HJNO Sep/Oct 2021

NURSING DURING A PANDEMIC 28 SEP / OCT 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   offers too little orientation and mentoring and that there is often a bad fit with their boss. In Louisiana organizations, it has been reported to LSBN that new graduate tran- sition to practice or “residency” programs have had to be shortened or eliminated alto- gether. During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this contributes to the high rate of turnover among new nurses in the pro- fession and may even cause some to leave the profession before they have even gotten a chance to get their feet wet. Her research has demonstrated that many nurses prac- ticing through the pandemic report going to work early, staying late or working through break time to finish their tasks and associ- ated documentation. Burnout is a real thing. It impacts the bottom line of every health- care organization. It has been estimated that the cost of one RN lost to a hospital because of burnout can be as much as half of their annual salary, often as much as $50,000. It also impacts patient care from costs of readmission to the amount of time the nurse must spend with the patient. the history books. As with all history, some of it is bleak, but stay with me until the end, and I promise that you will understand why nurses are a resilient profession and how we will help to lead the world to recovery. Nursing and the entire medical industry have been significantly affected by burn- out during the pandemic. Amber Barna, vice president of clinical and quality assurance, Medical Solutions, reports that the follow- ing factors have all played a part in that burnout: • Increased patient fatality rates due to COVID-19. • Increased mental and physical exhaus- tion for care providers, especially those in the hospital. • Increased patient loads or what we refer to in the profession as nurse-to- patient ratios. • Personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. 1 Barna has reported that significant num- bers of nurses report workplace stress dur- ing the pandemic and that their organization “It has been estimated that the cost of one RN lost to a hospital because of burnout can be as much as half of their annual salary, often as much as $50,000. It also impacts patient care from costs of readmission to the amount of time the nurse must spend with the patient.” piece. They asked me to reflect on the last 18 months in which the virus has plagued Lou- isiana and to comment on nursing stories. They were particularly concerned, because they had begun to hear many negative sto- ries about how nurses were being treated during the crisis and wanted my perspec- tive on events. The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) has heard these stories, too, but we have also heard stories that reas- sure us that nursing will weather this crisis as will all of Louisiana. I am reminded that my grandparents survivedWorldWar I and the Great Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. My parents were part of what is often referred to as “The Greatest Generation”who fought and died inWorldWar II, and we came back from that precipice as well. For me and my generation, we survived the disaster that was the Vietnam War and restored Ameri- cans’ faith that we are a good and generous people. Now, it is time to begin the storytell- ing for the COVID-19 pandemic. These will be the stories that my children and grand- children tell — ones that will be written in