MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The growing case count is not the only issue impacting Mid-South hospitals. Healthcare leaders are worried if we don’t flatten the curve soon, they won’t have the staffing needed to treat these patients.
Doctors say the fatigue of coronavirus is impacting everyone. So, it should come as no surprise nurses and other staff members are feeling the burnout too.
“Things are more frustrating for people in the hospital daily,” said Dr. Jeff Warren, who is a member of the Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 task force.
The Shelby County Health Department reports hospital ICU beds are approaching 90% capacity.
One-third of them are being used to treat COVID-19 patients, exasperated by a nationwide spike that’s taken Mid-South nurses to other parts of the country.
“What we’re worried about is they’re going to be over there helping, and we’re going to need them here,” Warren said. “Hospitals are going to have to figure out how to keep them back here on the farm.”
One way Mid-South hospitals are helping with the staffing shortage is by improving access to free and confidential support.
Baptist Hospital reports an increase in staff using the Employee Assistance Program during the pandemic.
Baptist also says it’s hired 100 new nurses who are currently in orientation. It’s also looking to hire travel nurses to help ease the load as all Mid-South hospitals prepare for a surge.
“We’re just doing everything we can to help them focus on those things they can control,” said Melissa Wilkes Donahue with Baptist’s Employee Assistance Program. “With there being so much unknown, the idea of these are the things I can do to control what’s going on around me.”
Because no one can pour from an empty cup, and their work is the difference between life and death.
“The nurses really are the backbone of the hospital, the heroes, without them we couldn’t care for our patients anyway,” said Methodist North Medical Director William Burch.
It’s why the staff at Methodist is on a float system that allows them to rotate where they’re most needed, so they’re not necessarily treating the sickest COVID patients daily. It’s something that helps with burnout.
But doctors say we also have a role in this.
“The burnout will get better, we won’t have as many people in the hospital,” Warren said. “We can do this, Memphis. We’ve just got to mask up.”