A new survey from NurseGrid, which is part of Nashville-based HealthStream, sheds light on the experiences of nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings of the survey, which features responses from more than 15,000 nurses, include:
- 64% are experiencing a change in their work assignment
- 38% have been reassigned to treat COVID patients
- 21% have had their hours reduced, been moved to on-call or have been furloughed
- 84% report a shortage of new N95, and over half reported shortages in negative airflow room and shields.
- N95 masks continue to be in short supply with 84% of nurses nationally saying more new masks are needed. Other shortages mentioned by a majority include negative airflow rooms (53%) and shields (52%). Rampant supply shortages were noted in the states hardest hit by the pandemic (NY, NJ, CT, MA, LA). Except for masks, shortages appear to be less pronounced in much of the rest of the country.
- 80% of nurses report they are "very" to "somewhat" confident in their ability to treat COVID-19 patients. Seasoned nurses are no more confident than those with fewer years of experience.
You can view interactive results by state (including the 250 nurses from TN above) here.
The full survey results are available here.