The holidays can be a brutal time for healthcare facilities nationwide. Hospitals are still contending with significant staffing shortages, while illnesses and injury refuse to take a winter sabbatical.
Not helping matters is increased mortality rates and sickness, thanks to winter weather. Flu season has also struck the country at an early and “unprecedented” pace, which will only drive up the current workload.
Making it through the winter will require quick thinking and proactively finding solutions. To get you started, here are a handful of important ways to prepare for the holiday season workload.
Refocus priorities
Unfortunately, non-essential services will have to be put on hold. Per the CDC’s recommendations, manpower must be redistributed and consolidated towards crucial departments like the ER.
Do not suddenly drop these HCPs into different environments. Even the best professionals need time to adjust. These nurses must be given ample training and orientation, before taking on their new roles.
Promoting and educating the masses on vaccinations
As the flu season is off to an early and dramatic start, COVID-19 has not gone anywhere either. In both cases, vaccination is absolutely necessary to mitigate the spread and severity of each case.
Contrary to popular belief, the vaccine is more important than ever. Without vaccination, immunocompromised patients will be put in serious risk and viruses will mutate at an uncontrollable clip.
Combatting vaccine misinformation
Unfortunately, data has revealed that more adults are refusing to take their flu shots. “Fatigue” from the COVID vaccination discussion, perceived risks of taking flu and COVID shots at the same time, and doubts regarding the vaccine’s effectiveness are among the most prominent motivations behind this current trend.
To avoid higher mortality rates and unsustainable patient counts, hospitals and HCPs must take it upon themselves to educate the masses. Teaching patients in-person and using social media to combat misinformation will be vital in mitigating potential disaster in the future.
Using VitaWerks to fill in staff shortages
Between the nursing burnout, and certain HCPs taking paid leave for the holidays, hospitals are running low on staff on-hand. There are a number of high-priority vacancies that have to be filled as soon as possible.
This is where VitaWerks comes in. Our AI-based platform gives facilities the ability to find qualified and ready-to-work nurses in their area.
Sign up with VitaWerks today, and beat the winter rush before it’s too late!
