Posted on Feb 8, 2022
Desperate to find staff, small hospitals in Missouri say they face a ‘combustible’ situation
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Smaller facilities — particularly rural ones that have struggled for years to stay afloat — are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to compete for health care workers in this labor market.
A recent lawsuit filed by one Wisconsin health system that temporarily prevented seven workers from starting new jobs at a different health network raised eyebrows, including those of Brock Slabach, chief operations officer of the National Rural Health Association.
“To me, that signifies the desperation that hospital leaders are facing in trying to staff their hospitals,” said Slabach.
His concern is for the smaller facilities that lack the resources to compete.
A recent lawsuit filed by one Wisconsin health system that temporarily prevented seven workers from starting new jobs at a different health network raised eyebrows, including those of Brock Slabach, chief operations officer of the National Rural Health Association.
“To me, that signifies the desperation that hospital leaders are facing in trying to staff their hospitals,” said Slabach.
His concern is for the smaller facilities that lack the resources to compete.
Desperate to find staff, small hospitals in Missouri say they face a ‘combustible’ situation
Posted from kcur.org
Medical
Health
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 3
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It's a bad situation that has brewing for a long time. Pay and working conditions at many of these hospitals left a lot to be desired and hospital boards and administrators blew the situation off thinking they had either a captive audience or ample human resources from which to draw. The results of that negligence is now coming home to roost. As baby boomers get older and need more care, especially good nursing care, the situation is only going to get worse.
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We lost our hospital a few years ago in the small town I live in. We have a minimum drive of 35 miles to get to the nearest hospital in the next largest town. The most difficult part was lack of facilities and advanced care. In the end they just couldn't compete.
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Let's see, there has been a nursing shortage for at least the last 60 years. It has only been in the last 20-30 that nursing salaries have risen greatly. Part of the reason is that many nurses have chosen to go the travel nurse route, with a much higher pay scale or they have chosen to find something else to do.
I have worked in a few small hospitals, and some larger ones. The small hospitals struggle to pay increased wages and keep overtime hours down. Add in the past few years of covid and hospitals having to fire nurses that have worked the pandemic, gotten covid, but don't want the vaccine. Nice way to reward those that have pulled multiple shifts, in less than desirable PPE, and difficult working conditions. Probably not the best way to recruit nurses into the profession.
I have worked in a few small hospitals, and some larger ones. The small hospitals struggle to pay increased wages and keep overtime hours down. Add in the past few years of covid and hospitals having to fire nurses that have worked the pandemic, gotten covid, but don't want the vaccine. Nice way to reward those that have pulled multiple shifts, in less than desirable PPE, and difficult working conditions. Probably not the best way to recruit nurses into the profession.
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