What is a patient care area?
Flu season is officially here! Thank you to everyone for continuing to participate in this important patient safety initiative. And for those of you who have chosen not to be vaccinated, thank you for helping to protect our patients, clients and residents by wearing a mask while at work for the duration of the flu season.
As a reminder, all unvaccinated staff, physicians, volunteers and contractors are expected to wear a mask when in a ‘patient care area.’ Visitors too are being asked to wear a mask in all patient care areas.
‘Patient Care Area’ includes:
- All VCH owned/operated/leased sites or space and health care facilities that serve and treat patients/clients/residents
- Any patient/client/resident home or other location where staff, physicians, volunteers and contractors interact with patients/clients/residents at work
- Facility lobbies, hallways, elevators, nursing stations, cafeteria (except when eating) and anywhere else accessible to the public
We recognize that some staff do not interact with patients/residents/clients on a regular basis but we need to ensure that we are applying the policy consistently for all staff and that our patients are protected from influenza in all patient care areas.
Help Spread the Word
We are all responsible for contributing to a safe and healthy workplace and environment for our patients, clients and residents. Please help foster compliance by reminding your colleagues when a mask needs to be worn and what is included in the definition of ‘patient care area.’
Thanks to everyone for your continued cooperation!
Questions? Please email VCHHCWFluPrevention@vch.ca.
Paul
60% (estimated) flu vaccine efficacy is not really very convincing evidence to inspire me to get the flu vaccine.
Therefore it is quite possible that of the total number of flu illnesses that will be iatrogenically transmitted, we can probably assume approximately 40% were transmitted by a vaccinated staff member. Therefore, in order to be consistent, should not ALL VCH staff members be wearing a mask, vaccinated or not? I think this question illustrates the juvenile, vindicative nature of the joint VCH, BC Government attitude.
“……Facility lobbies, hallways, elevators, nursing stations, cafeteria (except when eating) and anywhere else accessible to the public” So if VCH is so hell-bent on enforcing the flu-policy, are we to believe that the flu cannot be transmitted when a staff member is eating in a public area?
I have received flu shots in the past and become sick anyway…however, like the above poster who declares he has never had the flu after getting flu shots, that is redundantly anecdotal and as an argument carries no weight whatsoever.
Biljana
I am happy I have ha a choice to make to vacinate or not. However, I have ha several MD that comented on me with” I have not had a flu shot but I am not wearing the mask … As nobody is checking the records of vacunated vs non vacinated”. I felt very bad and bullied at that time and ever since… As indeed nobody I have seen checks the staff records and f/up in the floors.
Shall we as nurses ask and expect others like cisitors to be honet and say” sure I have not been vacinated- I will wer the mask”?! I doubt.
John Carsley
1. There is plenty of evidence to support the new policy
2. People do get sick from people (not just nurses) who have influenza (that’s how it spreads).
3. Why not a flu shot? I’ve had one every year since1964 and have never had the flu (or anything worse than a wee bit of a sore arm for about 6 hours). Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.
Pooja
I would like to say I do not think it was necessary to point out the nurses who wear a mask due to their personal choice of not getting the flu shot. I personally think people do not get sick from nurses who do not wear mask. I think it would have been more appreciated if a General thank you was placed out their for nurses tolerating the new flu vaccine policy even though there is a lack of evidence and support for it.