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Editor, News-Register:
As we're facing yet another strain of COVID-19, healthcare workers around the world continue to feel the effects of the pandemic both in and outside of the workplace. And while nursing shortages date back to the early 1900s, none have quite compared to the magnitude of the current shortage, which has exacerbated burnout and compassion fatigue among nearly all healthcare professionals within West Virginia. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing shortage is anticipated to reach 1.1 million by next year. With the demand for nurses on the rise, the currently employed frontline workers are in desperate need of support. Inside the walls of a hospital, nurses and doctors are familiar with the term "rapid response," which refers to when a patient's condition is quickly deteriorating and a specialized group jumps in to provide immediate help. Right now, our healthcare workers are finding themselves in need of a "rapid response" to ease the burden they continue to carry.
What we know is that hospital and state leaders throughout West Virginia have options to revive our healthcare workers and repair the industry as a whole. While solutions to a crisis of this nature take time, there are certainly actionable steps that can be taken now, including reevaluating how hospitals deliver care and providing career advancement and accessible mentorship opportunities.
For many nurses and other healthcare workers, having access to affordable and flexible education opportunities, be it through a university or training at the hospital, is critical in order to retain and upskill talent. Newer professionals, which may include licensed practical nurses or medical assistants, are more often than not equipped to step in and support the doctors, respiratory therapists, etc.
West Virginia, notably a rural state, has hospitals within 39 of its 55 counties. And while the digital divide is a separate crisis that calls for the state's communities to speak out, it's worth noting that less than 60% of households in West Virginia have access to broadband internet, hindering the ability to access valuable resources and education to support the healthcare industry. Mentorship is another key component for the healthcare system, but the overall fatigue and staffing shortages have made it challenging for hospitals to identify qualified nurses to be preceptors, or nursing mentors who support our next generation of nurses by providing feedback, being open to questions and ultimately serving as a resource to help nurses excel.
Nurses and healthcare workers are essential to those in need, but they are in dire need of a rapid response. Fortunately, there are solutions that can ease these challenges so that these professionals can rest, recharge and come back in full force to continue healing those within West Virginia.
Alison Bell
Western Governors University