War Memorial Hospital (WMH) is experiencing staffing shortages in all areas of employment, especially nursing.
State-wide employment numbers released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget last week, showed employment to have advanced by 11,000 jobs in November. Increased employment brings hope to various struggling industries, while hospitals remain burdened. Due to low staffing numbers, President and CEO David Jahn said the hospital is close to reaching full patient capacity.
“We are close to capacity and not necessarily because of COVID-19 patients, it's more due to staffing,” Jahn said. “We can’t find anyone to work. Every hospital in the country is experiencing staffing issues. We are almost two years into this pandemic and working in health care has changed.”
Jahn said low vaccination rates have accounted for some of these changes. As patients continue coming down with COVID related symptoms, they fill emergency departments. Meanwhile, admitted patients fill beds. WMH has 49 beds. To date, eight rooms are occupied by COVID-19 patients. This number is down from 23 patients the previous year.
“That's probably because of the vaccination rate,” Jahn said. “More people are vaccinated this year, since the vaccination didn't come out until this time last year.”
Chippewa County Health Department Health Officer said that as of Tuesday, 58% have initiated the vaccine series and 53% are fully vaccinated.
Jahn said another factor to the staffing shortage was retirement. Some nurses were close to hitting their retirement dates when COVID struck in early 2019. Many opted for retirement to help protect themselves and families.
“It is probably one of the toughest jobs, because of all the stress and anxiety,” Jahn said. “When you see people come in as sick as they are and you can't do anything for them, it’s hard. Nurses and doctors are used to saving lives. When young people come in with COVID and there's nothing that can be done, stress and anxiety causes burnout. That is causing people to leave their jobs.”
Jahn said many young and retired nurses have taken to traveling, as opposed to working in the traditional hospital or doctor’s office setting.
“When some people leave their jobs, they become a traveling nurse,” Jahn said. “They can make twice as much money working as a traveling nurse. The young nurse who doesn't have family is opting to travel and see the country, which leaves local hospitals with staffing issues.”
According to Jahn, there are 49 total hospital beds at WMH. The nurses on staff are only able to accommodate between 30 to 35 of them. This presents an issue, since many people delayed care during the pandemic.
“There are a lot of people with chronic conditions, who are now exasperated,” he said. “They are getting very sick, and not with COVID. They're coming in needing other care. If somebody you know had chronic heart failure or COPD and didn't go to the doctor to manage their condition, they are likely very sick now.”
Prolonged untreated sickness has resulted in surgery and intensified treatment for some patients.
“We have continued our surgery program, apart from the couple months after the start of the pandemic,” Jahn said. “A lot of people are very sick right now, without COVID. It has really put a strain on the on staffing and our ability to care for patients. It's that way at every hospital.”
CEO Jahn discussed several other issues that have risen from hospital staffing shortages, such as patient transfers.
“Sometimes, it takes hours before we find a hospital,” he said. “I've heard stories from hospitals in Southern Michigan, reaching out to states like Wisconsin, Illinois or Ohio. This is because they don't have enough beds or staff. It is not just a Sault Ste. Marie problem; It's a state and national problem.”
WMH would need to fill approximately 150 nursing spots, in order to achieve a full nursing staff.
“15% to 20% of our total nursing positions are vacant at the present time,” Jahn said.
Despite the growing demand, Jahn strives to hire nurses who love what they do. It is the best way to guarantee excellence in patient care.
“Healthcare is a tough profession and you need the right mentality to perform under that kind of stress and pressure,” Jahn said.
He mentioned having benefited from having Lake Superior State University (LSSU) close by.
“LSSU has a four-year nursing degree program, which means everyone that comes out of LSSU is a bachelor prepared nurse,” Jahn said. “Nursing school enrollment is up this year.”
According to Jahn, WMH is offering hiring and retention bonuses. The hospital will even help pay for continued education.
“We're trying to do everything we can to get more nurses on staff,” he said.
Other staffing needs include Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), housekeepers and food nutrition workers.
“We have had to close our cafeteria to employees for breakfast and dinner,” Jahn said.
An added benefit to working for WMH is its competitive salary, hourly wage and benefits package.
“I think the pay is around $15 dollars or more an hour,” Jahn said. “You get full benefits and health insurance. Our health insurance is just as good, if not better, than others. It's a high deductible plan but people don't have to pay anything toward their premiums. In most places with a high deductible plan, employees have to contribute to their premiums.”
To attract more nurses, WMH has teamed up with LSSU and U.P. Michigan Works to host job fairs and open houses.
For more information on the School of Nursing at Lake Superior State University, visit its website or call 906-635-2288.
