Monday, January 27, 2020

One of the Top Healthcare Agencies in Portland, OR Discusses the Impact That Home Care Nursing Shortage Has on Patients



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

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