Staffing Contingency Plans during COVID

[CCHP-RN]

I know all of you are feeling the staffing shortage as much as I am. 

I was just wondering what other correctional facilities are doing when medical staff are not staying and staffing is at critical levels.  COVID has wreaked havoc on facilities. 

At what point do we move to the emergent, urgent, then routine clinic activities? I say we do what we have to do, but there is only so much we can expect from one employee. 

Anything you have implemented (procedures) to allow the staff to focus on the most essential duties?  

[bluescrubs, ADN, ASN, RN]

I work in a hospital now as a traveler but awhile back I was in corrections and love it. I will eventually go back but right now the money is not in corrections even if you go with them through a travel company. I've worked in jails and prisons and if they get real desperate they will hire travelers but usually they will just work short staffed and the staff can pick up as much overtime as they want. It's a shame because the patients don't get proper treatment, sick calls are not responded to in a timely manner and thing falls through the cracks. But the same thing is going on with the hospital system right now.

Nurses working over there ratio, new orders not seen or carried out in a timely manner, 1 tech for a whole unit, etc. Everywhere I've worked in since the pandemic was short staffed, psych facilities, hospitals, and corrections. They have jobs posted online for people to apply but most corrections places do not pay that well, many people do not want to work in jails and prisons to begin with and even if you do want to work there like me the hospitals are paying 4x's the weekly amount so nurses are going where the money is. You cant' treat me like crap AND pay me like it too. I'm not sure when this staffing crisis will end but hopefully the big wigs see how important nurses staff is with any facility.