Putting It Into Perspective

     My thoughts on Ebola.

     Yesterday, I had a patient in my office, who was worried almost to the point of panic about Ebola. He had just had a flu vaccine, and then freaked out, pointing out that flu and Ebola symptoms mimic each other at first. He had a lot of questions. To the point that, he actually came back, and wanted to discuss it further. I told him that I had patients and friends who had traveled to the other side of Africa on vacation, and they were fine. I had patients and friends that had traveled to Europe, Texas, Ohio, Atlanta, and all sorts of places, and they were fine. I told him he did not have Ebola, would not get Ebola, and that  he was going to be okay. I gave him the example of: Living in New York and being afraid of catching a cold, because he knew someone in Oregon with a cold. I told him he would be fine.
    
     Today, I was spoken to. I had offended a co worker who had recently travelled to one of the places I had mentioned. (As had 3 other people I knew.) Once again, I was in trouble at work. I didn't even bother to explain myself. Where I work, lots of people get offended over seemingly pointless things regularly. It wasn't worth the aggravation or energy. I was told not to talk about traveling patients anymore, because this co worker was seriously offended, and the patient had been upset. (It should be noted, the patient was upset about this before I spoke to him...)

     This worries me. In educating a patient, I offended someone.

     This is how we get mass panic. This is how we remain uneducated. This is how things get out of control in a moment.

     I would hold the exact same conversation all over again in a moment, and get in trouble all over again, too.

This patient I had yesterday made me think. He was worried that he had just had a flu shot, and would have a mild flu-like reaction, and how was he supposed to know the difference? If we had patients who had been all over the place, could we already be exposed? I assured him, he had not. He was fine. I had him sit with me, and we went over everything I could find regarding Ebola. Which, in case anyone was wondering, was precious little. We aren't even completely certain how it is transmitted. Or if we should be worried. Or if this could end up a non issue.
   If flu symptoms mimic early Ebola, what could this mean for our Emergency Rooms, once flu season hits, as masses of people who are not sure what's going on, and who listen to daily changing news reports regarding the transmission and treatment and precautions against this virus, panic and flood our health care system?
     If we need to worry about offending someone, while trying to reassure our patients, where on earth does this leave our ability to educate, reassure and try to hold back the panic?

     I think I worry more about the possibility of an entire health care system getting so overwhelmed with worried patients, and not having the ability to keep up with the flood, as we try to decide who is fine and who is not. As the nursing profession watches CDC staff wear special suits to see the people who have Ebola, while assuring us that a gown and gloves and face shield will work fine to protect us. And our families. As we watch the nursing profession take the fall for every possible wrong action.

     I watch the panic on social media. I watch the rolled eyes derision on social media. I listen to concerned patients, neighbors, friends. The discussion is everywhere. There are opinions, conspiracy theories, head in the sand people, and over reacting people.
     Mostly because it's something we know nothing about, but which could spread.

     I think though, that we have an advantage. Crisis and mass panic aside, we seem to be able to handle it better here in the US of A better than the third world areas that cannot. We know to control the exposure to the best of our ability. We know to quarantine immediately, if we do think we have a problem. Here in America, it is not family members and neighbors who are not adequately protected caring for these patients with bare hands and poor access to nutrition and medical needs. We have highly trained medical staff, with proper equipment, medicines, and around the clock access to everything we can possibly throw at this, to slow it down, prevent the spread and help get these people better.

     I only hope that someplace, the nursing profession that will largely deal with this, gets half the accolades deserved; as they enter into the unknown of this virus, putting themselves on the line, as they have criticism for not handling things properly. Doing so with very little knowledge to work with, as things progressed of late.

     So. My point to my patient yesterday was: people have travelled. People have been fine. We are pretty on top of and aware, thus far, of the extremely small exposure Americans have had as of yet. Just because someone travels to Texas, does not mean they were exposed to Ebola, because Texas had an Ebola patient. Or Africa. Or Atlanta, Ohio, Spain or anywhere else. My patient was as soothed as he was going to get, considering he had come in already in a panic about this. He was given educational materials, reassured, and sent on his way. Putting it into perspective seemed to help. Discussing things in comparison, such as the cold in Oregon not being contagious in New York, seemed to help.

     As a nurse, and a human being, I can only think that, we are doing the best we all can, with very little education regarding this, and the expectation that we will know what to say, how to deal with it all, how to keep everyone safe. And we had better have a 100% success rate, or be raked over the coals on every news and social media site on the planet.
    
     Offending people, is the least of my worries.