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Collapse SubdiscussionKala Willoughby
Kala Willoughby
YesterdayDec 10 at 16:37pmManage Discussion Entry
K. Willoughby Main Post
In the era of COVID-19, there have been many needs that have been unmet. Staffing in the workforce has been a large issue that is being faced across the nation. American Hospital Association (2021) references the 2021 Washington Post-Kaiser Family survey results that 30% of healthcare workers are considering leaving their profession, and 60% of respondents stated that their mental health had been impacted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. American Hospital Association (2021) also references a study that showed America would need to hire at least 200,000 nurses to sustain with the increased demand and replacement of retiring nurses.
Resources have also been a point of contingency with the development of policies and procedures throughout the pandemic. Resources such as N-95 respirators, ventilators, and even hospital beds have been in critical shortage. Resources impact policy making because it becomes an issue of who gets the resources. Emanuel et al. (2020) suggest that to make the most of the resources, we must “maximize benefits; prioritize health workers; do not allocate on a first-come, first-served basis; be responsive to evidence; recognize research participation; and apply the same principles to all Covid-19 and non–Covid-19 patients” (p. 2051). Patient needs throughout the pandemic have also shifted. Patients are now needing increased access to healthcare, providers, and prescriptions, among many other things. Pharma Phorum (2020) reveals that in their survey, approximately 59% of respondents feared that their chronic conditions may worsen, while 70% feared that services would be significantly harder to access once the pandemic is resolved.
Additionally, 53% of survey takers stated that they did not feel as though their needs were adequately addressed and supported throughout the pandemic (Pharma Phorum, 2020). The needs of the workforce, resources, and patients have all impacted the COVID-19 pandemic. The workforce is impacted due to individuals wanting to leave their profession and the nationwide critical staffing shortages. Resources are being impacted due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. Even now that the pandemic has been ongoing for over a year, the bed shortage continues.
As of 9/2/2021 at 11:59 PM, there was only one remaining ICU bed out of 89 in my hospital’s region. As the pandemic surges, patient needs are also being impacted. COVID-19 patients are not allowed visitors unless they meet end-of-life requirements (Centra Health, 2021). Policies have been instituted nationwide for combating the workforce, resource, and patient need issues. Health Alliance Action (2021) suggests routine testing, requiring proof of vaccination, and the use of masks as policies to help combat the workface needs. Policies in place regarding the reusing or sterilization of masks can help to keep consumption down. However, aside from using the ideas from Emanuel et al. (2020) as stated above, there is not much that can be done about the bed shortage in terms of policies.
References:
American Hospital Association. (2021, May 26). Fact sheet: Strengthening the health care workforce | AHA. https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2021-05-26-fact-sheet-strengthening- health-care-workforce
Centra Health. (2021, August 16). COVID-19 general visitation guidelines | centra health – central virginia’s comprehensive medical resource. https://www.centrahealth.com/covid- 19-general-visitation-guidelines
Emanuel, E. J., Persad, G., Upshur, R., Thome, B., Parker, M., Glickman, A., Zhang, C., Boyle, C., Smith, M., & Phillips, J. P. (2020). Fair allocation of scarce medical resources in the time of covid-19. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(21), 2049–2055. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmsb2005114
Health Alliance Action. (2021, August 23). COVID-19 employer policies: A decision tool for Business Leaders | health action alliance. Health Action Alliance. https://www.healthaction.org/reopening-questions? gclid=Cj0KCQjw1dGJBhD4ARIsANb6Odlsk3P9qLAxxKGhxkC6Vrl-iLjRA4jpvvjy- LAUVFThDvrMmltF3gAaAvTlEALw_wcB
Pharma Phorum. (2020, September 22). New study reveals patients’ changing needs during COVID-19 -. https://pharmaphorum.com/views-analysis-patients/new-study-reveals- patients-changing-needs-during-covid-19/