Some N.J. health workers weigh quitting over new vaccine mandate. Will it escalate the staffing crisis?
With a new mandate and the elimination of the testing option, some health care workers are faced with whether to give in or quit their jobs.
NJ healthcare workforce
- Thread starter NYShoreGuy
- Start date
There is already a healthcare worker crisis that is a perfect storm of five trends all at once. Record numbers of front line healthcare workers have left the profession all together leaving a fragile system that results in stories like this:
https://www.mcall.com/health/mc-hea... evening of Oct,hours later, the patient died.
* Hospitals have been short staffed over the past two years, meaning there is less patient/clinician interaction so things go unnoticed.
* The nurses that are being hired out of school are being rushed into positions that normally they would have to spend time shadowing. They meet the licensing requirements, but they lack critical experience on their own.
* The gap is also being filled with "travelling nurses". Nurses that are well intended but don't have the historical knowledge (policies, procedures, people, processes) of facility they are now working. The nurses are literally jumping from one hospital to the next on six week or six month contracts.
* Omicron created more issues because more healthcare workers became infected (vaccinated and unvaccinated) and had to sit out and quarantine.
* And worst of all, because visitations have been restricted now you can't have a family advocate at your side to keep an eye on things.
My advice is that if you have elective surgery that requires you to be hospitalized for more than a day....delay it, until the staffing issues improve. If you don't have the choice, there are two things you should absolutely do: 1) make sure you have a smart phone and a plan to communicate with family members on a regular basis, updating them on your condition and needs, and 2) have a detailed discussion with your PCP, because he/she will be the only lifeline you have to cut through everything in the event of an unexpected event. Elective surgeries over the past two months are being cancelled anyway, so what does that tell you (the most profitable lines in a hospital).
For the most part the hospital mandates are being overstated. There are hospitals that claim that all or most of their employees are vaccinated and they are not by any stretch. They know strict enforcement will only create a more challenging staffing crisis. But it sounds good to pander to politicians and avoid the public uproar.
https://www.mcall.com/health/mc-hea... evening of Oct,hours later, the patient died.
* Hospitals have been short staffed over the past two years, meaning there is less patient/clinician interaction so things go unnoticed.
* The nurses that are being hired out of school are being rushed into positions that normally they would have to spend time shadowing. They meet the licensing requirements, but they lack critical experience on their own.
* The gap is also being filled with "travelling nurses". Nurses that are well intended but don't have the historical knowledge (policies, procedures, people, processes) of facility they are now working. The nurses are literally jumping from one hospital to the next on six week or six month contracts.
* Omicron created more issues because more healthcare workers became infected (vaccinated and unvaccinated) and had to sit out and quarantine.
* And worst of all, because visitations have been restricted now you can't have a family advocate at your side to keep an eye on things.
My advice is that if you have elective surgery that requires you to be hospitalized for more than a day....delay it, until the staffing issues improve. If you don't have the choice, there are two things you should absolutely do: 1) make sure you have a smart phone and a plan to communicate with family members on a regular basis, updating them on your condition and needs, and 2) have a detailed discussion with your PCP, because he/she will be the only lifeline you have to cut through everything in the event of an unexpected event. Elective surgeries over the past two months are being cancelled anyway, so what does that tell you (the most profitable lines in a hospital).
For the most part the hospital mandates are being overstated. There are hospitals that claim that all or most of their employees are vaccinated and they are not by any stretch. They know strict enforcement will only create a more challenging staffing crisis. But it sounds good to pander to politicians and avoid the public uproar.
It is clear that the current healthcare worker crisis is a major issue that needs to be addressed. The shortage of frontline healthcare workers is resulting in a fragile system where important patient interactions are being missed, and inexperienced nurses are being rushed into positions they may not be ready for. Companies like ibgportland.com, understand the challenges that the healthcare system is facing and strive to provide solutions that benefit both healthcare workers and patients.
Last edited:
