Episode
‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
31:43
Published: Fri Feb 18 2022
Description
As hospitals in the United States battled another coronavirus wave in the past few months, another crisis was steadily growing more acute: a shortage of nurses.We speak to some of the “forgotten warriors” of the nursing profession, at Pascagoula Hospital in Mississippi, to find out what life is like on the front line of the pandemic.Guest: Andrew Jacobs, a global health reporter for The New York Times.Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializing those we have lost to the coronavirus. If you would like to share their name on the episode, please RECORD A VOICE MEMO and send it to us at [email protected]. You can find more information and specific instructions here.Background reading: The exodus of medical workers during the pandemic has been especially brutal for the small, nonprofit safety-net hospitals where millions of Americans seek care.Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, subscribe to our newsletter. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Chapters
A hospital in Mississippi is experiencing a shortage of nurses, which is a bigger problem than COVID-19.
00:00 - 03:13 (03:13)
Summary
A hospital in Mississippi is experiencing a shortage of nurses, which is a bigger problem than COVID-19. This shortage affects the healthcare system and the nurses themselves.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
This podcast highlights the challenges of providing quality care in healthcare, with a focus on instances where patients need help with basic tasks such as going to the bathroom or cleaning up after soiling themselves.
03:13 - 07:00 (03:47)
Summary
This podcast highlights the challenges of providing quality care in healthcare, with a focus on instances where patients need help with basic tasks such as going to the bathroom or cleaning up after soiling themselves. It emphasizes the difficulty for healthcare workers and how to address these challenges.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
A COVID-19 patient was kept in the Emergency Room instead of being transferred to the ICU, resulting in a greater risk of poor health outcomes due to overcrowding in hospitals.
07:00 - 09:56 (02:56)
Summary
A COVID-19 patient was kept in the Emergency Room instead of being transferred to the ICU, resulting in a greater risk of poor health outcomes due to overcrowding in hospitals.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
The hospital administrator was forced to close down two floors of hospital beds due to staff shortage, causing a system-wide impact on the hospital's ability to provide quality care.
09:56 - 13:18 (03:21)
Summary
The hospital administrator was forced to close down two floors of hospital beds due to staff shortage, causing a system-wide impact on the hospital's ability to provide quality care. Despite the situation, she continues to maintain a positive attitude and rapport with her employees.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
As the Delta variant surged, many hospitals have lost a significant number of workers either due to burnout, fear of getting infected or hospitalization.
13:18 - 17:35 (04:17)
Summary
As the Delta variant surged, many hospitals have lost a significant number of workers either due to burnout, fear of getting infected or hospitalization. This has led to the perverse situation of leaving entire floors of the hospital empty at the time when they are most needed.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
The demand for travel nurses has remained high during the pandemic leading to higher salaries than for staff nurses, resulting in a shortage of staff nurses for less intense nursing jobs once the economy improves.
17:35 - 23:29 (05:53)
Summary
The demand for travel nurses has remained high during the pandemic leading to higher salaries than for staff nurses, resulting in a shortage of staff nurses for less intense nursing jobs once the economy improves. Many hospitals, especially for-profit ones, could be paying more but are not.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
Nurse burnout has become a prevalent issue in the healthcare system, especially during the pandemic.
23:29 - 30:16 (06:47)
Summary
Nurse burnout has become a prevalent issue in the healthcare system, especially during the pandemic. Proposed legislation aims to address this issue by setting limits on how many patients nurses can care for at one time.
Episode‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’
PodcastThe Daily
The US Defense Secretary says Russia is continuing to move troops closer to the Ukrainian border while Russia claims to be withdrawing them, adding combat aircraft and stockpiling blood supplies.
30:16 - 31:36 (01:20)
Summary
The US Defense Secretary says Russia is continuing to move troops closer to the Ukrainian border while Russia claims to be withdrawing them, adding combat aircraft and stockpiling blood supplies.