Nurse Practitioner Association of the District of Columbia | Established in 1971 | NPADC.COM

Coronavirus: Information for Nurse Practitioners

Posted about 4 years ago by June Alsgaard

Dear NPADC Members and Colleagues,

By now you have heard of an emerging respiratory illness which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are monitoring closely.  The 2019 Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first identified in Wuhan, the capital city in Hubei province, China.  This 2019-nCoV is spreading quickly and the WHO has declared this virus a threat to global health.

As healthcare providers delivering care in the nation’s capital, we have the privilege of caring for persons from all over the world.  As information continues to evolve surrounding this virus, it is imperative we commit to remaining vigilant and up-to-date on how to screen, treat, and educate persons with respiratory illnesses.  Persons in the community will have questions, and it is our duty to provide accurate answers.

The NPADC highly recommends all healthcare providers follow the CDC recommendations.  Please find an interim guidance from the CDC on human infections with the 2019-nCoV by clicking on the link below:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fguidance-hcp.html

Be vigilant by washing hands, wearing masks when caring for persons with respiratory symptoms, and maintaining a high index of suspicion.  At this time, only the CDC may perform the necessary test to confirm diagnosis.  If you refer a person to the hospital with suspicious symptoms for this virus, please be certain to call the hospital first so appropriate arrangements may take place. 

We are proud to be nurse practitioners in the District of Columbia, and will continue to uphold the NPADC mission of “promoting high standards of health care as delivered by nurse practitioners”.

Sincerely,

NPADC Board Members