ST. LOUIS — Nurses at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital called on Wednesday for more personal protective equipment, and alleged the hospital wasn't informing nurses when they were exposed to COVID-19.
Earline Shephard, a trauma nurse, said that she was exposed to COVID-19 but did not find out until more than a week later, through a conversation with a coworker.
"If we're not protected, we take it to our families, and then we take it out to the community," Shephard said at a rally outside the new hospital on Wednesday morning.
National Nurses United, the union that represents nurses there, has filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over access to PPE, and regarding infection control policies at the hospital.
In response to questions about the union's concerns, SSM Health said in a statement that the system will continue to discuss them with the union directly.
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"We are confident that SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital is providing as safe a working environment as possible in the midst of this global health crisis, and that we are in full compliance with all CDC guidelines," the statement said.
These maps and charts show the spread of COVID-19 in Missouri and Illinois.
