Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

43 NURSING SPOTLIGHT Filipino Americans make up 30% of COVID-19 deaths in US nurses By Gabrielle Masson F ilipino and Filipino American nurses are dying from COVID-19 at disproportionately high rates, accounting for more than 30 percent of the 205 U.S. nurses who have died, though the group makes up just 4 percent of the total nurse work- force, reported The Mercury News. In California, where about 20 percent of nurses identify as Filipi- no, they account for nearly 70 percent (11 of the 16) COVID-19 deaths, according to the California Nurses Association. Filipino American nurses are more likely to work in higher-risk roles within hospital systems, such as the intensive care unit, emergency medicine or telemetry units, where high-risk patients are under constant electronic monitoring — putting them directly in the path of COVID-19, said Catherine Ceniza Choy, PhD, a pro- fessor of ethnic studies at University of California, Berkeley. "Filipino nurses, here specifically in the U.S., are concentrated specifically in inpatient critical care services," Dr. Ceniza Choy said. "Many of them are also caregivers at home, not only of chil- dren, but also their parents and other elders. And so part of the problem with the pandemic is these multiple layers of vulnerabili- ty and exposure." n CHI Health offering premium pay to nurses for extra shifts By Kelly Gooch C HI Health in Omaha, Neb., is offering pre- mium pay to nurses who pick up extra shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pay is available to any registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, certified nursing assis- tant, mental health technician and paramedic who work extra shifts in acute care clinical areas — including the intensive care unit, med surg, progressive care unit, skilled nursing care, inpa- tient rehabilitation, emergency department and behavioral, the health system told Becker's. The pay amount varies by skill set. CHI Health said the premium pay — made possible by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act — began Oct. 18 to increase capacity in its hospitals and will continue through Dec. 31. CHI Health has 12,000 employees. n Chicago nurses placed on leave after delivering dead flowers to management By Kelly Gooch F ive nurses at Chicago-based Cook County Health remained on paid administrative leave Nov. 10 aer participating in what they called a Halloween-themed union march at the health system's John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital. e nurses and about 15 other National Nurses United members went to nursing management offices on the fih floor of the hospital Oct. 28 es- corted by security, the health system and union confirmed to Becker's. ey brought posters, dead flowers, a plastic rat and plastic bloody skeleton. e group delivered the flowers to a nursing manager's office before hospital police asked the group to leave due to its size, Rhodelyn Bedford, a registered nurse at Stroger's critical care burn unit, told the Chicago Tribune. Aer the incident, which took place on the first day of contract negotiations, Cook County Health sent letters to five nurses in the group notifying them they were on paid administrative leave, pending the health system's investigation. According to the Tribune, the letter said the group "made threats against one or more CCH employees in a number of ways," citing Cook County Health personnel rules about fighting or disruptive behavior, employee abuse or harassment and intimidating or coercing another employee. e letter indicated that violations of the personnel rules substantiated during the investigation may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Cook County Health shared a statement but did not comment in detail about the matter. "As a matter of policy, we do not respond to individual personnel matters," Cook County Health said in a statement shared with Becker's. "What I can tell you is that we take our obligation to provide a workplace free of harassment or intimidation very seriously and will hold employ- ees accountable for actions that violate our personnel rules and rules of conduct. Our personnel process affords employees an opportunity to provide evidence and explain their version of events before determining the appropriate course of action." But National Nurses United claimed the health system was making disci- plinary threats against nurses advocating for patient care improvements, including better staffing. One nurse testified before the Cook County Board that the group of workers was celebrating the opening of bargain- ing and went to the administration wing Oct. 28 to discuss their concerns with directors. "ey had positive interactions and brought posters and a bouquet of dead flowers with a plastic rat in it to symbolize the poor relationship we have. Now they are being threatened with termination for this activity," the nurse, Falguni Dave, RN, said. "is must stop now." National Nurses United represents 1,350 Cook County Health nurses. n

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