The world is constantly changing around us, whether we may notice it or not. Practices and techniques are continually evolving and growing along with us, as well as the demand for healthcare workers and many other professions worldwide.
Nurses Unite for Action When Times Call For It
However, when the demand grows, and the world evolves, the demand for proper compensation, working conditions, and more will also sprout from workers who most definitely deserve better treatment for their work. When these needs are not met for our fellow nurses, this is where nurse protests will begin, and you are in just the right place to learn about some of the most recent rising protests, nursing stikes, and other relevant news.
Nursing Strikes and Protests for Patient Safety and More
Although nursing protests have been going on since the very beginning of everything everywhere, in recent times, due to the appearance and surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for more nurses and the need for nurses to have better treatment alike become direr. While the pandemic caused a substantial loss in already employed workers, it also resulted in millions unable to work or find a job due to the change in working conditions with the virus. While causing problems for those who wish to locate a job, the pandemic resulted in many changes in the workforce, especially for those working in healthcare throughout the surge of the virus.
While there are many different nurse strikes, protests, and campaigns for more rights or better treatment, one of the heaps of those speaking up is the protest in Tuscaloosa, VA, on June 29th of this year. This protest is due to patients' and workers' critical safety concerns caused by understaffing and a hostile work environment. Sprouted from the pandemic due to a lack of workers, those still working can be forced to work longer, unsafe shifts; this has happened at the Tuscaloosa Medical Center.
Furthermore, heaps more facilities face the same dilemma every day due to the problems primarily amplified by the pandemic. Although the nursing shortage has been an issue for decades, COVID-19 amplified it to an almost unbearable issue. Another facility driven to the point of hosting a nursing protest is the UCLA Medical Center. This facility has also faced a lack of staffing and equipment, resulting in unsafe conditions for nurses to work while testing patients for the virus. These conditions have resulted in many nurses quitting their jobs to find somewhere safer to work.
Nursing Burnout Amplified by Pandemic
Due to the conditions and stressful situations that the pandemic has brought upon healthcare workers and facilities alike, a new situation has arisen that requires the most attention alongside your work-life. This new rising phenomenon is the experience of nursing burnout. Although this condition is not specific to being a nurse or working in healthcare, burnout can be experienced by any worker, no matter the profession.
Burnout is a state of critical mental and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, lack of sleep, and unrealistic expectations while on the job. However, although burnout is not a medically recognized condition, it has been coined as a term for decades. This state of critical exhaustion can be detrimental to your health as it makes your body more vulnerable to catching an illness. Again, while anyone can experience burnout, healthcare is already an incredibly stressful and challenging environment. Thus, situations caused by the pandemic make understaffed facilities and overworked healthcare workers even more susceptible to burnout.
Conclusion
In conclusion to all that has been happening for the past few decades and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and healthcare workers alike have been driven to various incredibly challenging and dangerous situations. Some of these have resulted in the loss of even more workers amid an ongoing shortage crisis. The danger of experiencing burnout causes an even more dangerous situation if healthcare workers don’t properly take care of themselves amidst everything else. Dire conditions such as these should be a reminder that it is never shameful to take care of yourself; we all need some time to practice proper self-care.
While here at Nursa, we are committed to assisting nurses and healthcare workers in finding the perfect jobs for them, we are also committed to ensuring that those we help are healthy and happy. Thus, keep in mind all the challenges that come with working in healthcare, and above all, be sure to care for yourself.
