might be all out on assignment. You can't just go, "Oh, I'm going to reach across the state to Idaho and bring nurses from Idaho into Oregon." They have to have Oregon licensure to be able to practice here.
Are you more concerned about COVID-19 or the flu?
The flu. The common flu to date has killed more people in this country alone than COVID-19 has killed in the world in the same time span. [But] by saying that I am more concerned about the flu, I don't want to minimize the fact that I am also concerned about COVID-19.
Do you think Oregon Health Authority was prepared for this outbreak?
Like most of the country, they were slow to get behind the eight ball. I think underprepared is a great term.
Do you have a piece of advice to offer to Governor Kate Brown?
Bring the nurses to the table. We're the ones at the bedside. Doctors come and go. Nurses are there for eight to 12 hours a day. We're the ones on the ground seeing the impact moment-to-moment as it's unfolding.
