The one I think you are missing is that nurses are and have been overworked for a WHILE now. (that's what I get from /r/nursing)
Hospitals have made sure they hire JUST ENOUGH nurses to cover shifts and no more. With covid hitting, this blew out the number of nurses needed resulting in a lot of "I know you've already worked 60 hours, but can you do another 20? we are short!".
Rather than hiring permanent people or upping salary, Hospitals have instead elected to just use travel nurses and an extreme premium so as to avoid any salary increases.
The fix is one that Hospital admins don't want. Pay your nurses more and hire more than the minimum to cover shifts so a nurse being out sick doesn't result in another working a 80 hour week.
So, instead it's been day old pizza with superhero stickers.
Hospitals have made sure they hire JUST ENOUGH nurses to cover shifts and no more. With covid hitting, this blew out the number of nurses needed resulting in a lot of "I know you've already worked 60 hours, but can you do another 20? we are short!".
Rather than hiring permanent people or upping salary, Hospitals have instead elected to just use travel nurses and an extreme premium so as to avoid any salary increases.
The fix is one that Hospital admins don't want. Pay your nurses more and hire more than the minimum to cover shifts so a nurse being out sick doesn't result in another working a 80 hour week.
So, instead it's been day old pizza with superhero stickers.