Some San Francisco nurses are speaking out about a two-day intensive care unit training program California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Dec. 7, reports local ABC affiliate KGO.
During a Dec. 7 media briefing detailing the state's response to surging COVID-19 cases, Mr. Newsom said the nurse training program aims to accelerate opportunities for nurses to help out in intensive care units. The governor did not share additional details about the program, but said it's in the process of being rolled out.
Many nurses have voiced their concerns about the training program's safety.
"I would be concerned about any nurse who didn't have a critical care background to be able to independently function after two days of orientation," Dale Beatty, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer at Stanford (Calif.) Health Care, told KGO. Dr. Beatty said Stanford nurses typically undergo six months to a year of training before working with critical care patients.
"I've worked all over the hospital. I've never heard of an ICU nurse training for two days. It's just unconscionable that such a discussion can even be happening," Mawata Kamara, RN, an emergency room nurse in the Bay area and board member at National Nurses United, told the station.
Mr. Newsom's office did not immediately respond to KGO's request for comment.