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Inside a Mississippi hospital hard-hit by nursing shortage

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3 years ago

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Inside a Mississippi hospital hard-hit by nursing shortage

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
February 22, 2022

Mississippi hospitals have about 3,000 total nursing vacancies — equivalent to one-fifth of the state’s entire nursing workforce — according to a recent survey from the Mississippi Hospital Association.

Health care workers, especially nurses, have left the state during the pandemic to better paying jobs with temp companies or hospitals outside of Mississippi. As a result of the shortage and the omicron variant surge, hospitals in the state have been forced to cut capacities by closing beds.

Singing River Health System’s three Gulf Coast hospitals currently have more than 200 nursing vacancies, 50 of which are at Ocean Springs Hospital. The challenges the hospital system faces were highlighted in The New York Times’ Feb. 18 episode of The Daily.

In this photo gallery, Mississippi Today went inside the walls of Ocean Springs Hospital to follow a day in the life of the health care workers and patients there.

  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs checks Hazel Padgett’s heartbeat at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • A hospital bed is placed in front of a wall with a quote from one of Louis Armstrong’s songs at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Medical lab scientist Rachael Ward tests blood samples at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • An encouraging sign is in place inside of the laboratory at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Medical lab scientist Rachael Ward tests blood samples at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Covid-19 tests are in place at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Medical technologist Tori Hobby takes a look at specimen collected from patients at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • A balloon floats outside of a Covid-19 patient’s room at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • A monitor attached to a ventilator for a Covid-19 patient can be seen at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurses Cyndy O’Brien, left and Joyce Blankenship discuss nurses salaries while on their break at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Used head gear rests on a cabinet inside of the emergency room at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Natalie Shepherd, a surgical tech student, takes a break from her shift at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Stethoscopes are in place for the medical staff at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Phlebotomist Shanyce Gaither prepares to collect blood samples from a patient at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs prepares to see a patient at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Damon Walker, a dialysis patient, prays while in his room at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Patient care assistant Keshia Porter brings Damon Walker, a dialysis patient, to his room at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Patient care assistant Keshia Porter brings Damon Walker, a dialysis patient, to his room at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Nurses prepare to gather medications for patients at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurse Haley Gibbs looks at a patient’s information during her shift at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurses Haley Gibbs, left, and Dominic Villa look at a patient’s chart during their shifts at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs takes a call while at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs talks with Hazel Padgett, a patient at Ocean Springs Hospital, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs combs Hazel Padgett’s hair after checking her vitals at Ocean Springs Hospital, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs talks with Hazel Padgett, a patient at Ocean Springs Hospital, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs checks Hazel Padgett’s vitals at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • Registered nurse Lauren Gibbs checks Hazel Padgett’s heartbeat at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Padgett was recently hospitalized due to lung problems.
  • Registered nurses Jenna Taylor, left, and Allie Black, take a look at a patient’s information at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.
  • Registered nurse Dominic Villa looks at a patient’s chart during his shift at Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial

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21 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-21 16:41:00

SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.

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Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death

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2 days ago

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November 20, 2024

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www.wjtv.com – Tia McKenzie – 2024-11-20 14:20:00

SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.

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Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson

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2 days ago

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November 20, 2024

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-20 19:08:00

SUMMARY: A man was shot in Jackson, Mississippi, while attempting to assist a person with a stalled vehicle on State Street at Beasley Road around 4:00 p.m. on November 20. Detective Tommie Brown reported that the victim was working on the vehicle when the suspect approached, questioned him, and then opened fire. The assailant fled the scene in a vehicle. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Police Department is seeking information about the incident and encourages anyone with details to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

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The post Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com

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