Medical crisis on the horizon, more than a quarter of practicing nurses want to leave the medical industry

Photo: Hamid Tajik/Unsplash

StatePoint Media -- According to a new survey, American nurses are overwhelmed by job demands, a long-brewing situation only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the majority of nurses continue to be dedicated to the care of patients, many are considering leaving the profession at a time when staff shortages are part of the problem. But there’s hope, according to industry experts, who say that understanding these challenges can lead to meaningful and necessary reforms.

The 2022 national survey, “The Future of Nursing: A Profession in Crisis,” of nurses and student nurses, was conducted by Cross Country, a market-leading tech-enabled workforce solutions platform and advisory firm, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Overall, the study revealed that nurses remain passionate about patient care, with 66% citing helping people through meaningful work as a main driver for staying in the field. Nevertheless, ongoing challenges have created undue burdens for nurses, with pay rates/compensation (86%), staff shortages (53%), stress (39%) and burnout (35%) cited as top career dissatisfiers.

This frustration has put the industry in crisis: 28% of nurses indicated their desire to leave the profession has increased dramatically since the pandemic, while those who said their desire to stay has dropped from 24% in 2021 to 4% in 2022. This translates to a real potential loss of talent in hospitals, physicians’ offices, long-term care facilities and other healthcare settings. Of those surveyed, 23% plan to look for a new career in 1-2 years and 13% plan to retire in 1-5 years.

“We had hoped that as the pandemic eased, nurses would have better balance, mental health and working conditions, but we are not there and as a result, nurses are leaving the profession in droves,” says John A. Martins, president and chief executive officer, Cross Country Healthcare. “The time to fix these mounting problems is now.”

To that end, Cross Country is deploying several strategies to transform the nursing profession. These include an ongoing examination of pay rates and retention practices; identifying new pathways for education, licensing, and talent development; focusing on flexibility and growth opportunities; and investments toward innovation to strengthen the nursing workforce.

The company continues to invest heavily in technology and digital transformation to support these strategies. Among these initiatives is a new website dedicated to nursing candidates. Found at crosscountry.com, the site aims to help health care professionals find and engage with potential job opportunities more effectively.

Identifying new pathways for nursing education is also a critical steppingstone towards reforming the profession and addressing healthcare provider shortages. That’s why the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing offers accredited programs at all levels to prepare and train students, including various tracks for a BSN, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), PhD and DNP focused on Caring Science. Also offered are a BSN-DNP program with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration and post-graduate dermatology and telehealth certificate courses, as well as other concentrations that intersect innovation and technology.

“Nursing is the greatest profession in the world. The experience you will get is priceless,” said one of the survey respondents. “Make sure you’re getting into nursing for the right reasons because I love coming to work and look forward to caring for patients every day. No two patients are alike, so every day in nursing is like a new experience and adventure. And you make the difference.”

To learn more about the challenges facing the nursing industry, visit crosscountry.com/the-future-of-nursing, where the complete study results, can be found.

3 ways a Physical Therapist can help you manage your long COVID

APTA/StatePoint

StatePoint Media -- Long COVID can affect anyone who’s had COVID-19, even those who’ve had mild illness or no symptoms initially. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults who have had COVID-19 experience new or lingering symptoms that last three or more months after first contracting the virus. Physical therapists can play an essential role in managing symptoms of long COVID.

Long COVID is unpredictable, and research is evolving, however common symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, racing heart, dizziness, muscle aches and pains, brain fog, problems completing everyday activities and poor exercise tolerance. It’s also important to note that certain types of physical activity may not be appropriate for everyone living with long COVID.

“A highly-personalized plan of care that includes working with a physical therapist is important,” says Leo Arguelles, PT, DPT, American Physical Therapy Association spokesperson. “People with long COVID can benefit from being monitored during exertion and should follow prescribed exercise dosing that helps them gradually progress, rather than pushing through fatigue on their own, which could potentially set them back.”

Physical therapists are movement experts who regularly treat individuals with the kinds of symptoms that people with long COVID experience. Here are three reasons to consider including a physical therapist on your long COVID care team.

Physical therapists:

1. Take a full-body approach. Physical therapists assess your overall well-being. They can develop a personalized treatment plan to address issues such as fatigue, respiratory function and cardiac endurance. They can work and communicate with your primary care physician and can refer you to other health care providers if they feel you’d benefit from seeing another specialist. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants collaborate with each other, and with other health professionals, to ensure that you receive the best care.

2. Help you move safely. Movement is essential to your recovery and your mental health. However, for some people, long COVID includes post-exertional malaise, or PEM, a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental activities. Your ability often may fluctuate — an activity that’s easily tolerated one day may exacerbate symptoms the next. Physical therapists develop prescribed exercise programs based on your symptoms and how your body responds and can monitor your symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels to ensure your safety while doing exercises. This may include low-intensity stretches, strengthening exercises and balance training.

3. Help improve your quality of life. Through patient education, a physical therapist can help you find the balance between rest and activity and identify the right kind and amount of movement you should get to improve your tolerance for everyday activities.

More research is being done on long COVID every day. Your physical therapist will review available research findings and can adjust your treatment plan as needed. To learn more and find a PT near you, visit ChoosePT.com.