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Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

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Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#41
post #6

It was unexpected but still somehow expected since many of them were already overworked before covid hit. Turns out the healthcare systems didn't get overloaded by just the virus, but also the years or decades old issues bubbling under the surface. Nurses all the way in Finland are voting with their feet as well. Management that isn't up to par, working hours, pay... David Graeber's essays about how caring work is bo…

Yup, news reports about "hospitals are 90% capacity" or whatever is a business decision by design. They might have a couple more floors available but no staff for them because they aren't scheduled, because patients aren't there. They proactively cut staff wherever possible and then try to react.

Actually regulations limit the number of beds hospitals can have. The theory is that this will cut health care costs to insurers and the government because they assume hospitals will find a way to admit patients until they are full.

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#42
post #36

All the lockdowns started because we didn't want to overwhelm the hospital system. In the US, the hospital system, at least the ERs were already running on fumes. Our politicians have decided it's better to play world police and kill people overseas than invest in community hospitals. All the billions handed out to the vaccine companies and the propaganda machines, but no investment in increasing hospital capacity. T…

Vaccination reduces the exponential in the transmission. More hospital beds just fights a constant. Doubling healthcare capacity roughly lasts for about 3 extra days if no other measure is in place. I'm all for improving healthcare, in the US or otherwise, but you just can't fire up and destroy healthcare resources like it's your k8s cluster.

> Vaccination reduces the exponential in the transmission

Which trials demonstrated this?

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#43
Spouse worked at a hospital until last fall. As @originalvichy noted, there were years of old, unresolved issues bubbling under the surface. COVID just lay everything bare. She let them know exactly what the problems were for her and for the department at large.

They wouldn't budge on anything, and as last summer's surge was dwindling, were planning on returning to the status quo.

She walked.

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#44

All the lockdowns started because we didn't want to overwhelm the hospital system. In the US, the hospital system, at least the ERs were already running on fumes. Our politicians have decided it's better to play world police and kill people overseas than invest in community hospitals. All the billions handed out to the vaccine companies and the propaganda machines, but no investment in increasing hospital capacity. T…

Ahh, I see we have one with some critical thinking facilities left! Hurry up HN, downvote this guy!!!!

Sadly most don’t want to consider it and just parrot what they’ve been programmed to by the television. The worse part is they think they are righteous or whatever. So delusional.

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#45

Good for them. Despite the mantras of "support our frontline workers" many of these employees have been treated like shit by their employers[1], their government who refused to take measures to limit the spread, and their patients - some of whom will continue to actively deny COVID even as they die from it. [1] https://www.nwahomepage.com/knwa/mercy-employees-frustrated-...

I think it's notable that there is substantial resistance to vaccines even among health care workers. https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/2021062...

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#46

Good for them. Despite the mantras of "support our frontline workers" many of these employees have been treated like shit by their employers[1], their government who refused to take measures to limit the spread, and their patients - some of whom will continue to actively deny COVID even as they die from it. [1] https://www.nwahomepage.com/knwa/mercy-employees-frustrated-...

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Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#48

Good for them. Despite the mantras of "support our frontline workers" many of these employees have been treated like shit by their employers[1], their government who refused to take measures to limit the spread, and their patients - some of whom will continue to actively deny COVID even as they die from it. [1] https://www.nwahomepage.com/knwa/mercy-employees-frustrated-...

If a company cares about you, it is shown in money. The People and Culture guy is a snake oil salesman meant to scam you.

This is very reductive and I assume means you've never worked somewhere with an actually decent culture. I understand your cynicism: there are indeed a lot of bullshitters out there. But there are some good places to work here and there, places where the bosses listen and respect the humanity and autonomy of the people around them. Frequently this occurs at a local level rather than across an entire company, but it does happen. (Note: I'm not saying it's an excuse to underpay people, I'm saying this can be an issue entirely independent of pay.)

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#49
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, news reports about "hospitals are 90% capacity" or whatever is a business decision by design. They might have a couple more floors available but no staff for them because they aren't scheduled, because patients aren't there. They proactively cut staff wherever possible and then try to react.

There are not enough nurses, and aren't enough doctors sitting idle right now to hire up in the way that you're suggesting... and if you thought spinning up a chip fab in Texas is taking too long, wait until you try to solve the problem of spinning up more doctors. the residency program that takes up years of their schooling relies on having other doctors mentor them.

There's actually an enormous abundance of nurses in the US. One in 100 people is a registered nurse.

The nursing shortages are entirely due to the fact that these nurses have left bedside care due to the BS they have to deal with from understaffing, poor compensation, terrible shifts/hours, to abusive management and patients.

The "nursing shortage" is as much a myth as the current labor shortage. There's only a shortage of nurses at current pay rates and working conditions.

Re: Hospital exec says employees are walking off the job

#50

I've never worked as a nurse or doctor but it's hard to imagine what they go through. Every day they deal with people in serious pain, people with traumatic injuries, rude people, rude people with traumatic injuries, screaming children and babies. Apparently nurses in particular are also routinely disrespected by higher-ups, put in danger by higher-ups, and don't get paid much. In college I heard insane stories from…

I find it absurd that we allow medical staff to work 24 hour shifts. We don't let pilots do that. We don't let truckers do that.

There seems to be a strong hazing culture in the medical industry.
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