Pandemic Flu Forum – Nurses join the debate

The Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog is a five-week long blog campaign to help Americans prepare for a coming pandemic. Each week, a question will be posted and guest bloggers will write about the relevant issue at hand. Comments are open and welcome from everyone.

Rebecca Patton of the American Nurses Association presents several interesting and practical ways of improving the health care system before a pandemic disaster strikes.

1. Change where we birth most babies. Plans should be made to expand opportunities for out-of-hospital home of birthing-center deliveries. There is no need for healthy pregnant women to go to a hospital already overwhelmed by influenza patients.

2. Provide health care workers sufficient emergency supplies such as respirators and personal protective equipment.

I would add all medical facilities need to be up to speed with pandemic emergency preparedness and well-stocked with pandemic flu supplies. Pediatric and family clinics especially need to be in the loop, because most individuals will bring themselves and their families to smaller, probably less equipped clinics for flu-like symptoms.

Tags: pandemic flu, preparedness, pandemic flu leadership forum