CHARLOTTE — As the Great Resignation roiled workplaces throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, nurses have led the way. It’s estimated that one in five health-care workers has quit their job since 2020. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more nursing jobs available than any other profession in the U.S.
That’s bad news for anyone needing health-care services, especially acute care in hospitals. But it’s also bad for the nurses who remain. Nurses who are burned out after three years of being short-staffed and overwhelmed by Covid-19 are being asked to pick up extra shifts and do more with less as fewer of their colleagues remain to carry the load.
“The last two years have been the toughest of my career, and I’ve been a nurse for 25 years,” says Michael Vaccaro, senior vice president for nursing at Novant Health. “From that challenge also comes more openness within the profession and the state for thinking differently around how we do things. There is no one answer. It’s about building the pipeline, improving the work environment, and bringing people back to the profession. I’m optimistic we can do it.”
Nursing shortages are nothing new. But the shortage has increased in intensity, creating some harsh truths for health-care organizations and some of their most valuable employees. The overwhelming majority of nurses are burned out, feeling overworked and under appreciated.
Read the full story here to learn how Novant and Atrium Health are working to mitigate that.
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