Nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital call for adequate protective equipment

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION) Registered nurses lined up outside Watsonville Community Hospital to protest the lack of proper personal protective equipment, staffing and preparedness for a patient surge.

Several dozen nurses at the hospital, wore their red union colors and covered their mouths with bandanas or tape.

“This isn’t just about our hospital. This is about everyone having enough of what they need,” registered nurse Gloria Amaya said.

The nurses demand training, staffing and proper protective equipment.

“We need to know all healthcare facilities are providing that equipment at the highest standards...and the protocols are in place to be able to handle a surge," registered nurse Roseann Fariss said.

Nurses like Fariss have watched as medical professionals in other parts of the country have run out of proper protective equipment, like N95 and surgical masks. They are even hearing concerning messages from the federal government about using equipment.

“[the CDC said] If you run out of PPE (personal protective equipment) a bandana and a scarf would be better than nothing. I’ll tell you anytime: that is not PPE,” Fariss said.

“Would we send a firefighter into a burning building without his protective gear? Would you want to send a nurse into a room where a patient has COVID-19 without her protective gear?” Amaya said.

As of Monday, the Watsoville Community Hospital has enough protective equipment and the hospitals C.E.O. said over the last two months they’ve been stocking up on all protective equipment.

“We’ve had the opportunity to learn from our colleagues in San Jose, and we’ve done what we can to acquire necessary supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals. We've done a tremendous amount of training, too," Watsonville Community Hospital C.E.O. Dan Brothman said.

The Watsonville hospital has treated five patients with COVID-19. One patient has died from COVID-19 complications.

The county started asking for donations for protective equipment for medical personnel last week.