The New York State Nurses Association released a report Thursday outlining the policies it would like to see lawmakers and hospitals implement to better protect workers from Covid-19.
The union said all hospitals should maintain their increased bed capacities, stockpile protective equipment and implement universal testing for a potential second or third wave of patients.
The union urged hospitals to refrain from restarting nonurgent surgeries until their Covid-19 census falls considerably even if the state lifts restrictions. And surgery patients should be tested before they are admitted, NYSNA said.
“New York’s health care system was woefully unprepared for this crisis. Before we can move forward, our hospitals and nursing homes must be on stronger footing,” the union wrote in its report.
Many of the goals are aligned with hospitals’ objectives. NYSNA has been a frequent critic of hospitals during the pandemic, haranguing facilities for giving workers insufficient protective equipment and not allowing adequate time off for sick nurses.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday hospitalizations continued to fall this week, with about 8,600 patients being treated for Covid-19 in facilities across the state. The number of confirmed deaths from the disease has surpassed 20,000.
Antibody testing of 27,000 hospital workers in 25 downstate New York facilities showed workers had lower rates of exposure to Covid-19 than a sample of people who volunteered for testing in grocery stores and retailers. In New York City, 12.2% of health care workers had antibodies, compared with 19.9% among the general population.
“It shows everybody how important the masks and gloves and sanitizer are and that they work,” Cuomo said Thursday during his daily briefing.
SOURCE: Section Page News – Crain’s New York Business – Read entire story here.