According to Buurman, hospital employees have “their backs to the wall” due to the increasing number of infections. “We know that in the next four weeks at least twice as many corona patients will be admitted to hospital. Care for them is more intensive because you are completely wrapped up, so more nurses are needed per patient. At the same time, citizens with other diseases also want to be helped. just don’t have the people to do that. ”
Before the corona crisis broke out, her sector was struggling with 40,000 positions for nurses and carers that are difficult to fill, says Buurman. “And then we now expect that covid care and regular care can both be provided. That is not realistic. We now see that intensive covid care is very much at the expense of regular care.”
The Chief Nursing Officer fears that due to staff shortages, not all corona patients will be able to be properly nursed in the future. The coming weeks are of concern to her. “We have insufficient prospects that the contamination curve will fall quickly. Absenteeism in healthcare is very high. There is little more that we can still ask of our nurses. know: do I have to go home or can I go to work? ”
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