Lessons from COVID-19: Leverage Increased Public Awareness to Improve Staffing Levels and Stability
April 2022
Some problems are so pervasive that even well-intentioned efforts to solve them feel overwhelming and inadequate. The staffing crisis is one of them. Workforce shortages jeopardize the health and safety of both long-term care residents and the staff who care for them. Staffing challenges are intertwined with long-standing issues, including wage levels and stigma, which are exacerbated by incredibly difficult working conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the third installment of the Advancing Excellence in Long-Term Care Collaborative (AELTCC) Policy Series in McKnights Long-Term Care News, Real Chemistry Vice President Theresa Schmidt, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing President and CEO Tracey Moorhead, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing Professor Emerita and AELTCC Chair Barbara Bowers offer recommendations to policymakers for addressing some of the most critical challenges in the long-term care world today.