We must fix the nursing shortage
Where did all the nurses go?
One of my family members ended up in the ER for a week after a bad fall.
The hospital we chose and its staff were wonderful in every way, but this time, one important thing was missing: an appropriate number of nurses to deliver superior care.
The nurses who were there did their best. They are working long hours and exhausting themselves and, still, the ones we met were cheerful and supportive.
There is a special place in Heaven for people in this profession.
But where did all the nurses go?
We moved our family member to a skilled nursing center last weekend, where physical therapy will hopefully restore mobility.
But that center, too, is short on nurses. By our count, there are six nurses for 200 patients — mostly elderly patients who need exceptional attention and care, but are just not getting it.
I assumed that the COVID-19 pandemic was behind the shortage and, to a degree, it is.
Though it sped up the retirement of many nurses across the country and made things worse, according to Healthline, the nursing shortage has been a challenge going back 10 years.
...continued
Copyright 2022 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
