Southern Arizona hospitals work to recruit staff

Area hospitals are doing all they can to raise staffing levels.

UNIVERSITY AND NORTHWESTHEALTHCARE THREE HOSPITALS INSOUTHERN ARIZONA WITHDIFFERENT NEEDS WHEN IT COMESTO STAFFING NAT (CAR DRIVINGBY AS THE NUMBER OFCORONAVIRUS CASES INCREASEACROSS THE STATE THE NEEDFOR NURSES AND DOCTORS, ALSOINCREASE AT TUCSON MEDICALCENTER - OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RERECRUITING HELP JUST LIKEOTHER HOSPITALS ACROSS THE U-SIN A STATEMENT THEY SAID QUOTE"WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITINGTRAVEL LABOR AND HAVEADDITIONAL STAFF COMING TOHELP OUT IN THE COMING DAYS.WE ARE ALSO OFFERINGINCENTIVES TO OUR OWN STAFF TOWORK IN AREAS THEY MAY NOTTYPICALLY WORK.

FOR EXAMPLE,NURSES WORKING IN IT MAY BEASKED TO TEMPORARILY WORK ATTHE BEDSIDE." LESS THAN FIVEMILES AWAY, AT BANNERUNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER -OFFICIALS SAID DURING ATYPICAL WINTER THEY NEED 1,000ADDITIONAL NURSES ADDINGTHEY EXPECT THAT NEED TODOUBLE BECAUSE OF COVID-19THAY ADDED QUOTE - "WEANTICIPATE THAT THIS WILL BEVERY CHALLENGING GIVEN THENATIONAL DEMAND AS THE ENTIRECOUNTRY SURGES.

FOR THISREASON, BANNER HAS ALSOUPSKILLED MORE THAN 900 TEAMMEMBERS.

THIS MEANS THAT WETRAIN A TEAM MEMBER FROMANOTHER UNIT OR AREA OF THEHOSPITAL IN THE SKILLSNECESSARY TO CARE FOR PATIENTSIN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT(ICU).

IN ORO VALLEY - ATNORTHWEST HEALTHCARE CENTER -APPROXIMATELY 30 TRAVELINGNURSES WILL BE JOINING THETEAM TO HELP WITH THE RECENTSURGE WHILE ALL HOSPITALS AREDIFFERENT THEY ALLEMPHASIZED ONE COMMONALITY -HOW DIFFICULT ITS BEEN TOAQUIRE OR (TRY TO AQUIRE THEADDITIONAL STAFF.

VERONICAACOSTA KGUN NINE ON YOUR SIDE.ANOTHER SCHOOL IN THE VAILSCHOOL DISTRICT HAS SHUT DOWN