Page 20 - Healthcare News May/June 2022

SALUTE TO NURSES CONT’D
And COVID, and the so-called Great Resigna- tion, have only exacerbated the problem. Indeed, according to Nursing Solutions Inc., the national healthcare retention and registered nurse (RN) staffing report of 2021 said that for the first time ever, retirement is one of the top three reasons for resignations among registered nurses.
This phenomenon has created what Joanne Miller, chief nurse executive, Baystate Health and chief nursing officer, Baystate Medical Center, called an ‘experience gap.’
“The experience of the complexity gap has widened,” she explained. “Meaning the nursing workforce experience has dropped and the complex care that patients need today is rising. So the overall growth of an RN workforce is primarily new gradu- ates.”
Contending with this gap is just one of the challenges facing hospitals, said those we spoke with, adding that COVID pushed more nurses into retirement and other professions, while it inspired others to join the ranks of travel nurses, and, in do- ing so, earn much more than they were making.
“We had a large group of nurses that jumped on the travel nurse wave,” said Chevalier, adding that for many in the profession, the chance to earn the wages being offered by travel-nurse agencies was an opportunity they could not pass on.
Hatiras agreed.
“Some people don’t mind traveling and bouncing around from facility to facility and seeing the coun-
try,” he noted. “Because of the shortage, the amount of money these agencies were offering nurses to do that was incredibly high, so more nurses left regular full-time jobs to do that. It’s a supply-and-demand issue.”
All three hospitals we spoke with have been working hard to increase the number of staff avail- able on their floors, many of which are again oper-
“
ating at or near full capacity as COVID cases wane. One way that facilities are combating the issue
of staffing is moving staff to areas where the help is needed most and make greater use of certified nurs-
ing assistants (CNAs).
“Before, we only had a few (CNAs) on the floor,”
said Hatiras. “There were only two nurses and four CNAs on the floor. Now, we’ve teamed up every nurse with a CNA and they work as a team. It’s a one-to-one ratio, and it has helped out a lot,” said
Hatiras.
CNAs are able to assist nurses by fulfilling
tasks that don’t require a nursing license, such as gathering supplies and medications, documenting important information, assisting in procedures, and transporting patients.
Each facility has its own kind of float pool to help nurses in other areas of the hospital. Nurses are able
We’re investing in and learning more about the antidote to fatigue and burnout — that is the ability for
our nurses to become resilient. In order to identify and address stress, we’re creating an environment where we can openly share and discuss these feelings.”
JOANNE MILLER
to volunteer to be moved to other areas that need more assistance, said Hatiras, stressing the impor- tance of volunteering; moving nurses from a unit they enjoy can cause “a lot of dissatisfaction.” Hospitals are also taking steps to improve the pipeline of nurses from area colleges through vari- ous programs designed to only provide experience but introduce them to the institutions in the hope that they will stay with a hospital after they graduate from college.
GREATER SPRINGFIELD SENIOR SERVICES
Ombudsman Program
You Have Rights!
An Ombudsman is an advocate working to resolve prob- lems related to the health, welfare, and rights of individuals living in Nursing & Rest Homes and Assisted Living Facili- ties. Ombudsmen visit facilities regularly and offer a way for residents to voice their complaints and work towards a resolution with staff.
Ombudsman Can:
• Help residents and caregivers better understand their rights
• Work with residents to resolve issues in a respectful manner
• Provide resources to residents and families about insurance
and appeal issues.
To connect with your local Ombudsman, please contact the I&R Department at 413-781-8800
Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm or visit our website at www.gsssi.org
www.gsssi.org
20 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM MAY/JUNE 2022