1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to it could happen here a podcast about 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: things falling apart and occasionally even about how to put 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: some other things back together. UM. Today we're gonna be 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: talking about something that is increasingly a part of what 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: we like to call the crumbles around here, which is 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: the health care system in this country, in the hospital 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: system in this country as it uh kind of gets 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: crunched by COVID. UM. And we're gonna particularly talk about 9 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: a really critical aspect of our entire medical infrastructure that 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't know about traveling nurses. Uh. 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: And with me today is our guest and and you 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: are a traveling nurse from New York to California, all 13 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: around the country. UM, thanks for being on the show. 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: Glad to be here. Yeah. So I live in Colorado, 15 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,319 Speaker 1: and I was a regular staff nurse UM until COVID hit. 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: And you know, at that time, we expected it to 17 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: crunch everywhere. UM, but my home hospital, like many places 18 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: that worked on the coast, UM ended up being really 19 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 1: empty when everybody locked down and stopped getting into car 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: accidents and going to parties and all of the other 21 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: things that bring people into the e R. And I 22 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: see us UM, So at that time, I quit my 23 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: full time job and went to New York as a 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: travel nurse. UM. And then I've been dancing around hotspots 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: since then. So New York, Texas, Ohio, rural New Mexico. UM, 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: I just finished my third contract in California. I've been 27 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: up to Oregon. So UM, I've seen the health care 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: system working and not working in a lot of different places, 29 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: and also like how much disparity there is different communities 30 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: related to covid as in the health care that we 31 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: can provide. Yeah, and I am kind of before we 32 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: move on to some of the specific things going on 33 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: the travel nurses, what is your sense of like how 34 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: often are you in a place and feel like, well, 35 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: this the hospital system here, this particular hospital, they're they're 36 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: like right on the edge of a breaking point most 37 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: of the time. Okay, that's good to know where your seatbelts, folks. Yeah, 38 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: I mean, particularly since everyone was able to get vaccinated 39 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: right Like to me, I really feel like that that 40 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: that point of like the tipping point of like the 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: quote unquote crumbles kind of like after everybody was was 42 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: able to get their second vaccination, UM, and we had 43 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: so much hope last May and June and things were 44 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: reopening and it was kind of like, wow, things could 45 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: go back to normal. Um, and then like, I don't 46 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: believe that's going to happen. And since then, I've seen 47 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: so much more despair in my coworkers, and I've heard 48 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: about so many more healthcare suicides, um staff, nurses, travel nurses, arties, 49 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: other ancillary people, and you know, the kind of running joke, 50 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: and a lot of workplaces is like, well, I hope 51 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: I test positive for COVID because that would be better 52 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: than coming into work another day. Yeah, all right, I 53 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: hope I get hit by a car so I don't 54 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: have to come in your job, I think, is what 55 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people would the people who you know 56 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: are reasonable human beings and see what you're doing is 57 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: incredibly necessary, find that would find the work to be 58 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: something of a nightmare. I mean, it sounds like horrific 59 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: um to have to to deal with this. I mean, 60 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: it's it's it's not an easy job in the best 61 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: of times, being a nurse, but like with COVID and stuff, 62 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: it's it's just there's so much else on y'all's plates. Um. 63 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: And one of the things that has happened over the 64 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: course of the last year or well almost two years now, UM, 65 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: is that from January the advertised pay rates for travel 66 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: nurses around the country have gone up by about sixty UM, 67 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: which in staffing firms of you know, increase their building 68 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: of hospitals by like so like this huge rays in 69 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: what um travel nurses are demanding and what is getting 70 00:03:54,040 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: paid out. And I think a reasonable person would go, well, yeah, 71 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: of course, UM, And yeah, I think anybody would go 72 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: any reasonable person would go, well, yeah, of course, you 73 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: guys deserve much more money than that for what you're 74 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: dealing with right now. UM. I have no problem with this, 75 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: But people who do have problems with this are the 76 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: American Hospital Association UM, among other folks generally the folks 77 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: who are seeing this primarily as a well, now we're 78 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: spending more money issue, as opposed to a, hey maybe 79 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: we don't have enough nurses, which right, yeah, so I 80 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: guess I have maybe a couple of comments on that. 81 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: So one of the things about trafical nurses, so if 82 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: if you're not in the travel field and you say 83 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: I want to change hospitals, even if you're an experienced nurse, 84 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 1: they will take between a month and six months to 85 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: go through their hiring process, and then they will give 86 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: you a week, two weeks, maybe four weeks of orientation. 87 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: So that's a long process to hire a nurse normally YEA. 88 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: For me as a travel nurse, I will talk to 89 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: a recruiter, I will say yes, I will be on 90 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: the road somewhere between four hours to twenty four hours later, 91 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: I will get to the hospital. I will do a 92 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: bunch of paperwork that is for compliance and makes no 93 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: difference at all. I will get between two and six 94 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: hours of orientation, which is basically, here's the bathroom, here's 95 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: the store room, this is what we're going to audit 96 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: in the charts, and then I'm expected to take care 97 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: of complex actively dying patients. So so you know, people 98 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: complain about how much we're getting paid, but if you 99 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: only have two hours of like where's the bathroom, and 100 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: like this is how most of the time when you're 101 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: spending with I t being like, hey I need computer access, buddy, 102 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: and then there you are and you're in the thick 103 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: of it with no backup. You know, so you already 104 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: have to be an expert in your field, and you 105 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: have to be able to walk into an unfamiliar chaotic 106 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: situation and hit the ground running immediately. So, yes, making 107 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: a hundred twenty bucks an hour is a lot of money, 108 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: But I don't know that that's so super unreasonable for 109 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: two hours of like, yeah, it's now to take care 110 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: of people who are actively dying, and don't screw it up. 111 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: It's the way we're told the system is supposed to work, right, Like, 112 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: this is how capitalism is supposed to function. The demand 113 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: for something goes up, and the demand for nursing his 114 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: way the hell up, so the price goes up. Um, 115 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: if you believe in capitalism, like one assumes these people 116 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: who are responsible for you know, paying you and are 117 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: currently lobbying. So what's happening. I should go back because 118 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: we didn't note this. But the American Hospital Association and 119 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: a number of other folks are lobbying Congress right now 120 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: to put a cap on the amount of money that 121 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: traveling nurses UM can uh can can receive, and a 122 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: number of UM congress people have said that they're going 123 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: to be looking into the issue. Several states, Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kansas, 124 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: and Kentucky have introduced legislation that's attempting to cap nurse 125 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: pay rates. So there's like this huge backlash attempting to 126 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: lock down the amount of money y'all can continue to 127 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: get pay aid UM because of all of the things. 128 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,679 Speaker 1: This country I guess has money for the people dealing 129 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: with the I don't know what. I don't know how 130 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: many millions of additional sick and dying people UM are 131 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: are are kind of beyond what these folks are willing 132 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: to shell out for UM. Have I got the size 133 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: of that? And I mean to clarify so in a 134 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: FEMA contract, so what a lot of the contracts I 135 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: take are. So the nurse is making between a hundred 136 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: and hundred and maybe you also have a tax free 137 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: stipend or you don't kind of depending on how you 138 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: are in that. And then but the bill rate to 139 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: the hospital is usually like tot. So the legislation is 140 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: against the agencies. The agencies are making between forty six. 141 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: Of course, the agency is then going to say, hey, 142 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: well we aren't going to pay you as much because 143 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: we still want the same cut. Yeah, my understanding, so 144 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: the trickle down effect is likely going to be travel 145 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: nurse wages. But my understanding is it's setting the FTC 146 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: to take enforcement against the travel nurse agencies because the agencies, 147 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: they're the ones that say they have the person on 148 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: the phone that says, hey, you have these credentials, we 149 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: want to send you to this hospital yes, or now 150 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: we've got this hotel arranged or we don't or you 151 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: know those types of and we're going to do this 152 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: type of on boarding. So they have their own kind 153 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: of infrastructure and they take you know, half of the cut. 154 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: And so some of those people are making a lot 155 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: of money too. Yeah, And it seems like it's kind 156 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: of the situation where the way this is being framed, 157 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: they're trying to crack down on these people who are 158 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: kind of profiteering or could be argued to be profiteering 159 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 1: off the situation, um, rather than trying to cap the 160 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: amount that that the nurses can make, so to speak, 161 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: or at least not by as much. But the overall 162 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: effect will be that because of the way these companies work, 163 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: y'all will still wind up making less money. Um. Yeah, 164 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: how um within the traveling nurse community, what is kind 165 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: of where are people right now with this? Like, what 166 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: what is kind of the mood? Um? So I think 167 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: there's a couple of things to note. So in the 168 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: FEMA contracts, they're usually sixty to seventy two contracts, so 169 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: you're working back to back to back to back. So 170 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: I'll do a d our weeks sometimes. And most people 171 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: are not white women like me. This is mostly first 172 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: and second generation immigrants and generally people of color. Um So, 173 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: these are not people that are saving for Lamborghinis. These 174 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: are people that are paying off their student loans because 175 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,959 Speaker 1: a lot of them went to private nursing schools because 176 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: that was kind of what was accessible to them because 177 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: all of the disparity and education and opportunities. These are 178 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: people that are trying to pay off their mortgages. These 179 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: are people who are paying off their parents houses. Um So, 180 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: this kind of idea that like nurses are greedy is 181 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: I think really unfair because most of us are just 182 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: trying to like, you know, make a life that works. 183 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: And also, you can't do a d our contracts fifty 184 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: two weeks out of the year, No, I mean doing 185 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: it for any extended period of time. I've I've worked 186 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: those kind of hours in a generally less stressful working environment. 187 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: Um and it like it breaks you down. Um. Over time, 188 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: like you you can't do that and at any time 189 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: in your life for one thing like um, and you 190 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:22,599 Speaker 1: can't do that forever. And it sounds like this is 191 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: kind of a lot of people are taking it as 192 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: like this is an opportunity. I can get my parents 193 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: out of debt, I can I can get a house, Um, 194 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: I can say for my kids to I can pay 195 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: off my own college. Like it's a chance for a 196 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: lot of these people by putting in an unbelievable amount 197 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: of effort to get ahead. Uh. And I can't can't 198 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: even imagine the frustration at seeing so many people be like, 199 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: well no, not so fast. And I mean one of 200 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: the things that people are bringing up is right like 201 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: it in the same way that you know, we struggle 202 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: to want to pass minimum wage laws for the minute 203 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: immigrants that pick our food and you know, support this 204 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: infrastructure that is totally unseen now that we have, you 205 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: know what is mostly for stance second generation immigrants that 206 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: are working these FEMA contracts, Like you're targeting a section 207 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: of the population that are not the people that have 208 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: doubled tripled their wealth in the pandemic, right, Like, these 209 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: are not all of the people that got the small 210 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: business loans that didn't need them, and you know, and 211 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: have are just putting all of that money into stock, right, 212 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: is there not? These are people who just want a 213 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: middle class American dream and we're working, will work really 214 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: really hard for it. And I mean there these are 215 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: people who are asking, can I have the thing we're 216 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: all promised? If I spend eighty hours a week watching people, 217 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: in a lot of cases choke out their last fucking breaths, 218 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: is that okay? And a lot of people are saying, oh, 219 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 1: of course, not right. And you know, so we're taking 220 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: care of dyeing people while we're getting yelled at at 221 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: the phone and of like, is cursing a lot on 222 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: the show or yes, of course? Yeah. I mean I 223 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: had a family member saying, you're fucking imprisoning her on 224 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: a ventilator. I'm going to come for you. Where do 225 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: you fucking live? You know we have to get security involved. Um, 226 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: you know, we get death threats. I've had people like 227 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,839 Speaker 1: threatened to find where I live and raped me. And 228 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: so I mean, yeah, taking care of your dying loved 229 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: one who also probably would say those same things to 230 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: me because I would say, hey, please be vaccinated and 231 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,199 Speaker 1: they would say fuck you. But I'm still going to 232 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: do everything I can to take care of them, and 233 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to do this abuse and like, yeah, if 234 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to leave my home and the safety of 235 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: a hospital that works and go into these total cluster 236 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: fox of hospitals where the educator has left, the manager 237 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: has left, the director has left, so there's no leadership. 238 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: It's travelers, some of which are great, some of which 239 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: are also hot messes, and trying to take care of 240 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: these people. Then like, yes, I want to you paid 241 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: accordingly for it. Now would I trade that for a 242 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: social um, a social safety net of health insurance because 243 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: I have to get private health insurance, which is shady. Um. 244 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: I don't get any disability insurance. I have nostick leave 245 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: right because you're you're you're a pinch hitter. You're not 246 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: like salary anywhere. Yeah, But would I trade this high 247 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: salary for a social safety net? Personally I would yes, 248 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: But I mean nobody's going to say, like, yes, you 249 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: will be able to retire with dignity if you play 250 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: by all of these rules. They don't believe that I 251 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,719 Speaker 1: want to make the money. Yeah, it's I mean we're 252 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:39,959 Speaker 1: all always in this kind of like yes, soccer way 253 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: as much as you can while it's coming situation, and 254 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 1: she's especially if you're especially if you're doing something you're 255 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: gonna need to recover from later, right, Like this is 256 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: I I you know, I've I've done overseas work. I 257 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: understand kind of the nature of like trauma. And while 258 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 1: you're doing the job at the rate you're doing it, 259 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: you're also like pushing off a day of reckoning mentally, 260 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: and not having a cushion of savings helps with that. Yeah, 261 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: Like in the middle of it, you're in it, and 262 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: then you know, sometimes it's weeks, sometimes it's months. Um. 263 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: I hiked the Colorado Trail for mental health, and half 264 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: of those nights I had I See you nightmares. So 265 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: I was in these beautiful, the middle of over places 266 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: where everything was quiet. I would wake up with all 267 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: of the beeps and people dying in my head night 268 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: after night after night. You know. Yeah, I mean, yeah, 269 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: I'm angry that they don't want to compensate me for that, 270 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: because I mean, they're definitely not paying for my therapist. 271 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: They definitely like aren't giving me access to disability if 272 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: I need it. Right, Like, yeah, because obviously again you're 273 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: you're a contractor. Effectively, Um, there's not like a union 274 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: for traveling nurses, is there? Or Am I wrong about that? No? So, 275 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: I mean the only thing you have each your negotiating power. Um. 276 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: So I have eight years of experience between emergency and 277 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: I see you, um and a lot of very um 278 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: big and highly regarded hospitals. So I'm a hot commodity 279 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: to them, so I can kind of pick and choose, um, 280 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: who I want to work with compared to someone that 281 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: has less desirable specialties. Not that those specialties don't also 282 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: work as hard, but they're just harder. They're easier to staff, 283 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: so therefore they're not It's a it's a market things. 284 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: I definitely don't believe that my specialties are more like 285 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: inherently valuable just in terms of the market. Um. So 286 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: you know, so I get I can I have the 287 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: luxury of turning down contracts that aren't what I want. 288 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: But I mean, I have no idea what I'm walking into. 289 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: So on Monday, I'll walk into somewhere. Um, they said, 290 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: you'll do some paperwork, you'll get your orientation, you'll have 291 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: it'll all be it'll be a busy day and then 292 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: you'll be on your own and I have no idea. 293 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes you're oriented in one unit and you never see 294 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: that unit again. So um, and I you know, you 295 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: have no idea what you're walking into. And how how 296 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: long are these contracts? Generally? For so, before COVID, the 297 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: standard nursing contract was thirteen weeks UM. Since COVID, a 298 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: lot of them are shorter. And I've only done in 299 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: short contracts because if it's a decent place, then I 300 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: can renew and stay longer usually, and if it's a 301 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: bad place, then I'm pretty happy to get out early. UM. 302 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: So I do between four and eight week contracts, and 303 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: I usually do sixty plus hours a week. Is there 304 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: any kind of like organization that you've seen come together 305 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: a little more between people who are doing this this 306 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: gig since you don't have kind of representation. Is that 307 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: something that started to take form in the last two 308 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: years since COVID. I mean, there's definitely a lot of 309 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: talk about it. Um. I think like those of us 310 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: that started traveling since the pandemic, you know, I would 311 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: say that I've only done crisis contracts, like I've never 312 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: done a normal thirteen week, thirty six hour a week, 313 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: not crisis assignment. Like I've only gone into the ship 314 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: show hot spots, um. And so therefore, like my needs 315 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: and desires are different than somebody who likes that previous lifestyle. 316 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: So in some ways it's a little bit hard for 317 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 1: us to kind of agree on common goals because we 318 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: have a lot of different you know, we're very diverse 319 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: group of nurses. Um. Definitely, the Million Nurse March is 320 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: kind of a step towards that. Tell me about that 321 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: what what is this? Because I just learned about this 322 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: pretty recently. Yeah, so I dropped off the grid for 323 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: the last five days, which was fantastic for me, but 324 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: it means I'm also just starting to figure it out. Um. 325 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 1: So the kind of general idea is that you know, 326 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: we have I think, uh, I'm gonna hopefully I don't 327 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: get it wrong, four millions some nurses in the country, 328 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: A huge number of nurses in the country, and a 329 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: huge number of dropping out. Um, you know, hundreds of 330 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: thousands quit last year. They think one estimate is five 331 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: thousand make quit this year. And we were just so 332 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: people know, tens of thousands of nurses understaffed, before COVID nation. Yes, right, right, um. 333 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: And you know, I think one of the things to 334 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: understand two is that like if you work, I don't 335 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: know what's what's a normal type of job that people work. 336 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. If you work at the d m V, 337 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,679 Speaker 1: A bookman, Oh right. If you work at the d 338 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: m V and the d m V is slow, you 339 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: will still stay there eight hours and you just get 340 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: paid for your eight hours. If you are a normal 341 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: nurse and you work thirty six hours and the e 342 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: R is running slow, they could say we're just canceling 343 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: you for the rest of the day, go home. We 344 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,239 Speaker 1: won't pay you for those last six hours. And so 345 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: like we've always had pretty like flexible like we've never 346 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: had like most of the places I've worked, I've never 347 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: had guaranteed hours. And so one of the reasons to 348 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: go to travel contracts to is also so you can 349 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: at least have guaranteed hours. So there's a lot of 350 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: kind of protections that nurses have never really had, like 351 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: guaranteed hours. UM like UH staff ratios, so some states 352 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: California and organ or um two of them. If you 353 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: go into the i c U, which is the highest 354 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,639 Speaker 1: level of care, so people are actively dying actively unstable. 355 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: Things can go bad within seconds. Usually it's a one 356 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: nurse will have two patients UM, which is pretty much 357 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: all you can handle because they're on multiple drips, multiple 358 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,400 Speaker 1: types of life's the part keeping them alive. So ventilators 359 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: UM being the one that we see the most UM, 360 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: and it's really your responsibility to know every inch of 361 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: that person's body UM and everything going on with them, 362 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,959 Speaker 1: and you really direct a lot of their care UM. 363 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: So two to one kind of makes a lot of sense. 364 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: Since the pandemic and not having enough nurses, sometimes that 365 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: slid to three to one or even in bad situations 366 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: four to one. So one of the statistics that UM. 367 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: One of the kind of nurse influencers and comedians Nurse 368 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: Blake talks about UM is that for every additional patient 369 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: that a nurse takes on, and I believe he's talking 370 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: about med starch not I se you that that patients 371 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: UM mortality increases by seven percent. So yeah, so asking 372 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: a nurse to do more with less is not just 373 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: like hey, just suck it up, be busier. This is 374 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: actively contributing to people's disability and early deaths. So one 375 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 1: of the things that the million Nurse march UM wants 376 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: to talk about is man man dated staffing ratios. So, 377 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: I see you would be two to one MED starch 378 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: is usually four to one. I think you are. They're 379 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: asking for three to one UM. So these have been 380 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: studied by the American Nurses Association UM and other sort 381 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 1: of UM nursing organizations UM. And not only do they 382 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: make your job as a nurse so much better because 383 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: we go into nursing because we want to fix things 384 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: and take care of people. We want good outcomes, right Like, 385 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 1: you don't go into nursing to just run around with 386 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: your head cut off and watch everyone die, right Like, 387 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: that's terrible. You go into nursing because you want the 388 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: people to get better under your care and you want 389 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: to be able to give them that. And so when 390 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: you're asked to take care of more patients than you're 391 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: able to, you're not able to do that and it's 392 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: just crushes you. UM. So not only is it better 393 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: for nurse satisfaction, it also saves patients lives and also 394 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: prevents things that will give cause lasting disability like ventilator 395 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: associated pneumonia or bed sores or delirium things like that. 396 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: So you know, mandating UM patient ratios is one of 397 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: the really big things that the million Nurse marks is 398 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,199 Speaker 1: for UM. There's a lot of talk about pay and 399 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: living wages. You know, like every section. Housing prices and 400 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: inflation have gone through the roof because you've got to 401 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: like be renting a spot whenever you're like the hospital 402 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: only putting you up right well, and for staff nurses 403 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: to write like if you're you know, maybe you're maybe 404 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: they gave you a two percent raise, but hey, rent 405 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: increase UM. I used to be on the interview board 406 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: at my old hospital all and we would just tell 407 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: people like, if you're moving to Denver as a single person, 408 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: we lose most of our nurses because they haven't looked 409 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: at housing. So like they'll accept a job and then 410 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: they'll look replace to live and be like, oh, I 411 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: can't afford to live here, so hey, like, I mean, 412 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: we can't ask if you're single moving here, but like 413 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: you probably can't afford to live here with what we're 414 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 1: going to pay you. I mean, cool, I I It's 415 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: just it's so eternally frustrating that like the one thing 416 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: that everybody when you sit them down agrees is in 417 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: controvertibly necessary medical care. Um. We can agree on a 418 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: lot of things, but not how to make sure that 419 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: people doing it have a good quality of life and 420 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: good income. Like we can we have all these fun, 421 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: fun rules that make it possible to charge X number 422 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,719 Speaker 1: of thousand dollars for a dose of insulin um, but 423 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: we don't just have a law that's like, hey, if 424 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: if you're working full time as a nurse, uh, maybe 425 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: you shouldn't have to be housing insecure. I don't know 426 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: how do you make that into a law, but it 427 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: seems like there should be some option for a country 428 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: that can make some of the things we make. Yeah, 429 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: I mean tying wages to housing prices. It seems like 430 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: I don't know, not being an economist and not being 431 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: an administrator, like that sounds super easy to me, Like 432 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 1: everybody gives a race. Sure, I'm sure it's more complicated 433 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: than that, but it seems super simple to send a 434 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: guy around with a stick to threaten landlords when they 435 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,719 Speaker 1: raise rent. Like there's we could debate the answers to this. 436 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: What do you think I mean? Not not that like 437 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: you have any sort of comprehensive knowledge of all of 438 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: the people doing this, But like, do you think there's 439 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: a possibility of like a wildcat strike, which is again 440 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: for people who maybe aren't is when there's a strike 441 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: of workers who are not unionized. UM. I mean to 442 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: some extent, with everybody quitting to do travel nursing, it's 443 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: not so different. I mean, some things have lost eight 444 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: of their staff, right some like when a unit says, oh, well, 445 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: we lost of my staff, I'm kind of like, well 446 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: you did better than most, you know. UM. So in 447 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: some ways it's already happening. And in that same way, 448 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: I am seeing hospitals give better extent incentives to their 449 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: nurses that have stayed um, either retention bonuses or UM, 450 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: increasing bonuses for pick for core staff, picking up extra shifts, UM, 451 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 1: or kind of other perks like increasing education benefits or 452 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:46,200 Speaker 1: things like that. So I think hospitals are responding to like, hey, 453 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 1: we don't want to lose these people to traveling, Like 454 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: can we tip the balance a little bit? And I think, 455 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: you know, overall, hospital leadership is moving slower than they 456 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: need to UM. But I mean at least they're moving 457 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: a little bit. So I mean, in that way, I 458 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: can see a wildcat strike. UM, just coming from the 459 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: kind of labor forces at play. UM, and I could 460 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: and I mean there were one of the hospitals in 461 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: the South, I think it was Alabama, all of their staff, 462 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: their staff coordinated, UM, so that the ship that was 463 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: on agreed to stay late because you can't because abandoning patients. UM, 464 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: you can put your license at risk. Right. So if 465 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 1: we all walked off in the middle of a shift 466 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 1: and said fuck you to the hospitals and patients died, 467 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: then like our licenses at risk. So we also have 468 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,640 Speaker 1: to kind of balance that a little bit. But there 469 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:39,959 Speaker 1: was a hospital they organized for the day shift basically 470 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: to stay as late as they needed, and night shift 471 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: all stood outside of the hospital and I wouldn't refuse 472 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: to clock it in. So sometimes these things are happening 473 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: in small levels. Um. Also UM really interesting. Yeah, it 474 00:25:54,840 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 1: is like UM, I mean, and that is like such 475 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: a tough thing to balance. Just the idea that like, well, 476 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 1: you are health care workers, like withholding your labor is 477 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: a thing that's going to be necessary from time to time. 478 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: There's also consequences for it that are not present. If 479 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 1: you're making I don't know, tires, you know, yeah, and 480 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: as much as teachers and nurses are the same. Like 481 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: I don't think our country cares about educating children as 482 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: much as it cares about their parents dying, you know, 483 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: like for better or worse. Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's 484 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: another subject. Um. Is there anything else you wanted to 485 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: get into today? Um? Before we we close out for 486 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: the for the episode? UM, I mean if it's okay 487 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: with you, and you can cut it if it's not. Um, 488 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: you know, I try and tweet about kind of what's 489 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: happening on the ground. Yeah, absolutely, and the things that 490 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: I'm seeing. Um. And I'm mostly finished with a book 491 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: about the first year on the front line and seven 492 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: different hospitals and kind of the disparities between you know, 493 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: critical access in New Mexico versus trauma hospitals in you know, 494 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: the Bay Area, and kind of what that first year 495 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: looked like. UM. So if you want, you can follow 496 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 1: me on Twitter. UM it's an A N N E 497 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: like and of Green Gables and r N, which is 498 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: when I started traveling ur saying, um, you know, and 499 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: so that I kind of talked a little bit about 500 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,479 Speaker 1: like what I'm seeing and what's going on. UM. I 501 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: was recently in an e er where you know, people 502 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: often had to stay outside under the heat lamps for 503 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 1: thirty hours waiting for a hospital bed just because everything 504 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,400 Speaker 1: was packed so they couldn't even come inside the hospital 505 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 1: and they were you know, waiting, um to get their 506 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 1: appendix out and things like that. Again, where your seatbelts 507 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: and a helmet, be real, be real careful right now, guys, 508 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,439 Speaker 1: right um? And I mean I think the other thing 509 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: is the blood shortage. Um, So most hospitals are revising 510 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: their guidelines of who will get a blood transfusion, so 511 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 1: you now have to be much more critical before they 512 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: will give you a blood transfusion. So um, there's a 513 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: lot of politics around blood donation. But if you feel 514 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: like you can donate blood, um, it's really desperately needed. 515 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: And people are gonna where your seats because people are 516 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: really going to legitimately die because we run out of blood. Yeah, 517 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: um boy, how do you please wear your seatbelts folks, Um, 518 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: just just hunker down for a little while. No, no 519 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: new risky experiments in life for just a minute. Not 520 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: the time to take up skydiving. Yeah yeah, maybe avoid that. 521 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: Maybe don't go skiing. Uh if you haven't gone skiing before. Um, 522 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: I just did that and broke my wrist because I'm 523 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: I'm exactly as dumb as the people I'm trying to warn. 524 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: And then I guess just check in with your mental 525 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: with your mental health of your health care workers, because 526 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: I mean, so many people have you know, I think 527 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: a lot of us are dealing with at least passive 528 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: sort of like puck, maybe I should just drive off 529 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: the road instead of going into work today sort of thoughts, 530 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: you know, And oh, for a lot of us, that's 531 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: just that fleeting thought and then we get our shipped together. 532 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: But for some people it's going to be more than that. 533 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 1: And you know, nursing is one of those things where 534 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: people have to find themselves by their career and they 535 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: need people in their lives saying like, if you are 536 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: never a nurse again, you are still valued, you are 537 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: still loved. Just being alive it is enough, and this 538 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: is how you know we can help take care of 539 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: you if you need to quit for three months, you know, um, 540 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: and supporting people with their intrinsic value rather than like 541 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: you are only productive and valuable because you were there 542 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: saving lives. Because I think a lot of us really 543 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: get stuck in that, and a lot of us are 544 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: drawn into nursing because we feel some lack of worthiness 545 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: without it. You know, Well, that's the hard thing to 546 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: get other people to do, because in part this is 547 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: a society where we just have such generally crummy attitudes 548 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 1: towards mental health. But like we're great at at saying 549 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: things like, oh, you know, there's a pandemic. Our healthcare 550 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: workers are heroes. You're all heroes because of the work 551 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: that you're doing. The work makes you a hero, as 552 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: a was to saying, hey, thank you for doing that. 553 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: I know things are still fucked up right now, but 554 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: if you decide you gotta like take a break or whatever, 555 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: you know, you're you're you're. That doesn't mean you like 556 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 1: what you did was still wonderful and you're still great 557 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: and valuable, and maybe the best thing is for you 558 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: to take that break and not drive yourself off of 559 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: a cliff. Yeah, yeah, that's that's harder to get people 560 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: to like wave banners that say outside of their apartment complexes, 561 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: banging on pots to like let healthcare workers know that 562 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: no matter what they do, their valued members of the 563 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: community that people love. Um. But yeah, all right, Well, 564 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: and thank you so much for talking with us today. Um, 565 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 1: I hope uh you you hold together and help the 566 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: people in your life hold together, which is all any 567 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: of us can really do other than we're a seatbelt. Yeah, 568 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: and thank you for being a part of the conversation. 569 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: And thank you for you know, listening to hard things. 570 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: And you know that's one thing that I think we 571 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: really appreciate it is is to people who will actually listen 572 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: with open hearts and will witness this with us so 573 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: that we're not alone in it. It Could Happen Here 574 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: is a production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts 575 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: from cool Zone Media, visit our website cool zone media 576 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: dot com, or check us out on the I Heart 577 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 578 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: You can find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated 579 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: monthly at cool zone Media dot com slash sources. Thanks 580 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: for listening.