Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

29 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE to workers in the middle of this unprece- dented public health emergency, all while accepting billions of dollars in government pandemic funding. Hospital systems, along with new government leadership, should put patients and people over profits or politics. In 2021, we expect and look forward to a better, smarter approach in and outside of our workplaces. Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association: Based on input from our members and from nurses working in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country, experiences vary. All of us recognize many employers are doing their best under unprecedented circumstances. As we see surges in cases and hospitalizations across the country, nurses' safety and well-be- ing remain a top concern. A September 2020 ANA survey indicates that PPE shortages per- sist and reuse practices for single-use PPE are on the rise, despite a lack of standard practices and evidence of safety. ANA continues to urge employers to ensure that nurses have access to the highest level of PPE, along with regular updates about the status of supplies. Additionally, it's essential for providers to facilitate ongoing transparent communication about what is happening in the facility, in the community and nationally to protect them- selves and the public. Employers of nurses must provide concrete systemwide plans to effectively manage both a surge of COVID-19 patients and to sustain operations throughout the pandemic. e ANA continues to call for solutions to address the trauma, grief, moral distress and post- traumatic stress disorder our nursing workforce is experiencing — and will struggle with long aer the COVID-19 crisis is over. e day-to-day stresses that nurses face with a recent surge in patient numbers, a rise in multiple deaths per shi, issues around access to PPE, anxieties about family and personal health, and ethical and moral conflicts have greatly impacted nurses' mental health and well-being. ese insights were gleaned through a comprehensive survey conduct- ed by the American Nurses Foundation. Employers must allow additional downtime and psychological support, and refrain from retaliating against nurses who report unsafe working conditions or voice concern over insufficient PPE. ANA condemns employers that retaliate against nurses for speaking up. Nurses' voices must be heard and valued at all levels of a healthcare organization — not pun- ished. We have to safeguard nurses' well-being and take heed of their invaluable insights so that we can recover faster and stronger. Rec- ognizing and supporting the mental well-be- ing and resilience of nurses is nonnegotiable. e daily reports of infections and deaths among nurses makes it absolutely imperative that employers continue to do everything within their powers to protect staff. Annette Sy, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer at Keck Medical Center of USC (Los An- geles): Keck Medicine of USC took several actions to take care of our nurses during the pandemic. First, we created a Care for the Caregiver program to provide housing to nurses and other front-line staff wishing to self-quarantine away from home to safeguard family members. e program also provides access to meals, toiletries and comfort items, music therapy, financial and legal guidance, and childcare/tutoring services. Second, we made PPE a top priority from the start. We originally experienced a shortage of N95 masks, but were able to safely stretch our supply. Today, we are in much better shape than we were back in February and March. We have grown smarter and learned we can- not rely on just one or two vendors for sup- plies. We are also keeping extra stock on hand to prepare for the next wave of COVID-19. ird, we made our nurses comfortable by creating dedicated COVID-19 units. Nurses working in these units were provided addi- tional scrubs and dedicated changing areas. We created a COVID-19 transport team so nurses would not have unnecessary expo- sure to the disease and dedicated elevators for COVID-19 patients to also minimize exposure. Additionally, we have always encouraged open communication. roughout the pan- demic, our leadership team made sure to meet with our nurses, hear their concerns and work with them to address those concerns. n Physical, mental and financial challenges common for COVID-19 survivors, study finds By Mackenzie Bean H ospitalized COVID-19 patients who recover from the illness often face ongoing challenges with their physical and mental health and financial stability, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers examined data on 1,648 COVID-19 patients discharged from 38 Michigan hospitals between March 16 and July 1. They also surveyed 488 patients 60 days after discharge on their physical, emotional and financial state. Four study findings: 1. About 24 percent of patients died during hospitaliza- tion. Another 6.7 percent died within 60 days of leaving the hospital. 2. About 78 percent of COVID-19 survivors were dis- charged to their homes, while 12 percent went to a nurs- ing home or rehab facility. 3. Of the 488 patients surveyed, 159 were still experienc- ing symptoms — such as coughing or a loss of taste or smell — 60 days after discharge. 4. About half of those surveyed said their illness affected their emotional well-being, and more than one-third said their hospitalization had financial consequences. 5. Of the 195 patients employed before contracting COVID-19, 40 percent said they did not return to work due to health issues or job loss. n

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