Last winter , about six months after returning to work , she watched as the latest wave of COVID-19 pushed an already stressed industry close to breaking point . Entire units at Rhode Island Hospital once bustling with patients now sat empty because of a lack of employees to staff them . Every day , she says , her co-workers came into work with the feeling they were trying to hang on as long as they could . Some had already left to take more lucrative traveling assignments or out of frustration with their roles .
“ There ’ s nothing worse than coming into work and feeling like you have barely been able to do what you need to do . You ’ re dealing with patients . You ’ re dealing with lives ,” she says .
Like others , Macedo says she sees a new generation of nurses more focused on work-life balance . Younger health care workers are more willing to speak up for themselves or switch positions if a job doesn ’ t deliver what they need . Like her own struggle with COVID-19 , the causes behind the health care industry ’ s staffing crisis are long and complex , and easy answers aren ’ t readily available ; but until everyone sits down to focus on the problem , she says , nothing is going to get fixed .
Despite everything , she says , she isn ’ t ready to give up what she does .
“ You never want to say it can ’ t get any worse , because we never thought we ’ d see where we ’ re at right now ,” she says . “ We all love what we do , so I think that ’ s sort of what keeps us coming back every day to do it . And just every day keep thinking something has to give so that we can see some glimmer of improvement .”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide , call the 24 / 7 BH Link hotline at 401-414- LINK . Or you can use the Crisis Text Line and connect with a crisis coordinator within twenty-five seconds on average . Text HELLO to 741741 , and communicate until you feel safe . �
126 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY 2022