COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic did a lot to highlight some of the major flaws in the U.S. One of the industries that was hit the hardest and had the most revealed was the medical industry. Inefficiency, lack of stability, resources, and most notable overworked staff were all issues brought to prominence.
Today 89% of healthcare organizations are experiencing a staff shortage. This means a few key things. First and foremost, the staff will be stretched thin. This leads to more error, more regulations being skirted, and more stress. Second, there will be a lack of change and a reduction of new initiatives. In times of struggle just staying afloat becomes the first and really only priority.
On top of these staff shortages, these same staff members saw common PPE shortages. PPE being personal protective equipment, things like proper masking. Even as late as 2021, 75% of facilities didn’t have fit tested N-95’s. Meaning the equipment that was available wasn’t even necessarily being used correctly.
This sets a scary scenario for the medical community. The government, although putting some initiatives into place, is also generally stagnant. Ground level in-person support is being offered, companies like IPCWell offering direct support in infection control. The future of nurses in American medical facilities is cloudy, only time will tell how things will develop.
Source: IPCWell.com
