For those baffled by hospitals laying off nurses during a pandemic: nurses are a "cost center" in hospitals. Our antiquated model means nurses don& #39;t generate revenue. From the CFO perspective, an easy way to improve the books. For everyone else, tragic long-term consequences.

Here& #39;s a great quote from one of my nurse respondents that nails the point. So grateful for this articulate response. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e31820b6efa">https://doi.org/10.1097/N...

What& #39;s worse: hospitals caring for a lot of #COVID19 pts are likely seeing their hours of care/day go through the roof (probing, drips, sedation, precautions). So financial pressures are worse when you give more/better care.

Here& #39;s an example: find the nursing care in this bill. You can& #39;t! It& #39;s pretty much on the "room" item. Whether you& #39;re on an hourly glucose drip or recovering from a simple appendectomy, all that matters is whether your room was semi- or private. [Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/health/how-to-read-your-medical-bill/]">https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/heal...

The last time US hospitals pulled a stunt like this was during the ill-fated merger craze of the late 1990s. Disastrous consequences for patients. Nurses& #39; trust in leaders eroded. Imagine repeating that horrible mistake during a pandemic. Good paper here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.00196">https://doi.org/10.1111/1...