The COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for the whole world, especially the healthcare field. On top of carrying the increased risks of infection, the medical staff suffered from a variety of mental health issues, including occupational burnout, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. A survey of healthcare workers by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US found that more than fifty percent have symptoms of a least one mental disorder (Greenberg et al., 2020). The main contributor is the sudden change in demand and pressures on the healthcare system that was disproportionate to its actual capabilities. Thus, the major causes for the distress were identified in the survey as concerns about inadequate resources, lack of training, support, and preparedness, and inconsistent information. All of these issues combined led to the healthcare field being affected the most by the Great Resignation. This situation has a significant implication for the future of healthcare, as the current challenges drive away even the potential new workers. Therefore, despite other important issues, the primary objective of the public health policy should be focused on employee retention and motivation of the future generation to join the field.
The main implication of the increase in mental health conditions among the medical staff is the subsequent decrease in these human resources. According to a survey of healthcare workers by the CDC, a large number of nurses and doctors have already left or planning to leave the profession in the next several years (Greenberg et al., 2020). In some mild cases, the workers decide to reduce their working hours to deal with their mental health issues. It has a definite ramification in the future potential of the system to provide care to the population. Moreover, the current situation discourages future professionals to pursue the study of this occupation. This effect, combined with the general difficulty, cost, and length of the programs, has adverse consequences for the students choosing this track. This fact has an implication for the long-term prospects of the healthcare industry, as the Great Resignation would be only a small part of the larger problem in a few years.
The massive number of resignations already has a slow impact on the strategies and actions undertaken by the hospitals. One example of such change is the usage of body cameras for nurses. The nurses reported positive effects of them on their mental health, leading to reduced stress levels. These reports urged many hospitals across the US and the world to decide to invest their funds in the technology, as they are striving for quick solutions to retain their nurse employees (Greenberg et al., 2020). The spread of this practice is massive to the extent that industry specialists predict that the use of body cameras is highly likely to become a mandatory policy in the nursing sector. From a greater perspective, the healthcare system in all parts of the US is going to search for more ways to increase job satisfaction in their work to improve retention rates. Moreover, it will include pathways to motivate young specialists to join the field.
This data and predictions are invaluable in analyzing the healthcare system and policy strategizing for my capstone project. Even on a smaller scale, this information is necessary and useful for any future medical specialist as they enter the occupation amidst the current situation. For greater research, the analysis of this data is crucial and inescapable, as mental health issues are tied to the larger future of the healthcare industry.
Reference
Greenberg, N., Docherty, M., Gnanapragasam, S., & Wessely, S. (2020). Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ, 368.