Texas Nurses Overwhelmed By Staffing Shortages And Newest COVID Wave
https://www.kut.org/covid-19/2021-07-29/...west-covid-wave
KUT 90.5 | By Sangita Menon
Published July 29, 2021 at 8:42 AM CDT


The most recent wave of COVID-19 patients and an increasingly onerous staffing shortage are overwhelming nurses across Texas, according to the Texas Nurses Association.

Care providers have been understaffed for years, with a reported shortage of roughly 25,000 registered nurses in 2018, according to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. The deficit was projected to get worse even before the pandemic hit.

[...]
The Texas Department of State Health Services tracks hospitalization data for the 21 trauma service areas that cover the state. Over the past week, each area saw an increase in the percentage of beds allotted for COVID-19 patients. COVID-related cases currently comprise about 7.5% of all hospitalizations in the Austin area. That number is closer to 13.5% in the Killeen area.

[...]

“They’re either leaving the profession altogether or they’re leaving the bedside and looking for other avenues to practice,” Bumpus said. “And that is very detrimental to our healthcare infrastructure here in the state of Texas and quite frankly, across the United States.”

The Texas Nurses Association is urging the public to get vaccinated to protect themselves, keep from overwhelming the health care system and support nurses.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

There has been a nurse shortage for...well, since I can remember. Lot of reasons for it.