Widespread nursing shortage

Widespread nursing shortage

News.

A new report says u.s. nursing homes are in bad shape.

The aarp analyzed federal data and found states needed to make major improvements in order to save lives.

Missouri was included on the list.

Kq2's madeline mcclain reports on one of those major problems that needs to be fixed.

<<kq2's madeline mcclain reportingscript:heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: nobody is coming to help.

I wish people would get it through their minds.

There might not be a bed for you if you get this.more than 2600 people are in missouri hospitals.the virus has infected more than 305- thousand -- and killed more than 4000 of them.heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "the latest report out of the hospital association today is that if we keep on this path, we will no longer have any beds available come mid-december."

Heidi lucas the director of the state nurses association says beds may be the least of our problems.staffing is in short supply.heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "our nursing staff is cut very, very thin."

From the icu to nursing homes and everything in between -- there were not enough nurses to go around -- and the pandemic just made it worse.

Heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "at the beginning of the pandemic when new york got hard hit we had nurses from across the country including some in missouri who went out to new york and were helping.

Well, now it's bad everywhere.it's worse for nursing homes -- residential care facilities -- other types of care facilities.

Heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "they've been in crisis mode for several months and it's just getting worse and worse."

Missouri nursing homes operating in crisis mode was confirmed in federal data released in a report by the american association of retire persons this week.it found that missouri's nursing homes have more cases and deaths than the national average.

Heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "it just takes one staff to come in with the disease and despite all their best efforts if it gets out like that can do enormous damage in a short amount of time in a nursing home."the report found missouris nursing homes also have less staff and ppe than the national average.heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "they typically have less rn staff or prn staff that work in them.

They are staff with lpns and cnas so those were already far worse in a shortage than our rns even were."what's worse?heidi lucas, state director of mo.

Nurses association: "no help is coming for our hospitals or nursing homes.

Help is not coming."reporting madeline mcclain kq2 news.

The federal data used in the report is just part of the overall picture..

The u.s. government only requires federally licensed nursing homes to submit covid-19 data on a bi-weekly basis.

No other types of care facilities are