Health care workers in Arkansas are starting to walk off the job as instances of short staffing and burnout continue to increase in the state.
Cam Patterson, chancellor of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told CNN that several staff members have left their post in the middle of a shifts and some are considering retiring early as they struggle to cope with the demands that the coronavirus and its variants are placing on them.
“Teams are stretched thin. People are frustrated. People are very tired,” Patterson said, noting that morale among health care workers has been low. “We are down a significant number of positions here because we just don’t have enough nurses that we can recruit to come here and help us to take care of patients.”
According to Patterson, nearly 360 health care provider positions are currently vacant within UAMS. About 230 of those vacancies are for nurses, CNN reported.
Patterson said that UAMS has offered to pay signing bonuses of up to $25,000, but even that has had little effect on nurses who say that their mental health and wellbeing has taken a toll.