When the novel coronavirus spread across Washington in February and March, the lack of supplies in hospitals, coupled with uncertainty over what protective measures were needed, presented many nurses with a difficult choice. Nurses given a dangerous job could accept the assignment and its attendant risks, or refuse and face possible discipline. The WSNA, a union that represents more than 17,000 nurses,  advised members who refused an assignment to stay and do other jobs. For those nurses who accepted an "abnormally dangerous" assignment, the union advised filling out what is called an ADO form. ADO stands for Assignment Despite Objection.

When ProPublica mentioned ADO forms to some nurses in Washington, they did not react with enthusiasm. "It's the stuff of fairytales," said one nurse in the Seattle area who specializes in mental health. "Nurses, administratively, are strongly discouraged to use the forms or outright shamed for documenting what they are uncomfortable with in a caregiving situation." "

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on a ruling from a lower court that had blocked Texas from enforcing the ban. State officials argue the ban is intended to conserve medical supplies for health workers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. But abortion rights advocates say states are using the pandemic as an excuse to block access. "