Nurses upset with governor's executive order to change nurse to patient ratio

BAKERSFIELD... BAYAN HAVE ANY OFOUR LOCAL HOSPITALSINCREASED THEIR NURSE TO PATIENTRATIOS YET?JESSICA -- I WAS ABLE TO SPEAKTO A FEW OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITALSTODAY AND THEY SAID SO FAR THEYHAVE NOT CHANGED THENURSE TO PATIENT RATIO -- BUTWITH THE COUNTY'S ICU CAPACITYSHRINKING AND A SIGNIFICANTSHORTAGE OF NURSES... THEMOVE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARECONSIDERING ANDONE LOCAL HOSPITAL SAYS IT'SPROBABLY SOMETHING THEARE GOING TO DO AT SOME POIN"AS AN ICU NURSE, I CAN TELL YOUTHATSHORT STAFFING IS THE DIFFERENCEBETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.""EVERYONE'S CALLING US HEROES,BUT OURLAWMAKERS ARE THROWING US UNDERTHE BUS."SEVERAL I-C-U NURSES ACROSSCALIFORNIA -- EXPRESSINGTHEIR FRUSTRATION DURING ACALIFORNIANURSING ASSOCIATION PRESSCONFERENCEWEDNESDAY.THE ISSUE -- ONE OF THE GOVERNORNEWSOM'S LATESTEXECUTIVE ORDERS -- ADJUSTED THENURSE-TO-PATIENT RATIO FROM ONE NURSE PERTWO PATIENTS TO ONENURSE PER THREE PATIENTS.ICU PATIENTS ARE THE SICKESTPATIENTS INTHE HOSPITAL.JOHN PASHA..

A CARDIAC ICU NURSEIN SAN JOSE SAYS THEMOVE ULTIMATELY PUTS PATIENTS INDANGER --"THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 50% INOURWORKLOAD, WHICH LEADS UP TO 25%WORSE PATIENT OUTCOMES AND 23PERCENT HIGHER LIKLIHOOD OF JOBBURNOUT."IN KERN COUNTY -- A SHORTAGE OFNURSES HAS BEEN APPARENT SINCETHE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC --A SECOND SURGE -- A SHRINKINGICUCAPACITY -- AS SOME LOCALHOSPITALS ARE CONSIDERINGADJUSTING THE NURSE RATIO ASWELL."THE STATE WILL ALLOW US TO DOTHATWITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION RIGHTAWAY, WHICH IS WHAT WE MAY NEEDTO DO....BUT THAT IS NOT OUR PLAN FORBOTH MERCY OR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL,HOWEVERWE WILL DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TOTAKE CARE OF PATIENTS."KERN MEDICAL CEO RUSSEL JUDDHOLDS A SIMILAR STANCE AS THEYNO LONGER HAVE ICU CAPACITY ANDARE BEGINNING TO PLACE PATIENTIN THEIR OVERFLOW AREAS.

DURINGTHE SUMMERSURGE..

HIRING DOZENS OFTRAVELING AND REGISTRY NURSES TOHELP OUT WEST WAS CRITICAL..

BUTTHIS TIME AROUNDTHE SURGE IS MORE WIDESPREAD INTHE COUNTRY...AND NOW THOSE NURSES ARE UNABLETO COME BACK, ACCORDING TO JUDD.HE SAYS ADJUSTING NURSE RATIOSAT HIS HOSPITAL IS ALSO ANOPTION."WE'RE EVALUATING THAT RIGHTNOW, OURGOAL FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TOPROVIDE THE BEST CARE THAT WECAN AND CLEARLY THE MORE NURSESYOU HAVE TO PATIENTS THE BETTERIT IS, HOWEVER WE DO HAVE TOCARE FOR PATIENTS.

SO WE AREEVALUATING IT, I DO ANTICIPATETHAT WE DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OFTHAT FLEX."AND WE REACHED OUT TO ADVENTISTHEALTHBAKERSFIELD TO SEE IF THEY MADEANY CHANGES TO THEIR NURSINGRATIOS -- SO FAR WE HAVE NOTGOTTEN A RESPONSE..IN EAST BAKERSFIELD, BAYAN WANGAS GOVERNOR NEWSOM PLANS TO MAKECHANGES TOHOSPITALS-- LET'S TAKE A LOOK ATHOW THINGS COULD BEIMPACTED LOCALLY.RIGHT NOW-- KERN COUNTY HAS 358PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITALFIGHTING COVID-19.THIS NUMBER COMES FROM PUBLICHEALTH DIRECTOR MATTCONSTANTINE.OF THOSE PATIENTS-- 66 OF THEMARE IN I-C-U.SO WHAT DO THOSE NUMBERS MEANFOR I-C-U CAPACITY?WELL-- RIGHT NOW-- PUBLIC HEALTHSAYS KERN HAS 20 ICU BEDS OPENFOR COVID-19 PATIENTS.

THAT'SROUGHLY 4 POINT 8 PERCENTCAPACITY.AS KERN COUNTY RESIDENTS AWAITTHE FIRST LOCAL SHIPMENTS OFTHE COVID VACCINE LATER THISWEEK, SOME ARE ASKING IFGETTING VACCINATED MAY LEAD TO AFALSE POSITIVECORONAVIRUS TEST.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL JOININGUS LIVE FROM ADVENTISTHEALTH IN CENTRAL BAKERSFIELDWITH WHATDOCTORS ARE SAYING YOU SHOULDKNOW.

AUSTIN?THE CONCERN IS THAT THEANTIBODIES THAT COME FROM THEVACCINE COULD TRIGGER A FALSEPOSITIVE... BUT LOCAL HEALTHOFFICIALS SAY THAT WILL NO"WE'RE EVALUATING THAT RIGHTNOW, OURGOAL FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TOPROVIDE THE BEST CARE THAT WECANAND CLEARLY THE MORE NURSES YOUHAVE TO PATIENTS THE BETTER ITIS,HOWEVER WE DO HAVE TO CARE FORPATIENTS.

SO WE ARE EVALUATINGIT, I DOANTICIPATE THAT WE DO TAKEADVANTAGE OF THAT FLEX."AND WE REACHED OUT TO ADVENTISTHEALTHBAKERSFIELD TO SEE IF THEY MADEANY CHANGES TO THEIR NURSINGRATIOS -- SO FAR WE HAVE NOTGOTTEN A RESPONSE.AND WE REACHED OUT TO ADVENTISTHEALTHBAKERSFIELD TO SEE IF THEY MADEANY CHANGES TO THEIR NURSINGRATIOS -- SO FAR WE HAVE NOTGOTTEN A RESPONSE..IN EAST BAKERSFIELD, BAYAN WANGAS GOVERNOR NEWSOM PLANS TO MAKECHANGES