A nursing shortage is usually referred to in a hospital
setting, but lately, the shortage has been felt in-home care nursing as well.
It has been especially felt by families who have kids with complex medical
needs. Rural areas are experiencing a shortage more than other areas. Some of
the factors that contribute to the shortage in-home care nursing are significant
pay disparities from home care and hospital nursing jobs, lack of socialization
with colleagues with home care nursing, overall shortage of nurses, and complex
pediatric patients needing to go to the hospital often, which leave the nurse
short on hours and income. One of the providers of healthcare
staffing in Portland wants to discuss key points of how it’s impacting
patients.
Many pediatric patients feel the impacts of nurse
shortages.
Pediatric patients are impacted because they end up having
to stay at the hospital for longer periods due to the nursing shortage. The
children who are in the hospital don’t have a nurse at home to take care of
them once they are released with home health. The medical director of Pediatric
Home Service explained that children go home with an order for home nursing
care, but those children spent 54 more days on average at the hospital because
of a shortage of home care nurses.
The reason that more pediatric patients with these medical
complexities have increased is that there are advanced cardiac surgical
procedures for these kids. The number of children saved has increased but that
also comes along with them being more dependent on ventilators and
tracheotomies. Rates of survival have also increased with a better quality of
life, but they still are dependent on all the medical technology.
Time and insurance are both difficult.
If a patient can have their insurance approve of home care
nursing, the next step then takes place to see if a nurse is available to work
the hours that are approved by insurance. With the home care nurse shortages, healthcare agencies in
Portland, OR, explain that parents are picking up the slack that can cause
more stress in the family. Even if a nurse is available, insurance usually only
covers an 8-hour day, which then results in the parents still picking up the
slack. With these shortages and parents doing the rest, families struggle with
finances.
Shortages also impact elderly patients.
A provider of medical staffing in Portland explains that not
only are pediatric patients impacted but so are elderly patients. The need for
home primary care providers for in-home elderly patients is increasing. It’s
expected for primary care physicians to decrease by 2030. Yes, nurse
practitioners can help by working as primary care providers for in-home elderly
patients, but the need is still there for home care nurses. The shortage is
still going to keep happening, which puts more stress on assisted living
facilities, staff, and families.
Express Healthcare Professionals in Tualatin, OR is one
of the top Full-Service Nursing Agencies that progressively surpasses
expectations by placing clinical staff in per diem and contract positions
throughout the Greater Portland area and across the nation.
Express
Healthcare Professionals
7401 SW
Washo Ct #101
Tualatin,
OR 97062
(503)
612-1550
