Above photo: Jon Flanders.
Nurses speak out about “disgusting” reused respirators and co-mingled hallway patients.
Albany med nurses release AMC-NYSNA resurgence plan, outlining steps the hospital should take to protect the community’s health as COVID-19 cases rise.
New York, NY— Nurses from Albany Medical Center gathered in front of the hospital to highlight conditions that may threaten nurse and patient safety, as the region prepares for a second surge of COVID-19. In the Capital District, newly identified COVID-19 cases have been trending upward since August, and in late September, spiked to their highest rate since July.
After 7 months of the COVID pandemic, nurses are speaking out about the continued lack of preparations and safety protocols at Albany Med. Single-use N95 respirators are still being “decontaminated” for reuse by healthcare workers. Patients in the busy Emergency Department are lined up in hallways, instead of being tested and cohorted in negative pressure rooms to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Nurses released an AMC-NYSNA COVID Resurgence Plan detailing the steps that Albany Med should take to ensure the safety and health of staff, patients, and the New York Capital Region community. They called for greater transparency from Albany Med leadership and more collaboration in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.