Ascension nurse gets 6,000 signatures on hazard pay petition for pandemic

FOX 2 - "We definitely do put ourselves at risk," said Christina DeSantis. "Ascension is doing a great job at providing proper protective equipment, but there is still a chance that we could be exposed to the virus."

DeSantis, an emergency room nurse, feels she and other hospital staff at Ascension Health should be compensated for that risk in the form of hazard pay, so she started a petition online.

"There were points in time we were getting patients in the hallway, who weren't keeping their masks on when they were coughing," she said. 

DeSantis says things have calmed down since then, but we can't forget a social media post recently when a nurse called in to help at Ascension's Southfield location where DeSantis works. That video shows a nurse there talking about keeping the same N-95 facemask signed out for the entire year. 

DeSantis says the nurses still have to re-use masks and face shields and she would like to hear from her employer.

"I haven't received a single email about hazard pay," she said.

Her message has resonated, getting more than 6,000 signatures.

"It feels really awesome to know that people in the community care about health care workers," she said. "The main point was to show Ascension that, not only do we care about hazard pay, but the community does as well."

The hospital system released a statement, it reads in part:
 
"Ascension Michigan has instituted an emergency critical staffing bonus and a traveler bonus program for frontline nurses and other healthcare workers."  

The bonus is not hazard pay. But the hospital system also says they have daycare subsidies and reimbursements for workers who need to stay away from their families after coming in contact with Covid-19.

DeSantis also says she and other employees must work an additional 12 and a half hours a week, which she says is another argument for hazard pay. She also wants paid time off for workers diagnosed with COVID-19.