Author: David J. LeClercq
The long and short answer to that is yes … and no. The proper way is to identify which departments have been profoundly affected by COVID-19 and what the extent of the impact. With that said, you would not expect a Med Surg Department to operate under a normal staffing plan pre and during COVID-19 when COVID-19 patient rates are falling in the Department. However, instead of ignoring the variance, our clients are adjusting their standards during the time COVID-19 patients are occupying units in order to reflect the new requirements for staffing the needs of the patients. Once the patients have returned to normalcy, the previous standards will be reactivated with normal Med Surg patients. This will allow your leaders to continue to have confidence in their staffing, while also projecting real variances. Is this the case in your hospital, or are you giving everyone a pass during COVID-19?