SoCal Nurses Who Were Suspended For Refusing To Work Without N95 Masks Have Been Reinstated

Roughly 10 nurses who were suspended from their job because they demanded protective respirator masks are returning to work this week, according to the National Nurses United union. The nurses, who work at Providence St. John’s Health Center, had refused to treat coronavirus patients without N95 masks. 

Along with being reinstated to work, their hospital, located in Southern California, is also supplying N95 masks to nurses working with infected patients, according to the NY Post. 

It was reported last week that these nurses were place on leave after telling their managers they would not go into the rooms of patients with coronavirus without the protection.

Providence had said last week that they had a system set up to disinfect and reprocess the masks. 

Not surprisingly, the hospital was unavailable for comment. 

N95 masks filter out about 95% of all airborne particles, including ones that are too tiny to be blocked by other masks and face coverings. At the time, hospital administrators said they weren’t necessary and didn’t provide them. 

Which is funny, because early on in this crisis, the U.S. government also told people that N95 masks would not help them at all, while at the same time urging people to donate them to healthcare workers.

Now, in many places across the U.S., facemasks are becoming mandatory, as we wrote about a week ago. 

Governors of Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania have issued orders or recommendations that residents wear face masks while out in public, reported Reuters.

“If you are going to be in public and you cannot maintain social distancing, then have a mask, and put that mask on,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.