Within the past month, 15 respiratory therapists — healthcare workers who provide critical care for severe COVID-19 patients — have left their positions at a Kansas hospital, reports CBS affiliate KOLR.
Officials at Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System said 15 respiratory therapists have left the hospital, citing exhaustion and frustration. The departures strain a medical staff that was already short-staffed, reports KOLR.
Julie Rojas, a respiratory therapist with the health system, said the job feels heavier, knowing the demand is still high as healthcare workers walk away.
"There are some weeks I'm here at the hospital more than I'm at home," Ms. Rojas said during a Sept. 14 briefing, per KOLR. "Your co-workers become like your family, and they understand the things you see and deal with. It's hard for us to lose them, emotionally too."
Becker's has reached out to University of Kansas Health System and will update this story with any additional information provided.