NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Between the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state and dwindling hospital capacities, hospitals face many challenges including staffing shortages.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center said Saturday they need additional nurses. While the immediate assumption is that shortage is because of the pandemic, the Executive Chief Nursing Officer For The Vanderbilt University Medical Center said the pandemic isn't the only thing to blame.
"We do have a nurse shortage. We have a great number of patients who need our services, and we need more nurses to do that, Dubree said. "I believe that we see nursing as being the keystone to giving really great care."
Dubree said the need arises from a 'perfect storm.'
"There are lots of nurses who are also baby boomers who have also chosen to retire. Place upon that the pandemic which has led people to make other choices about their careers or to experience burnout as many have mentioned or fatigue and now we are in the midst of a perfect storm," Dubree said. "We really are seeing a great demand for patient care; COVID and other things actually and a shortage of people to be able to do that work within healthcare and the supports services."
Right now, hospitals are overwhelmed with taking care of regular patients in addition to the rising number of COVID patients. Reporters asked whether the staff shortage is adding to why hospitals are overwhelmed.
"Also, now we see nurses who get sick. Nurses may have to quarantine because someone in their family has been exposed and is not COVID-19 positive," Dubree said. "So we are seeing a great number of patients and also a decreasing number of individuals that might be available to take care of them."
With the toll the pandemic has brought, reporters also asked if VUMC and other hospitals are seeing nurses and healthcare workers take a break from the industry.
"I think people are making some career changes during the pandemic. I don't think it's all related to the pandemic," Dubree said. "Nurses and doctors are individuals who are mutually drawn to the art and science of healthcare and caring for individuals. But I do think during this past year we have seen people who have stepped away from their work either to take care of their families or to take care of themselves."
Earlier this week, Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced that all staff members have to get vaccinated before Sept. 30.
News 4, a sister station n Nashville, asked Marilyn Dubree if they worry that mandating the vaccines would add to the nurse shortage, and she couldn't really speak on that since the mandate is new. But she said Sept. 30 is weeks away, and nurses see younger people getting really sick, and seeing something like that could impact people's vaccination decisions.