Emergency rooms are facing a variety of challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.
SIH like many healthcare organizations - is experiencing high volumes of patients and staffing challenges.
Nursing shortages were a problem before the pandemic, but those numbers increased from people taking early retirement.
SIH Herrin Hospital Medical Director of Emergency Joshua Miksanek says COVID taught them how to stretch their resources and change the way they deliver care.
“It's very painful to go back to patients in the waiting room, sick and waiting and scared and suffering. But we just don't have physical space to put them some days because of the situation with the hospital and the nursing shortage. So there's going to be longer waits, people getting labs done in the waiting and people are getting medications delivered through IV in the waiting room These are things we never did before here. “
SIH held a couple of hiring events in September and made 13 on the spot offers and hired 9 people.
SSM Health has launched a new flexible nursing employment options to help with shortages.
