SARS-2-CoV (COVID-19)

[Garufa]

54 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

They gave a sobering statistic today. "There have been 1,023 new hospitalizations in Tennessee in the first 15 days of August, more than any other full month of the pandemic. The next worst month for COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state was November, when new hospitalizations surpassed 900."

 

https://www.wate.com/news/tennessee-more-covid-19-hospitalizations-in-august-than-any-other-month-of-pandemic/

I guess they all just have some pre-existing conditions that are their own fault or their misery was preordained.

[TGO David]

I'm seeing data that suggests that the reason hospitals are at capacity has less to do with COVID-19 and more to do with staff shortages.  Apparently nurses, beginning last year, with enough years under their belts or enough financial stability to do so, have been getting very fed up with the dynamics at play within the healthcare industry and have begun leaving.  In significant numbers.

What I've begun tracking is data to the effect that there are ample beds in hospitals, right here in Tennessee... right here in Nashville... but not enough nurses to keep all of them open and available.

[FUJIMO]

12 minutes ago, TGO David said:

I'm seeing data that suggests that the reason hospitals are at capacity has less to do with COVID-19 and more to do with staff shortages.  Apparently nurses, beginning last year, with enough years under their belts or enough financial stability to do so, have been getting very fed up with the dynamics at play within the healthcare industry and have begun leaving.  In significant numbers.

What I've begun tracking is data to the effect that there are ample beds in hospitals, right here in Tennessee... right here in Nashville... but not enough nurses to keep all of them open and available.

I had a conversation this past weekend with a local nurse saying thats the situation here in east tn. The max capacity is sometimes tallied by the number of workers they have to cover said beds. Older employees took an early out while younger ones took the opportunity to move up and make more money more in the private care sector or another line of work all together. 

Related story, I spoke with a gentleman today who started as a dishwasher in Jan of this year and is now the store manager. The place can't get help and the new minimum wage isn't feasible nor alluring to new hires. 

Thats why the unemployment numbers and economy reports weekly are hard to believe.

 

 

[MacGyver]

An ICU bed may as well be a bed at the Holiday Inn if you don’t also have the trained staff needed to keep you alive.

[btq96r]

Not enough nurses, huh?

 

Tell me more about this labor shortage in a free market economy where resources can be reallocated to service demand.

 

Yes, I realize this meme post isn't applicable to rural and municipal hospitals...but for our area, having ones that are by SEC required reporting quite profitable, and others that could presumably spend less sponsoring an NFL team...there is a way out of a staffing shortage.

Okay, two if you count Uncle Sugar coming to the rescue and creating cash flow to action solution #1 without impact to shareholders.

Edited August 17, 2021 by btq96r

[FUJIMO]

1 hour ago, btq96r said:

Not enough nurses, huh?

 

Tell me more about this labor shortage in a free market economy where resources can be reallocated to service demand.

 

Yes, I realize this meme post isn't applicable to rural and municipal hospitals...but for our area, having ones that are by SEC required reporting quite profitable, and others that could presumably spend less sponsoring an NFL team...there is a way out of a staffing shortage.

Okay, two if you count Uncle Sugar coming to the rescue and creating cash flow to action solution #1 without impact to shareholders.

Although my "poll" was indeed in a rural setting I can't imagine it's much different around the country.

Im one of those that was against a stimulus check when this started because I know my community. Now over a year later they have proven me right . 

[Ronald_55]

3 hours ago, FUJIMO said:

Although my "poll" was indeed in a rural setting I can't imagine it's much different around the country.

Im one of those that was against a stimulus check when this started because I know my community. Now over a year later they have proven me right . 

Lots of money to let the lazy sit home eating Cheetos or to spend on meth....

[Erik88]

12 hours ago, TGO David said:

'm seeing data that suggests that the reason hospitals are at capacity has less to do with COVID-19 and more to do with staff shortages.

More people have been hospitalized in just half this month than any full month since the start of the pandemic.  That said, they did say they are experiencing staffing shortages. There are recruiting firms that specialize in travel nursing positions. I'd like to know how much these local hospitals are using those companies and what they are willing to pay. There are always travel nurses willing to go wherever pays the most. 

[TGO David]

11 hours ago, MacGyver said:

An ICU bed may as well be a bed at the Holiday Inn if you don’t also have the trained staff needed to keep you alive.

True, but the reasons why that Holiday Inn (hospital) is understaffed deserves a hard look and then something done about it.

• Healthcare providers who were put on the front lines last year with minimal protection and no vaccine mostly fared well, just like the rest of society.  This year they are being forced to take a vaccine that they might object to for a variety of reasons.  This goes back to the concept of individual freedom and the sanctity of one's own body.
  
  There will be the argument that you shouldn't have unvaccinated caregivers tending to vulnerable patients, but there is so much data supporting the fact that vaccinated people still spread COVID-19 that this should be a moot point.  Also, none of these caregivers -- vaccinated or not -- are being allowed to interact with vulnerable patients without PPE anyway.  Again, moot.
  
   
• Hospital administrations are doing little to nothing to incentivize the retention of experienced veteran nurses but are showering new hires with tens of thousands of dollars in hiring bonuses.  Veteran staff sees this as a slap in the face, and rightfully so, and is leaving because of it.  Lets face it:  We all might juts LOVE our jobs, but work is the "curse of Adam".  We do it because we need or want the money.
   
•  Hospital administrators have also for years been running the fine line of "just enough staff" to cover the patient census.  Nurses have been overworked for a long time.  Add to that all of the above, and those who can are cutting bait and finding other careers.
   

 

All of this is creating a talent vacuum in the healthcare industry.  Nurses who know a thing or two because they've seen a thing or two are exiting the workplace.  My oldest daughter who has only been a nurse for a few years is now training new nurses who are making more money than her.  Read that again:  She has just a few years of practical experience and is still very much learning herself.  She's being required to train new nurses because there aren't enough seasoned nurses above her to do the job.

I'm thrilled for her success but sad about what she's facing in the years ahead.

Privatization of healthcare is still the right way to do this and I am staunchly against socialized medicine (because it gets a WHOLE lot worse under those types of programs) but companies in this industry need to get back to their roots and check their core values.  If it's profit over care or profit over their people, they're wrong.

 

[Luckyforward]

4 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Privatization of healthcare is still the right way to do this and I am staunchly against socialized medicine

My youngest daughter who at the time was an RN working in Nashville as an ICU nurse moved to Calgary, Canada (yep, a guy was involved) and began working in the Canadian healthcare system.  Cheap?  YES!  Meds?  NEARLY FREE!  Quality of care?  ZILCH!  Ability to get an appointment when needed or see a specialist?  EXTREMELY DIFFICULT!

 

 

 

[FUJIMO]

2 minutes ago, Luckyforward said:

My youngest daughter who at the time was an RN working in Nashville as an ICU nurse moved to Calgary, Canada (yep, a guy was involved) and began working in the Canadian healthcare system.  Cheap?  YES!  Meds?  NEARLY FREE!  Quality of care?  ZILCH!  Ability to get an appointment when needed or see a specialist?  EXTREMELY DIFFICULT!

 

 

 

It's a rude awakening for some to see how socialized medicine actually works.

[Snaveba]

My only experience with the Canadian Healthcare System (HCS) is looking at workplace injury statistics for my company (we are based in Canada). When looking at the types of OSHA Recordable Injuries, it seems to me that many of the injuries in Canada are fairly minor, but the HCS is quick to prescribe meds and/or time off work, both of which will make a relatively minor injury an OSHA recordable one. In the States, the recordable injuries usually require stitches, or an x-ray, etc. and are more serious.  It might just be me, but I get the impression that it is easy to get meds and a “vacation” day in the Canadian HCS. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Snaveba

[E4 No More]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

More people have been hospitalized in just half this month than any full month since the start of the pandemic.  That said, they did say they are experiencing staffing shortages. There are recruiting firms that specialize in travel nursing positions. I'd like to know how much these local hospitals are using those companies and what they are willing to pay. There are always travel nurses willing to go wherever pays the most. 

My daughter's best friend is a traveling respiratory therapist. She's been making bank!

[Erik88]

51 minutes ago, FUJIMO said:

It's a rude awakening for some to see how socialized medicine actually works.

What we're currently doing isn't really working either. 

[FUJIMO]

1 minute ago, Erik88 said:

What we're currently doing isn't really working either. 

I agree. But a lot of people refuse to recognize the burden that illegals alone put on the healthcare system let alone the native trash that work the system. Until someone grows a set of nuts and says NO it's only going to get worse. Conflict of interest is why we aren't getting anywhere. The people deciding the laws are taking a cut. Hard to get them to act on what should be done. Meanwhile you and I and the rest of the working class suffer.

[Swamp ash]

43 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

What we're currently doing isn't really working either. 

What could go wrong with a for-profit medical system that values money over lives?

[hipower]

2 hours ago, TGO David said:

True, but the reasons why that Holiday Inn (hospital) is understaffed deserves a hard look and then something done about it.

• Healthcare providers who were put on the front lines last year with minimal protection and no vaccine mostly fared well, just like the rest of society.  This year they are being forced to take a vaccine that they might object to for a variety of reasons.  This goes back to the concept of individual freedom and the sanctity of one's own body.
  
  There will be the argument that you shouldn't have unvaccinated caregivers tending to vulnerable patients, but there is so much data supporting the fact that vaccinated people still spread COVID-19 that this should be a moot point.  Also, none of these caregivers -- vaccinated or not -- are being allowed to interact with vulnerable patients without PPE anyway.  Again, moot.
  
   
• Hospital administrations are doing little to nothing to incentivize the retention of experienced veteran nurses but are showering new hires with tens of thousands of dollars in hiring bonuses.  Veteran staff sees this as a slap in the face, and rightfully so, and is leaving because of it.  Lets face it:  We all might juts LOVE our jobs, but work is the "curse of Adam".  We do it because we need or want the money.
   
•  Hospital administrators have also for years been running the fine line of "just enough staff" to cover the patient census.  Nurses have been overworked for a long time.  Add to that all of the above, and those who can are cutting bait and finding other careers.
   

 

All of this is creating a talent vacuum in the healthcare industry.  Nurses who know a thing or two because they've seen a thing or two are exiting the workplace.  My oldest daughter who has only been a nurse for a few years is now training new nurses who are making more money than her.  Read that again:  She has just a few years of practical experience and is still very much learning herself.  She's being required to train new nurses because there aren't enough seasoned nurses above her to do the job.

I'm thrilled for her success but sad about what she's facing in the years ahead.

Privatization of healthcare is still the right way to do this and I am staunchly against socialized medicine (because it gets a WHOLE lot worse under those types of programs) but companies in this industry need to get back to their roots and check their core values.  If it's profit over care or profit over their people, they're wrong.

 

You say it well. As the husband of a retired RN of 43 years in nursing, I can say that I've heard all you have mentioned and maybe some other things as well.

Short answer...I agree.

[E4 No More]

Well, the reports that this Delta variant hitting youth harder appears to be true. My grandson's best friend who is 21 is in ICU on a ventilator. He's been there for over a week now. My grandson is in his room with a 102 temperature. I hope he hasn't brought it into the house for the sake of my disabled daughter, (his mother), who is not vaccinated on the advice of her physician.

[Snaveba]

39 minutes ago, E4 No More said:

Well, the reports that this Delta variant hitting youth harder appears to be true. My grandson's best friend who is 21 is in ICU on a ventilator. He's been there for over a week now. My grandson is in his room with a 102 temperature. I hope he hasn't brought it into the house for the sake of my disabled daughter, (his mother), who is not vaccinated on the advice of her physician.

Prayers said for your family and friend 

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

What we're currently doing isn't really working either. 

It works great. We have the best healthcare in the world. Just imagine where the rest of the world would be today, healthcare wise, were it not for the ingenuity and inventions of American healthcare. The fact Americans do not see fit to pay for these services does not negate the fact we have an amazing healthcare system.

[Daniel]

On 8/14/2021 at 8:32 PM, RED333 said:

Without friends, family and the like we are useless.

Lol guess I’m useless. 

[GlockSpock]

2 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Lol guess I’m useless. 

Nah, I'll be your friend. Just...don't tell anyone and don't speak to me in public.

 

[GlockSpock]

1 hour ago, E4 No More said:

Well, the reports that this Delta variant hitting youth harder appears to be true. My grandson's best friend who is 21 is in ICU on a ventilator. He's been there for over a week now. My grandson is in his room with a 102 temperature. I hope he hasn't brought it into the house for the sake of my disabled daughter, (his mother), who is not vaccinated on the advice of her physician.

Relative health of said 21 year old?

Edit: I mean, before COVID. Any pre-existing conditions?

Edited August 17, 2021 by GlockSpock

[E4 No More]

12 minutes ago, GlockSpock said:

Relative health of said 21 year old?

Edit: I mean, before COVID. Any pre-existing conditions?

No pre-existing health problems. Apparently, healthy until COVID D.

[deerslayer]

4 hours ago, TGO David said:

True, but the reasons why that Holiday Inn (hospital) is understaffed deserves a hard look and then something done about it.

• Healthcare providers who were put on the front lines last year with minimal protection and no vaccine mostly fared well, just like the rest of society.  This year they are being forced to take a vaccine that they might object to for a variety of reasons.  This goes back to the concept of individual freedom and the sanctity of one's own body.
  
  There will be the argument that you shouldn't have unvaccinated caregivers tending to vulnerable patients, but there is so much data supporting the fact that vaccinated people still spread COVID-19 that this should be a moot point.  Also, none of these caregivers -- vaccinated or not -- are being allowed to interact with vulnerable patients without PPE anyway.  Again, moot.
  
   
• Hospital administrations are doing little to nothing to incentivize the retention of experienced veteran nurses but are showering new hires with tens of thousands of dollars in hiring bonuses.  Veteran staff sees this as a slap in the face, and rightfully so, and is leaving because of it.  Lets face it:  We all might juts LOVE our jobs, but work is the "curse of Adam".  We do it because we need or want the money.
   
•  Hospital administrators have also for years been running the fine line of "just enough staff" to cover the patient census.  Nurses have been overworked for a long time.  Add to that all of the above, and those who can are cutting bait and finding other careers.
   

 

All of this is creating a talent vacuum in the healthcare industry.  Nurses who know a thing or two because they've seen a thing or two are exiting the workplace.  My oldest daughter who has only been a nurse for a few years is now training new nurses who are making more money than her.  Read that again:  She has just a few years of practical experience and is still very much learning herself.  She's being required to train new nurses because there aren't enough seasoned nurses above her to do the job.

I'm thrilled for her success but sad about what she's facing in the years ahead.

Privatization of healthcare is still the right way to do this and I am staunchly against socialized medicine (because it gets a WHOLE lot worse under those types of programs) but companies in this industry need to get back to their roots and check their core values.  If it's profit over care or profit over their people, they're wrong.

 

This.  My sister is a nurse and said that at every hospital and medical facility she has worked that nurses are regarded by the brass as just a drag on the bottom line because they don’t generate revenue like say, surgeries do.  The nurses’ department is run on a shoestring budget and skeleton crew and many are run off/burn out/disgruntled as a result.  However, we all know the hospital would crumble in minutes if all the nurses went and played golf one day.