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A Mississippi hospital association is sounding the alarm about vacancies in nursing.
There are nearly 3,000 registered nurse positions in Mississippi. The exodus of caregivers is putting additional strain on hospitals scrambling to find care for COVID-19 patients.
“Hospitals will continue to close beds until they close the doors,” said Mississippi Hospital Association chief operating officer Kim Hoover.
“We’ll be dealing with that for years to come,” she says. “However, our state could make hospital staff a top priority and bring nursing leaders together to discuss possible solutions.”
On January 11, health directors at a University of Mississippi medical center reported that there were 360 nursing positions open. The shortage of nurses has forced the hospital to reduce capacity by 55 beds as the beds cannot be staffed, the Jackson newspaper reported.
The reasons for the postings are varied: Some nurses go for travel nursing positions for a pay Mississippi can’t match, officials said. Others leave the profession because they are mentally and physically exhausted.
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