Nurse concerned over COVID staffing: 'How can we take care of our patients?'
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - The latest surge of COVID-19 is taking a massive toll on healthcare workers. One nurse who works for Ascension is sounding alarms – concerned about staffing levels system-wide because of COVID infections.
"We really don’t really have a lot of staff, but the staff that we have is getting run down," said the long-time nurse with Ascension, who wished to remain anonymous for fear she could lose her job.
The nurse told FOX6 News about life at work during this COVID spike.
"Morale is down. They are telling their staff to come in that’s positive. They are not thinking of the welfare of the patients," she said.
The nurse said COVID testing at work is also becoming an issue – especially when communicating results.
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"You have to ask them for your results and a number of people have been positive and have yet to find out they are positive unless they tested outside the job," the nurse said.
A patient at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital said her C-section was postponed 24 hours due to a staff shortage in the labor and delivery unit.
An Ascension spokesperson told FOX6 News, "These challenges will take more creativity, innovation, and flexibility to improve workforce satisfaction." The spokesperson added, "COVID positive associates are not required to work after a five-day quarantine when they are still symptomatic."
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It is a plan one nurse said is not being practiced.
"How can we take care of our patients, sick, not feeling well, and our bosses are still saying come to work?" the nurse asked.
FOX6 News reached out to the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Nurses Association to see if either has any gauge of current staffing at area healthcare facilities. We did not hear back.
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