Nursing homes have always struggled to control the spread of infection. But Covid-19 has put another dimension of pressure on the nursing home medical staff. Caretakers are the backbone of safety in nursing homes. Now, nurses have to stop conditions like respiratory infections, UTIs, and soft tissue infections while subduing the spread of Covid. Most nurses in the U.S report they feel they are undervalued, overwhelmed, and stressed. Stressed employees can forget simple hygienic practices like hand washing. Nurses also report that they get bullied or experience some form of incivility by managers, bosses or peers.
Many nurses are leaving their positions due to the conditions. Since January 2020, 15 percent of nurses have left their jobs. Most nursing homes are losing money, running on an average of a negative 4.8 percent profit margin. At this rate, a nursing home will shut down in 2 to 3 years. Many nursing homes have already shut down, with more on the brink of collapse.
Although some relief was given to these facilities, there was no considerable aid given to caretakers.
Learn more about how nursing homes have been failing under the weight of COVID-19 and how we can protect everyone’s health through better infection prevention control in the infographic below:
Source: IPCWell.com