Nursing shortage could cut bed numbers at UMMC
Some frustrated with salaries become travel nurses
Some frustrated with salaries become travel nurses
Some frustrated with salaries become travel nurses
Amidst a nationwide nurse shortage, many nurses in Mississippi have left to become travel nurses, which could force the University of Mississippi Medical Center to scale back on beds.
All of UMMC's ICU beds are in use but having beds available for patients isn’t the problem, it’s having the staff to tend to those beds.
"Due to staff shortages, we will have the possibility to close some beds," said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs at UMMC.
A short staff comes with the struggle to meet demand.
"We have seen a fairly large number who have left," Jones said. "A lot of those nurses have chosen to leave and go travel."
Nationwide, there’s been an outcry from nurses frustrated with their salaries at local hospitals, versus what a travel nurse rings in. Jones said, normally UMMC would have 50 to 100 nursing positions open, but today, they’re certainly feeling the shortage.
"We are at double, or more than double than that at this time," Jones said.
According to ZipRecruiter, a travel nurse in Mississippi can make almost $7,000 a month, which is a salary that hospitals have trouble competing with.
"We can’t afford a full-time staff to compete with travel nursing rates, but we’re doing everything we can to attract and retain the staff we have," Jones said.
UMMC officials said to be competitive, they have already done base-rate increases for nurses, but to address the shortage, they’re planning on doing other things in terms of salary increases.