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A screenshot from a press conference by National Nurses United, where representives said they are confident nurses can respond effectively to the coranavirus pandemic but expressed concern about lack of supplies and support. (Catholic San Francisco)
March 25, 2020
Catholic San Francisco
Help front-line St. Mary’s Medical Center nurses and health care workers caring for all who need it during the COVID-19 pandemic by donating critical supplies such as masks, gloves and more.
Supplies are "desperately needed," according to flier for the event.
"Nurses across the country report that they are not receiving the proper staffing, personal protective equipment, education, and communication from their employers, or isolation rooms they need to safely care for COVID-19 patients," according to a petition at protectnurses.org.
"This is unconscionable," the petition states. "At a moment when we are asking nurses and other health care workers to step up and protect people, we must be able to protect them as well."
Homemade masks are insufficient to protect nurses and other health care workers from becoming infected if exposed to a patient with the COVID-19 virus, according to a statement by National Nurses United. "The outcome will be a greater risk of becoming infected themselves and greater risk of infecting everyone else around them -- patients and other health care staff."
Drop-offs will be accepted from 1-3 p,m. Thursday, March 26, at St. Mary’s, 450 Stanyan St., San Francisco.
Health-care personnel are accepting:
-- Unused N95 respirators and surgical masks
-- Unopened packs of disposable gloves
-- Unopened containers of hand sanitizer
-- Unopened disinfectants and wipes
Packaged, unused protective goggles
There will be a brief press conference on Stanyan Street by the ambulance entrance. Please be conscious to limit groupings to 10 people or less and maintain six feet of distance between each person.
For more information, contact, Holly Edson, RN, geo_nurse@yahoo.com; Dawn Needham, RN, dawnneedham101@gmail.com; Jon Mill, labor representative, (415) 810-0717.