"We're aviation's first responders. Because of supply chain issues, and our health care professionals on the front line don't even have full access to N95 masks; we don't have access to those either – but we should have those as well," she told CNN on Saturday.
Nelson also said flight attendants need to be able to social distance when working.
"So if our workspace is within 6 feet of passengers' seats, those seats should be blocked out," she said.
On the issue of passengers wearing masks, she said flight attendants are the ones enforcing individual airline's policies without the backing of federal leadership. This makes it difficult, Nelson said.
"The federal government had led people to believe that this is a political issue rather than a public health issue. So we're dealing with conflicts there, just in enforcing this policy that keeps everyone safe," Nelson said.