Health care workers across the country have to wear personal protective equipment, or PPE, for hours on end. As you can imagine, it can get a little uncomfortable. A local corporation donated a simple device to Northern Nevada Medical Center that may help called the “ear saver.”
Anyone who has been wearing a mask for a long period of time can attest to the raw feeling you have behind your ears because of these straps. That's what Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) was thinking, so they decided to manufacture hundreds of them for hospitals in Northern Nevada.
They just clip onto the ear straps of the mask and wrap around the back of your head, this way it takes strain off your ears while keeping the mask tight. SNC, being only a stone’s throw away from Northern Nevada Medical Center, was excited to show them a little support.
"Our healthcare workers and first responders really need the help, even in small ways like these ear savers. It’s a way to really demonstrate our gratitude for what they are doing right now and support them in an urgent time," said Brooke Hart, Vice President of Communications for the Sierra Nevada Corporation.
Sierra Nevada Corporation is a global aerospace and national security contractor which is used to working on a lot more sophisticated technology, working directly with the Department of Defense and NASA. Shelby Hunt, Director of Emergency Services at Northern Nevada Medical Center, says with the extra stress and constant PPE use, every little bit helps, and this could be one less strain on her staff.
“We're really appreciative of our community partners coming up with ideas like this. All of it is uncomfortable so we're just trying to find ways to adapt and if this helps take the pressure off our ear loops then we are greatly appreciative," said Hunt.
Hunt says that her nurses sometimes have to wear these masks 36 hours a week, with many picking up extra shifts. Overall SNC has donated over 800 “ear savers,” and says they have the capability to produce hundreds a day if the need arises.
