KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - The Catholic Health Initiatives organization has closed a health care unit offering rehabilitation services in a south-central Nebraska city due to a nursing shortage.
CHI Health Good Samaritan officials have notified the state of the closure of the Transitional Care Unit in Kearney, the Kearney Hub (https://bit.ly/2sKCJG0 ) reported.
“It was a hard decision but allows our focus to remain on hospital-based, acute care,” said Michael Schnieders, CEO of Good Samaritan.
Schnieders said that the unit was a separate, skilled nursing facility providing short-term care to medically complex patients, rehab patients and end-of-life care patients.
“As a skilled nursing unit, TCU works very differently than any other unit of our hospital,” he said. “It is not an acute unit, but more like a nursing home. Unlike the other nursing homes here in town, it happens to be located inside the walls of the hospital.”
Schnieders said no other units have closed.
He said the cutback is due to the national nursing shortage. Good Samaritan currently employs 530 nurses and has more than 25 open positions available.
According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurse is fifth in the list of occupations with the largest projected job openings because of growth and replacement needs.
“The nursing shortage shines a light on the fact that health care is changing, and we need to look at new ways to provide care in the most efficient and high-quality manner possible,” Schnieders said. “At one time, hospitals across the nation provided skilled nursing care within their walls. Now, it’s rare to see that type of care offered in the hospital setting.”
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Information from: Kearney Hub, https://www.kearneyhub.com/
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