Nursing ranks are gutted; those left feel unappreciated, overworked
An employee leaves the emergency room as ambulances line up outside Baptist Memorial Hospital, Aug. 20, 2021. Local nurses and other staff, tired of feeling unappreciated, are leaving in droves. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Travel nurses filling the gaps make two to three times more an hour than staff RNs; it rankles, nurses say. But there are other reasons, including appreciation, exacerbating the nursing shortage.
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Dr. Reginald Coopwood Nancy Averwater travel nurses nurse shortage Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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