Tell Congress to increase personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution now

March 18, 2020

Nurses continue to do what they do best – serving on the frontlines, as they work to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 and treating the patients who have fallen victim to this extraordinary pandemic. This is despite widespread stories of severe shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and N95 respirators, forcing them to reuse equipment or make their own – resulting in increased unsafe conditions for nurses and patients. 
 
 
These equipment shortages for frontline health care personnel are unacceptable in the wake of a global pandemic. Not only do we need Congress to immediately distribute PPE to RNs from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), but also mandate that minimum PPE levels should be maintained at the SNS in advance of the next emergency. Send your letter today >>
 
First and foremost, Congress needs to address the current shortage to protect the conditions of RNs and patients, but we also need to request a General Accountability Office (GAO) study to review the actions of all applicable federal agencies to identify root causes of these systemic failures. Finally, a study of the supply chain of PPE needs to be thoroughly studied both in the United States and worldwide to prevent future avoidable shortages.
 
 
Thanks for helping to ensure that nurses working on the frontlines have the support and equipment needed to combat the outbreak of COVID-19. 
 
 
Ingrida Lusis 
Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs 
American Nurses Association