Health-care workers, AHS agree on standards of protective equipment needed for COVID-19

Alberta Health Services and unions for health-care workers have come to an agreement on standards for protective equipment after nurses in Edmonton refused to test for COVID-19 without N95 masks.

A joint statement released Friday states AHS and the unions have clarified standards.

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"As partners in the response to COVID-19, we trust our front-line health care teams to make appropriate and clinically sound decisions," said the statement, backed by theUnited Nurses of Alberta (UNA), the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Health Sciences Association of Alberta, as well as Covenant Health.

Health-care workers coming withintwo metres of a suspected, presumed or confirmedCOVID-19 patient should have access to N95 respirators, the statement said.

This could save lives amongst our frontline workers.- Sandi Johnson, United Nurses of Alberta

The agreement came as12nurses, who still refused to conduct COVID-19 tests, awaited findings from an investigation byOccupational Health and Safety.

Sandi Johnson.UNA vice-president for the Edmonton-area, said nurses are ecstatic.

"This could save lives amongst our frontline workers," Johnson said. "I am also very pleased that the assessment skills and judgment of of our nurses has been recognized as the primary determinants with respect to the personal protection equipment that they require."

The ability to assesswhat protection is needed was at the heart of the dispute between AHS and the nurses.

• Edmonton nurses refuse to perform COVID-19 swabs without N95 masks

AHSsaid looser-fitting surgical masks provideadequate protection to conduct swabs. TheUNA arguedthat scientific evidence on aerosol transmission of the novel coronavirusis inconclusive andnurses' clinical judgment should be respected.

Friday's statement reinforced the nurses'position.

"We agree that a risk assessment must be conducted for every patient interaction to ensure front-line health-care workers have the specific PPE(personal protection equipment) they need," reads the statement, which goes on to sayappropriate protective gear "will not be unreasonably denied by their employer."

The agreed statementon the use of personal protection equipment was released after unions met with health authorities on Tuesday.

"I believe everyone's been working really hard to make sure that the right thing happened," Johnson said. "There was a lot of pressure from the unions on both Covenant Health and AHS to recognize the risk situations that they were putting their staff in."

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Friday's statement also emphasizes that N95 masks must be worn by health-care workers during aerosol-generating medical procedures such as intubation and cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

Supply protocol

Health authorities and unions have outlined a plantomaintain a sufficient supply of masks, goggles, gowns and other protective equipment.

Supplies will be monitored as departments"continue to explore all available avenues to obtain and maintain a sufficient supply," the statement says.

If there is an anticipated shortage where it's believed thesupply will only last 30 days, health authorities say they will develop a contingency plan in consultationwith the unions "to ensure the safety of health-care workers."