>>> THIS WEEK IS WEEK.
NATIONAL NURSES WEEK.
NURSES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN HEALTH CARE BUT THE UNFORTUNATE
REALITY IS, THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF NURSES BOTH ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND HERE IN WESTERN MAS I SAT DOWN WITH NURSES FROM
BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER TO LEAR MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF THOSE WH
TAKE CARE OF US IN OUR TIME OF . >> WELL, I THINK
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A NURSE.
I TELL A FUNNY STORY THAT WHEN I WENT TO KINDERGARTEN, I WENT
TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND THERE WERE 52 KIDS IN KINDERGARTEN
AND THIS LITTLE GIRL HAD AN ACCIDENT AND SISTER MARYLAND
WAS ASKING WHO WANTS TO CLEAN IT UP BUT AT THE AGE OF 5, I
WAS SORT OF NURSING.
MY DAD PASSED AWAY AS WELL AND I WENT INTO THAT AS WANTING TO
BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF NURSE AND THAT STARTED MY PATHWAY.
>> WHAT ABOUT YOU?
>> WELL, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T WANT TO BE A NURSE.
I STARTED WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY AND THROUGH THE CO-OP,
I WAS ABLE TO SEE DIFFERENT ROLES IN HEALTHCARE AND
PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR, I
DECIDED NURSING MIGHT BE A BETTER FIT, WEPT TO NURSING
SCHOOL IN WORSE OFFICER AND -- IN WORCESTER AND IT JUST
CLICKED AND PROBABLY WAS THE THING I WAS INTENDED TO DO ALL
ALONG.
>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS IN
MASSACHUSETTS TODAY?
>> IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE TREND HAS BEEN MORE FOR PREPARING
BACHELORS PREPARED NURSES.
>> FOR THE MEDICAL CENTER, WE MADE A DECISION TO
PREDOMINANTLY HIRE A PIER NURSE SO OUR RESIDENCY
PROGRAM, A FULL YEAR WHERE WE PROVIDE CLINICAL SUPPORT TO IT
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD MILES PER HOUR AT THE
ENTRY LEVEL AND ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORKFORCE.
SO WE HIRE A CADRE OF ASSOCIATES DEGREE NURSES WITH
THE STIPULATION THEY HAVE TO ENTER A BACHELOR PREPARED
PROGRAM SO THEY GET THE SAME RESIDENCY.
THE THING ABOUT THAT IS WE WANT THE WORKFORCE TO BE
JUSTIFIED SO THAT HAS BEEN OUR EFFORTS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS.
>> SO I KNOW THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE AS YOU TALK
ABOUT RECRUITING SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY AROUND THAT AND
HOW DOES IT AFFECT PATIENT CARE?
>> I THINK WE ARE ALL STRUGGLING WITH IT.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE CAN TALK
ABOUT WITH OUR LOCAL COLLEGES.
WE HIRE ABOUT 150 NEW NURSES EACH YEAR IN THE COHORTS OF
OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM SO THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE IT ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL
ORGANIZATION BUT RECRUITING EXPERIENCED NURSES GETS TO BE
HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AND YOU KNOW WE'RE ENTERING THE
GENERATION WHERE THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE NURSE AT THE
BEDSIDE IS 58 YEARS OLD AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT
RETIREMENT.
AT BAY STATE MEDICAL CENTER, WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF
WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND LOOK AT THAT TO DETERMINE THE AGE
OF OUR WORKFORCE, HOW CAN WE PREPARE, CAN WE OVERHIRE IN
CERTAIN AREAS.
ICU, LABOR AND DELIVERY, MOST OF WHERE ALL OF OUR NURSES
WORK SO PUTTING TOGETHER THAT PIECE.
>> YOU HAVE A NURSING SHORTAGE AND YET COLLEGES ARE HAVING TO
TURN AWAY STUDENTS?
>> WE ARE AND BY THE SAME TONE, -- TOKEN, IF THE
AVERAGE AGE OF THE NURSE IS 58, THAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF
THE FACULTY AS WELL.
SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
THERE IS A PUSH TO ENCOURAGE NURSES TO BE FOR ADVANCED
DEGREES TO BE FACULTY.
YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT.
IT DOESN'T PAY AS WELL AS BEDSIDE NURSING AND YOU HAVE
TO LOVE HARD WORK.
>> BEING A MOM AND THE SCHEDULES, IS IT THE TYPE OF
JOB YOU CAN RAISE A FAMILY ON?
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
>> FOR ME IT WAS A GREAT PROFESSION BECAUSE HE WAS ABLE
TO FLEX MY TIME TO WORK WITHIN MY LIFE.
SO WHEN I FIRST HAD MY SON AND DIDN'T WANT TO PAY SO MUCH FOR
CHILDCARE, I WOULD WORK THREE 12-HOUR NIGHTS, PAY FOR ONE
DAY OF CHILDCARE AND I HAD ALL THAT TIME WITH MY SON.
HE GOT A LITTLE OLDER, STARTED TO THINK ABOUT HEADING TO
SCHOOL, I THOUGHT HOW COULD I FREE UP SOME TIME AND WAS ABLE
TO SWITCH MY SCHEDULE.
THE OTHER THING IS NURSING IS A GREAT COMMUNITY.
I GREW UP IN NURSING IN A TIME WHERE WE MANDATED OVERTIME SO
THE SHIFT WOULD END AND THEY WOULD SAY I AM SORRY, YOUR
SHIFT IS ENDED, YOU WILL HAVE TO STAY.
I KNEW SOME DAY WHEN I DIDN'T DO IT, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD DO
IT FOR ME.
PEOPLE PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR EACH OTHER, SAY HEY, CAN YOU
WORK AN EXTRA FOUR HOURS SO WE CAN OPEN CHRISTMAS DAYS AND IT
IS REALLY NICE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY.
>> THERE ARE SOME GRADUATE ENTRY PATHWAYS FOR THE
COLLEGES.
THEY TAKE THE INDIVIDUALS WITH A BACHELORS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
OR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE, BUSINESS, ABSOLUTELY, THEY GO
TO GET THEIR MASTERS AND EVEN DOCTORATE SO GIVING YOU
EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE.
IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TODAY AND WE FIND THEY WORK OUT
GREAT AT THE BEDSIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS WHOLE BODY OF
KNOWLEDGE THAT THE TYPICAL NURSE MAY NOT HAVE.
>> THERE IS A BALLOT INITIATIVE TALKING ABOUT A
MANDATE AS FAR AS NURSES ARE CONCERNED.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL PLAY OUT?
>> ONLY 25 PERCENT OF THE NURSES IN MASSACHUSETTS
RECEIVED ENOUGH CERTIFICATES TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.
WE WERE AT THE STATE HOUSE ON MONDAY AND HAD A STAFF NURSE
WHO TESTIFIED IN OPPOSITION OF THE BILL.
IT DOESN'T THAT EVERYBODY DOESN'T WANT MORE NURSES BUT
FOR THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, WE'RE SHORT
5400 SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIND THAT MANY NURSES TO PUT
AT BEDSIDE?
AND WHEN YOU THINK OF THIS INITIATIVE, SPEAKING AS A
NURSE, I DON'T WANT ANY GOVERNMENT TELLING ME HOW TO
PRACTICE MY PROFESSION.
THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND IT REALLY DIMINISHES
THE AUTONOMY AND PRACTICAL NURSE AT THE BEDSIDE.
THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE DECISION MAKE EVEREST, HOW TO CRAFT
PATIENT ASSIGNMENTS.
EVERY PATIENT IS NOT THE SAME.
THE DAY YOU GET ADMITTED, YOU WERE NOT AS SICK.
THE DAY YOU ARE DISCHARGED, YOU ARE NOT SICK.
I WOULD BE CONCERNED THAT HOSPITALS WOULD BE ABLE TO
MEET THE RATIOS AS FAR AS GBH GOES AND SERVICES WOULD BE
DIMINISHED.
IT IS NOT A THREAT, JUST REALITY.
WE MAY HAVE TO CLOSE UNITS, DEPARTMENTS, AND IT REALLY
WILL REFLECT THE GENERAL ACCESS FOR THE PATIENT
POPULATION.