Members of National Nurses United in 12 states and Washington, D.C., plan to picket or strike Nov. 12 as the union seeks stronger Ebola safety precautions in hospitals.
The largest strike will happen at 66 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics. The two-day strike, on Nov. 11 and 12, expects to stop the work of 18,000 registered nurses.
About 400 NNU nurses will also strike at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. Nurses at hospitals in other states will picket or hold other awareness events in other states.
The union is demanding that hospitals provide full-body hazmat suits meeting the American Society for Testing and Materials F1670 standard for blood penetration, the F1671 standard for viral penetration and that leave no skin exposed. Additionally, they demand hospitals provide National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved air purifying respirators of a certain protection factor.
The NNU also wants hospitals to provide interactive training for registered nurses and other healthcare workers who could encounter an Ebola patient.