Ninety-four percent of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes across the U.S. experienced a nurse staffing issue during the pandemic, according to a report released in September by the U.S. Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
The nursing shortage crisis extended into other federal healthcare programs as well. According to the report, 91 percent of VA-run facilities, 88 percent medical treatment facilities run by the Department of Defense, and 69 percent of facilities run by the Bureau of Prisons.
These programs also reported shortages of medical officers.
On top of that, "officials at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes reported that personnel quit their jobs because of their fear of COVID-19 infection while caring for nursing home residents," the report states.
These findings come on the heels of a new initiative from the Biden administration that aims to impose nurse staffing minimums at nursing homes across the U.S. to improve patient safety and care. However, the report findings highlight that these facilities are largely struggling to keep the staff they currently have.