The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tasked Johns Hopkins Medicine with training healthcare workers on government-approved protocols in the fight against the Ebola virus.
The program designed by the Baltimore-based hospital focuses on proper donning of personal protective equipment, safe removal of gear and active monitoring skills. Once complete, the program will be presented as an interactive web-based program for nurses and physicians.
“This is a unique time in healthcare where collaboration between public, private and government entities is essential to help solve this new crisis,” said Peter Pronovost, senior vice president for patient safety and quality improvement at Johns Hopkins Medicine in a release.
Since the Ebola virus has made its way into the United States, nursing organizations have voiced concern over how to protect members from contracting the disease.
Earlier this month, the National Nurses Union, the largest nursing union, called on the White House to use executive actions to protect nurses while adding the organization is “deeply concerned” over the Ebola virus.
Nina Pham, the Dallas nurse who contracted the disease while caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, was officially cleared “Ebola-free” last week; however, others are still batting the virus. Organizers at Hopkins say the key to protecting nurses is proper protocol.
“People in general are so scared with Ebola, and they don’t understand how hard it can be to take on and off this protective equipment,” said Sandy Swoboda, an intensive care nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The course being developed will be distributed to healthcare workers online through Apple’s iTunes U.
