Hospitals are Overextended and No One is Listening

Over the years, I have wondered why there was an inherent disregard for my profession. I realized in later years that it was less about people being disrespectful of nurses and more about people associating nurses with the bad times that they experienced. People tend to want to forget their hospitalizations and everything connected to it. But now in a pandemic, we need our nurses,  doctors, the many other healthcare workers and our hospitals. With the repeated resurgences of the virus, hospitals are overextended and no one is listening to those who operate inside the walls.

Why is America not listening?

1. Underecognition: Too many Americans are in denial of either the virus itself or the seriousness of this virus. They claim the health field is fear mongering and over-reporting. As a result, the U.S. is leading the world in an area we do not want to be leading: America has one of the highest rates of COVID infections and death rates in the world – surpassing 18 other countries (as published in October’s JAMA: The Journal of American  Medical Association).
2. Sicker Patients: People do not realize that the hospitals have not slowed down; many staff members are still working 12-36 hours at a time. Because the hospitals had to cancel elective surgeries for an interim, they have been playing “catch-up.” Also patients with serious problems delayed seeking medical attention during COVID; when things calmed down, they started seeking care. Bottom line, sicker patients need more attention, more staff, more equipment, more treatment and have longer hospital stays. They are taxing the system and now we have the third resurgence of COVID. Hospitals throughout the country are overwhelmed (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/11/third-surge-breaking-healthcare-workers/617091/?fbclid=IwAR2szglnrAnSBzIPo7HvbId0_3oNlsEXCj7Yl8Umimm-DHkKLglLg2Lw4hY).
3. Decentralized and Inconsistent Response: One of the roles of our government is to protect us; the current federal administration has aborted this role. With the federal government’s failure to develop a centralized policy for managing the pandemic and with Americans in denial, there is a projection that the death rate in America could reach a half-million by the first quarter of 2021 and depending on the continued practices and vaccine roll out, we could reach one million deaths from COVID by the end of 2021 (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/study-predicts-us-virus-death-toll-to-triple-by-2021/1846909). But can we change these projections around?

Many people are hopeful with Biden coming into office, along with the vaccine/s possible availability on a wide-scale by 2021. However, the upcoming vaccine and the Biden administration will be too late to have any effect on the current surge. Let’s hope America gets smarter after this third resurgence. As I noted in my previous article, the vaccine is no magic bullet: We will still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing and handwashing while the vaccine is administered and takes effect. With hygienic measures and a vaccine, we will be able to bring this virus under control, but it will take time. So far too many Americans are not willing to make their contribution; they do not understand the workings of a public health crisis.
  
According to the experts in the field: “The best strategy remains the obvious one: Keep people from getting infected at all. Once again, the fate of the U.S. health-care system depends on the collective action of its citizens. Once again, the nation must flatten the curve. This need not involve a lockdown. We now know that the coronavirus mostly spreads through the air, and does so easily when people spend prolonged periods together in poorly ventilated areas. People can reduce their risk by wearing masks and avoiding indoor spaces such as restaurants, bars, and gyms, where the possibility of transmission is especially high (no matter how often these places clean their surfaces).” But too many Americans are not listening to the experts”  (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/11/third-surge-breaking-healthcare-workers/617091/?fbclid=IwAR2szglnrAnSBzIPo7HvbId0_3oNlsEXCj7Yl8Umimm-DHkKLglLg2Lw4hY).
  
Meanwhile, we should really be taking the effects of this virus seriously. Here are a few examples as of November 2020:

• The entire state of Iowa is now out of staffed beds. There are 3,600 confirmed cases every day (as of mid-November). Iowa’s governor ordered mask mandates after being against them. But the governor’s recognition of the facts may be too late for Iowa. According to health experts, we are watching  Iowa’s healthcare system collapse.
• In North Dakota the nurses, who are positive for COVID-19 but symptom-free, can return to work in COVID-19 units. “That’s just a big red flag of just how serious it is” (The North Dakota Nurses Association has rejected the policy). There is a shortage of workers
• A 5 y.o. in Texas  died from COVID; she was healthy and saw her pediatrician for symptoms the day she died – 15 hours later. It is not just the elderly who are vulnerable.
• There is not one county in the U.S. that is COVID-free. Ironically, a county with the name  “Loving” in rural West Texas was the last county to succumb to coronavirus cases.
• In Denmark they have discovered that COVID can transfer from humans to minks and back again, but when the COVID virus transfers back to humans from the minks, a mutation occurs which hinders the effects of the COVID vaccine. Now millions of minks are being killed (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54818615)
• With the first two surges of COVID, the concentration was specific to a few locations and predominantly in cities, where there are higher numbers of hospitals. These epicenters were able to call for help from other states. But now with the entire nation on fire, where do you call for help?

Despite all this information, America is still not processing the impact of yet another COVID resurgence on the healthcare system. Americans have turned their backs on the healthcare workers and yet when they get sick, we know they will be banging on our doors. People are assuming that the hospital doors will open. But will they?  Maybe not in rural areas of the country. Realistically, when there are no more staffed beds, and the staffing shortages cannot be rectified with help from other states, and healthcare workers are getting sick themselves, what will happen? America, like third-world countries, might just find closed hospital doors.

Charlotte Michos is a clinical nurse specialist who values personal-centered care and serves as a Healthcare Consultant in helping others make informed decisions. For more information, email her or call (845) 548-5980.