This discussion was recorded on July 21, 2022. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Robert D. Glatter, MD: Welcome. I'm Dr Robert Glatter, medical advisor for Medscape Emergency Medicine. Today we have Dr Peter Papadakos, professor of anesthesiology and director of critical care medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, to discuss the ongoing staffing shortages affecting hospitals throughout the United States.
Welcome, Dr Papadakos.
Peter J. Papadakos, MD: Thank you very much for inviting me.
Glatter: Thank you so much for joining me. I wanted to talk about an interesting piece that you wrote in Anesthesiology News, titled "In the Care of Strangers: The Post-Pandemic Staffing Crisis." It really rang home to me because you visit many important points about the influx of locums providers, especially during COVID-19, and how it affected morale, team building, and cohesiveness among hospital staff. It was very eye-opening. Why are we in the midst of a national post–COVID-19 staffing crisis? What are the root causes of this?
Papadakos: As I point out in the article, it's a multiplicity of reasons. One is burnout. Many people worked incredibly long hours during COVID-19, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and all kinds of technicians.
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COMMENTARY
Hospital Staffing Crisis: What's the Role of Locums Workers?
Robert D. Glatter, MD; Peter J. Papadakos, MD
DisclosuresAugust 12, 2022
This discussion was recorded on July 21, 2022. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Robert D. Glatter, MD: Welcome. I'm Dr Robert Glatter, medical advisor for Medscape Emergency Medicine. Today we have Dr Peter Papadakos, professor of anesthesiology and director of critical care medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, to discuss the ongoing staffing shortages affecting hospitals throughout the United States.
Welcome, Dr Papadakos.
Peter J. Papadakos, MD: Thank you very much for inviting me.
Glatter: Thank you so much for joining me. I wanted to talk about an interesting piece that you wrote in Anesthesiology News, titled "In the Care of Strangers: The Post-Pandemic Staffing Crisis." It really rang home to me because you visit many important points about the influx of locums providers, especially during COVID-19, and how it affected morale, team building, and cohesiveness among hospital staff. It was very eye-opening. Why are we in the midst of a national post–COVID-19 staffing crisis? What are the root causes of this?
Papadakos: As I point out in the article, it's a multiplicity of reasons. One is burnout. Many people worked incredibly long hours during COVID-19, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and all kinds of technicians.
Medscape Emergency Medicine © 2022 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Robert D. Glatter, Peter J. Papadakos. Hospital Staffing Crisis: What's the Role of Locums Workers? - Medscape - Aug 12, 2022.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author(s)
Robert D. Glatter, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY
Disclosure: Robert D. Glatter, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Peter J. Papadakos, MD
Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Surgery, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, University of Rochester; Director of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
Disclosure: Peter J. Papadakos, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.