Texas nurse says she can 'no longer defend' hospital's Ebola mishandling
A nurse who worked at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said that she "can no longer defend" the hospital after two of its nurses contracted Ebola.
During an interview on the Today show, Brianna Aguirre said that the hospital wasn't ready to provide treatment for Ebola patients. Aguirre noted that the hospital didn't require its workers to undergo Ebola training, holding only an "optional seminar" before the arrival of Thomas Eric Duncan. Duncan was treated for Ebola at the hospital before dying from the disease, and nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson were diagnosed with Ebola after they helped care for Duncan.
"I watched them violate basic principles of nursing," Aguirre said. "I would feel at risk by going there." She said that the protective gear she wore had a gap around the neck, adding that she was "terrified" of losing her job for speaking out against the hospital.
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Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital responded by issuing issued a statement that it went "above and beyond CDC recommendations" in its handling of hazardous waste, adding that it had followed all CDC recommendations for the nurses' protective gear.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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