August 23, 2021 – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently examined how COVID-19 has exacerbated Georgia’s chronic nursing shortage. According to the AJC, “many nurses with long experience are quitting, moving to calmer jobs or barely hanging on” due to the stress and exhaustion of combatting COVID’s fourth wave.
Some insights from the report:
Nursing job postings keep jumping.
- “In a state that already had one of the nation’s lowest ratios of nurses to population, job postings for nurses jumped by double-digit percentages in each of its regions in 2020, then jumped again,” the AJC reported. “As of this week, 11,000 nursing positions across the state sit vacant, according to the nursing job service Vivian. More than 1,700 of those are in intensive care units (ICUs).”
Many nurses may opt out of healthcare.
- A recent survey by Vivian found 43% of nurses nationwide are considering leaving healthcare.
Hospitals are making due with available resources, staff.
- “As cases soar, hospitals and staff once again describe treating patients in meeting rooms, hallways and any available space. Yet they are having to scale back services for lack of staff. Hospitals from Piedmont Henry County to Phoebe Putney in Albany to Augusta University Health have halted elective surgeries. Wellstar Kennestone regularly closes sections of its emergency department simply for lack of nurses, according to staff.”