Leaders of a statewide nurses association pushed back against new federal COVID-19 guidance they see as too lenient and “cutting corners.”

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents more than 9,000 front-line nurses and health care professionals across the state, said the federal government is failing to protect bedside caregivers from COVID-19.

On Dec. 23, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated guidance regarding mitigation tactics for health care staffs. The nurses association claims the changes were a downgrade.

According to the new guidelines, health care workers with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic can return to work after seven days with a negative test. It is also noted that if there are staff shortages, that isolation time can be cut down or eliminated. That reduction can take place if the health care worker has mild symptoms.

In a statement Wednesday, Maureen May, PASNAP president and longtime Temple University Hospital nurse, called the changes “indefensible.”

“For the past two years, front-line health care workers have willingly sacrificed their own physical and mental health to protect the American public,” May said.

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued a statement following the announcement of the changes. She said the changes will help prepare health care workers everywhere for an anticipated surge of patients due to the omicron strain of the virus.

“Our goal is to keep health care personnel and patients safe, and to address and prevent undue burden on our health care facilities,” Walensky said.

The nurses association claims the changes aren't better for workers, but instead the hospitals' bottom line.

“We implore our government to stand up to the (American) Hospital Association lobby and implement the rules and regulations needed to keep our front-line health care workers safe as they continue to care for the public and battle this raging disease,” May said.

In the week following the CDC's announcement, the state's 24.5% positivity rate was up from 15.3% in the previous week and approached its all-time high positivity rate of 27.6% set on April 17, 2020.

On New Year's Day, Pennsylvania set a record for daily new infections with 23,189.

Peggy Malone, a longtime nurse in Philadelphia and association member, was exposed to COVID-19 on the job, received a positive test result and reported it immediately to the hospital Dec. 27.

Less than four full days later, Malone still was experiencing symptoms when she was called by a senior administrator to tell her she was cleared to return to work.

In a statement, Malone said she was frustrated with the decision.

“Those 10 to 14 days that the rest of the world gets to recover from COVID? You mean to tell me that we don't deserve the same care?” Malone said. “For the last two years, we have given everything we've had to care for the public. Who is caring for us? Not the hospitals and apparently not the CDC.”

Tammy May, Butler's local association president, said she is concerned nurses who return to work too quickly will be overwhelmed during an already stressful time.

“It perpetuates that rut of fatigue,” May said. “It just seems like there's a disregard of the health and welfare of the people taking care of the sick. People should be taking care of the caretakers.”

May said that throughout the pandemic, Butler Health System had consistently adhered to guidelines set by the CDC. She said she expects it will adhere to the updated guidance too. BHS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

May said Butler Memorial has erred on the side of caution in the past, and she expects that will remain moving forward. She said her concern is the change in guidance opens a door to the possibility of a nurse returning to work too early after being infected, and that's a door that should remain shut.

“Now I can come back to work with mild symptoms at five days, but how run down does that make me?” May said.

May said Butler's staffing levels have remained fairly steady. However, even if staffing levels are consistent now, they could always be better, according to May. She said many hospitals continue to see staff, especially nurses, leaving and taking agency jobs that pay better and offer more flexibility.

May said there are many incentives for the current staff to work extra, but not enough incentives for people to remain.

“We're having a hard time keeping staff at the bedside,” she said. “People are moving, so I think retention has to really be a focus.”

Also on Wednesday, the nurses association criticized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for letting its emergency temporary standard for health care workplaces expire without adopting a permanent standard.

OSHA enacted the measure in June, and it required hospitals to provide employees with N95 respirators and other protective equipment. It also placed requirements for enhanced ventilation, physical distancing, barrier requirements and employee training and testing.

With those federal protections gone, the state association plans to join the National Nurses Union in filing a court request to compel OSHA to adopt a permanent standard against COVID-19 and keep a temporary one in place until that happens.

“The best way to ensure that there are ample nurses to provide optimal care is to provide nurses with optimal working conditions,” May said. “Crisis conditions are not remotely close to optimal. They're not even humane. And they should not — they cannot for the sake of our patients and our profession — be accepted as permanent.”