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The Deadly Threat of Pandemic Nursing

Pandemic Nursing is a new term that describes nursing care that is rushed, physically overwhelming, and emotionally draining and provided to an onslaught of critically ill patients.  There are numerable contributing factors and adverse results related to Pandemic Nursing.  I have witnessed firsthand in the halls of long-term care facilities and recognize the toll this environment is having on the nurses.  The frantic, adrenalin pumping reaction to the disaster of the day, coupled with total exhaustion.   Working in a Pandemic Nursing environment is a direct threat to patient safety. Is your facility working under Pandemic Nursing conditions?  To assess the risk, answer these questions: Is the pace of work hectic? Is the station and records frequently disorganized? Have there been financial strains on the facility? Is there a shortage of staff? Has the nurse-to-patient ratios fluctuated higher? Has the level of care the patients require increased? Is the facility having difficulty recruiting and retaining staff? Add to this list of struggles the increased daily workload of, continuous donning of PPE, increased discharges and emergencies, isolated and depressed patients and constant testing and swabbing. Unfortunately, the results of practicing Pandemic Nursing are bad patient outcomes.  A recent article by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices reported an increase of serious increased medication errors coupled with a trend by nurses to try

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2021 – Return of the Survey

Annual Surveys resume, are you ready? Surveyors have returned to facilities after the licensure and certification surveys were suspended early into the pandemic when nursing homes closed their doors to visitors.  AHCA visits in 2020 only focused on complaints and infection control issues.  Many facilities have not had an annual licensure & certification survey since 2019 and nurses suffering from “Pandemic Nursing” may not be prepared to be scrutinized. One Director of Nursing recently admitted “He was particularly concerned about the many opportunities for serious medication errors when providing what he called “pandemic nursing” care—the rushed, physically overwhelming, and emotionally draining care provided to an onslaught of critically ill patients.” During the past year staff may forget the details or get used to taking short cuts just to get their job done. While facility staff are still dealing with COVID19 and ever-changing priorities they must be ready when the annual inspection returns to the building We must recognize that human factors and working in healthcare during a pandemic can easily lead to medication errors. A perfect storm for serious medication errors is created by: The hectic pace and disorganization of “pandemic nursing” The constantly under-resourced healthcare environment High nurse-to-patient ratios due to staffing shortages The exhausting and continuous donning of PPE The need for any available nurse, not necessarily the

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