This is along the lines of cops who are scared of individual black teens and feel the need to shoot them just for looking 'thugish'. If you are scared of something you may face in your day to day job, maybe you should not have taken that job.

things healthcare workers encounter. A lot of people in healthcare see their work as a job, much like any other. I think it's a valid question.

Hospitals are aware and train for all kinds of different scenarios from mass fire casualty to dangerous viral outbreaks.

I'm not saying I'd want to do it, therefore I will not get another job at a hospital.

of keeping it away from healthy individuals. Smallpox has been eradicated, thanks to almost universal inoculation. There are evacuation plans for fires.

Ebola's pretty scary stuff if you have to come in contact with it.

So, I take it that your answer is that you would not do that.

sick people must be cared for

YES I would do it if I had the proper training

If I don't like my job, I am free to quit and work in another field.

Some doctors and nurses refused to work with AIDS patients but most health care professionals did.

Eventually the newness and fear died down. It'll happen with Ebola too once everyone stops panicking are starts thinking about this logically.

and of course I would make sure to be really careful to not break isolation.

This reminds me of when HIV was first around and people were shocked that I actually made home visits to someone hiv+. Working with people with MRSA and c diff, change my clothes in the mud room at home, straight into the washing machine and leave the work shoes at the door.

It is very easy to break isolation, to touch yourself without even noticing and while ebola is not the most contagious disease I've worked around, if caught it is deadly so taking extra care is good.

Make sure universal precautions are universal all the time also and avoid getting or spreading other viruses, bacterial, etcs.

who are willing to do this. I don't really know what it is like to be a 100% healthy person. I've always had bad allergy issues and now another chronic illness as well. I'm the type of person who can't spend the day in the woods because it will result in upper respiratory issues. I feel those who are willing to work in such fields (even teaching can be hard until your immunity is built up) should be respected and well-compensated for their efforts.

From TB, SARS, to things like bubonic plague here in California, and a host of other communicable diseases, or even radiation exposure, medical personnel choose to train for this type of specialized care. Its no different than the medical trauma team, or the NICU staff, where additional schooling and proficiency testing are part of the job. There are specialized hospital depts that set up protocols for infection control, and you do that type of work because you want to, it's your chosen area of expertise. It's also up to the hospital management to provide for the proper care and safety of both patients and staff by adequately supporting and funding those units.

That said, not all hospitals are efficiently run, and what concerns me is the lack of coordinated federal, or even coherent state policies mandating consistent levels of protection. Given the mishmash of our current for profit medical system, money is not channeled into maintaining and equipping dedicated isolation zones, let alone taking scarce staff off the floor for specialized training that might never be utilized... or profitable. Even in public facilities, the budget cutbacks have slashed the funds needed to maintain these high maintenance isolation rooms and train the dedicated staff who choose that profession.

STATES' RIGHTS.

Congress would NEVER (especially under the current majority party) agree to the feds taking the reins and dictating matters of public health to all the states any more than they already do. Hell, they would get rid of the Department of Health and Human Services in its entirety if they had the power.

Federally coordinated response to a health threat?? From the people who don't believe in evolution therefore they can't possibly believe in most of microbiology??

initiate a national standard of communicable disease and infection control protocols through the existing Joint Commission’s hospital accreditation program. This agency is already set up to certify that hospitals meet the established provisions for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. These federal programs generate huge amounts of revenue for the providers, so its in their best interest to comply and keep up their accreditation.

Of course, the roadblock to launching any new health protocols is the money. This would require addition federal funding to setup the funding for grants or loans to construct the special facilities needed, equipping them, annual inspections, ongoing training and certification schemes for the medical and ancillary staff, as well as first responders, R&D of new medications and treatment regimens, etc.

As long as the federal purse is in the hands of these penny-wise and pound foolish Republicans, who are congenitally incapable of think past their next fundraising mailer, we'll continue to see these inchoate, stumbling efforts at OTJT in crisis management.

Healthcare workers work with people who have contagious, potentially deadly diseases all the time. They are reliably heroic about it. In fact, even right now, there are probably other diseases healthcare workers are more worried about being exposed to, like drug resistant TB perhaps.

There is this funny thing where most people sort of assume that what is covered in the news is roughly what happens in the world. We heard one big wave of stories about heroic firemen around 9/11 so people kind of unconsciously assume that the level of heroism among firemen suddenly surged on that day. But what really happened is more along the lines of that we suddenly paid attention to how heroic firemen always are. Every day in every major city, a fireman runs into a burning building knowing full well that it might collapse on him, to save somebody. Amazingly, pretty much every fireman faced with that choice of putting themselves in real danger to save somebody else does it without a second thought. We just only notice it when it is on the national news or when we're personally involved.

Same deal with healthcare workers. This is what they do. They have chosen to make this sacrifice for humanity knowing full well that they will frequently come into contact with real threats to their lives and health as a result. That isn't just about the volunteer going to Africa and whatnot, that is true of the nurses assistant at your local clinic too and we should all probably keep that in mind next time we run into a healthcare worker.

suspected of having rabies. We are the ones who risk mutilation and career-ending injuries handling fractious animals so that their needs can be taken care of, both out of compassion for their suffering and a desire to keep the community safe from zoonoses.

Nobody ever thinks about that. They think we are adored by our patients and it's all petting Fluffy and getting kitty kisses all day.

In your dreams. You ought to see my right hand right now. And the left one ain't so great either.

I saw an insane video the other day about infected cat bites that a veterinarian's assistant got... Yikes.

Very cool word, I had to look it up.


Most people don't realize that veterinarians and staff are not the most highly paid health-care professionals, either. Takes enormous dedication to choose the field when a pediatrician makes so much more with an equivalent level of training.

This pet-owner/rescuer appreciates who you are.

I do... everyday. Of course I am a surgical nurse at a opthalmologic practice even if I was on the front lines ( ER ) I would absolutely go to work without a second thought!

in the worst case scenario. Like if there were 500 cases.

However, post 12 was absolutely right when they said healthcare workers don't think twice about it. I would be damn careful and watch everybody else's ass, which is part of the job. Thank god I'm not in the industry anymore.

exactly, Mineral Man.

This is the single most worrisome issue.

It is absolutely imperative that our health care workers feel safe, educated and prepared.

I do direct patient equipment care....not patient care.