According to Kathryn Lynn Trammel, during a pandemic the number of nurses who choose to quit their jobs has increased dramatically. In this article, we'll look at why this is happening, and the reasons why nursing professionals are choosing to leave the field. One reason is the high rate of panic attacks among nurses. Another is low health literacy. It's not only fear of panic attacks that contributes to the lack of nurses working during a pandemic.
While the recent COVID-19 outbreak was largely outside of nursing homes, there were some cases of the virus that affected residents in these facilities. Specifically, nursing homes with high percentages of residents from underrepresented ethnic groups reported more COVID-19 cases per week than those with low percentages of residents from these groups. These outbreaks underscored the importance of preventing COVID-19 infections in nursing homes.
In Canada, nursing homes, also known as seniors' homes, assisted living facilities, and retirement homes were among the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of all the deaths during the first wave of the pandemic, 80% were among residents. Infections among staff members made up 10% of cases and 9 deaths. The effects of this epidemic on these types of facilities were profound.
The COVID-19 pandemic set off a wave of employee turnover unprecedented in the United States. As the economy suffered from a widespread loss of jobs, the number of new hires and quitters increased, resulting in tight labor markets. Last November, the nation's "quit rate" hit a 20-year high. In addition, the economy is now rebounding, resulting in an increased hiring trend.
A recent study found that certain age groups and tenure levels were more likely to leave voluntarily than others. The report found that the number of voluntarily departing workers was up 7.6% over 2017, and that preventable reasons were on the rise. Likewise, a recent Forrester study found that 53% of employees wanted to continue working from home, suggesting that many employers will soon adopt a hybrid work schedule.
Kathryn Lynn Trammel suggested that, one of the most significant implications of the recent influenza pandemic is social isolation of nurses who are not working. This situation creates a unique set of health risks for these people, who often lack social support and feel isolated in the work environment. However, this condition also fits within the regulatory framework of occupational safety. Researchers have long recognized that loneliness can be detrimental for a nurse's mental health and wellbeing.
During the pandemic, nurses and other health care providers in Houston faced increased social isolation. Many nurses reported that it was impossible to see family, friends, and acquaintances during their free time. In addition, nurses reported fewer opportunities to learn in traditional settings. To overcome this challenge, nurses used video telephony, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to communicate with their families. These technologies provided many nurses with the ability to keep in touch and share experiences with one another.
The study was designed to assess how well nurses could communicate with patients with limited health literacy. The authors designed a 30-item survey to measure health literacy support and communication among nurses and patients with low health literacy. The items were based on previous research and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Action Plan. To explore the implications of low health literacy, the researchers included additional questions. Open-ended questions prompted nurses to share their experiences and challenges with patients with low health literacy.
The results showed that low health literacy was associated with age above 40, an elementary education, eyewear, visual and hearing problems, and limited internet use. Nurses who did not work during the pandemic were also more likely to have been self-employed. The researchers also found that nurses who were not working during the pandemic had higher levels of health literacy than nurses who were employed. Low health literacy was associated with age, lack of education, and the ability to meet basic expenses.
The rapidity of change during a pandemic is one of the key factors that determine the course of an epidemic. Most countries have used conventional public health measures to manage the pandemic, such as isolation of infected individuals, contact tracing, negative pressure ventilation, and the use of personal protective equipment. These measures have cost a lot of money, since they restrict mobility and have caused significant losses, with estimates pointing to a 10% decline in global GDP.
The Covid-19 pandemic has sped up this change. The global lockdown has changed the nature of work and corporate interactions. Employees are finding new ways to work from home and don't commute to the office. Jet-setting people have found ways to stay home and work from their laptops. This rapid change in culture has created new challenges for organizational leaders. They must consider these challenges and adapt their workplace culture to keep their employees satisfied and productive.
When the pandemic strikes, nurses become a critical line of defense for a population. In these circumstances, nursing leaders are urged to allocate critical resources to their staff. Lack of resources leads to high turnover and increased organizational costs. Moreover, nurses' commitment to their profession decreases. To ensure that this critical resource allocation doesn't worsen the situation, the responsible leadership should identify the number of nurses expected to remain in their areas and the number of patients they expect to see.
Kathryn Lynn Trammel believes that, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to overwhelm hospitals and communities, the American Nurses Association has compiled resources and guidance for nursing workers. This includes an online tool called COVID Staffing, which provides hospitals with information about their staffing needs during the pandemic. Nurses who are not working during the pandemic can find help in locating a job and update their bad addresses.