PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — For the second time in 30 days, Fawcett Memorial nurses gathered in protest Friday.
'I'm scared for my safety, I'm scared for my family's and I'm scared for the patients. If I'm getting it from patients, I'm spreading it to other patients," said Fawcett Memorial nurse, Angel Bahr.
They joined thousands of other nurses across the country who also rallied.
The healthcare workers says they want more protective equipment, as they work to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to beg and grovel and have meetings where I was sweating just to ask them," said Bahr.
Bahr's colleague, June Phillips, says the lack of proper protective equipment is causing staff to contract coronavirus.
"The virus has been spreading like wildfire," said Phillips.
Fawcett Memorial management did not return Fox 4's request for information about sick hospital staff and they ignored my questions about the number of COVID-19 patients they're treating.
But they did release the followinf statement:
Since the onset of this global pandemic, which has strained the worldwide supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), our goal has been to protect our frontline clinicians and caregivers so they are able to continue to care for our patients and community. Meanwhile, this union is trying to exploit the crisis to advance its own interests—organizing more members. We are proud of the support our hospital is providing to our nurses who exhibit amazing courage every day in meeting the challenges of this health crisis. Our efforts to protect our colleagues while at work and at home include:
· A universal masking policy implemented in March requiring all staff in all areas to wear masks, including N95s, in line with CDC guidance
· Screening for all patients, visitors and staff before entering facilities
· For colleagues with reduced hours due to the pandemic, we instituted a pandemic pay program that continues to pay colleagues with reduced hours 70 percent of their pay for up to 7 weeks
In addition, we provide cleaned hospital scrubs each shift for colleagues who care for COVID-19 patients to help prevent potentially carrying the virus home on clothing. We are also working with major hotel chains to provide housing for caregivers who provide care to COVID-19 patients and prefer not to go home to their loved ones after their shift. While our hospital currently has adequate supplies of PPE, we continue to provide safeguards that are consistent with CDC guidelines and help ensure the protection of our colleagues, not only today, but into the future as the pandemic continues to evolve.
June Phillips says the hospital's accusations against the nurses union are false.
"The union concern is patient safety and nurses safety," said Phillips.
