As the number of patients keeps rising at Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC), chief nursing officer Deb Aders says there is still a demand for Intensive Care Unit travel nurses.
Aders said they are multiple ways travel nurses are chosen for the job. They are gathered through the state surge line and travel companies. Traveling nurses book their contract, usually about 13 weeks, although some extend that period. She adds with travel nurses, YRMC works with an agency that they contract with or negotiate whatever the cost of the salary their skill systems are required to have, including to be ACLS certified and every CPR certified.
"We're very fortunate that a lot of times our travel nurses like in method we actually apply for our open positions, so that's what we're seeing now. We actually had several travel nurses who just requested to be higher with core positions in our ICU. That you know, it's good. It's a good source for us also to hopefully get corners if it's a good fit."
As of Friday, YRMC has 120 travel nurses. But with the holiday season being a high peak for COVID, Aders hopes to get more nurses in the community. YRMC also saw a lot of nursing burnout during the second and third waves. But it continues offering programs to help nurses cope with distress.
"We have program stress relief programs, or Spiritual Care Department has worked with the staff a lot of things through HR as well as their Arizona nursing associations and these are at no cost to staff. "
Aders asks the community to be patient, care for each other, wear a face-covering indoors and continue to follow social distancing when you enter the hospital.