Since it first appeared on the world’s radar, Covid-19 has shaken up every major industry. No other industry has been hit as hard and as fast as the healthcare industry, however. From political fights to ones happening in board rooms, Covid-19 has been a controversial beast to tackle. For employees and employers in the healthcare industry especially, there have been some major issues surrounding the implementation (and legality) of Covid-19 vaccination mandates.
To help you understand the controversies and information more clearly, here are a few major ways Covid-19 vaccine mandates are affecting the staffing practices within the healthcare industry:
Some Major Employers in the Healthcare Industry Drop Vaccine Requirements
As the pandemic continues to rage, skepticism from some Americans surrounding the need to get vaccinated has yet to go away. With the already dire need for more employees and part-time staff at hospital locations, some of the healthcare industry’s largest employers have had to reevaluate their own policies regarding vaccination mandates. The two largest employers who’ve made major changes? HCA and Tenet – two of the most well-known employers in the game.
Both companies have begun to remove requirements that all types of staff they hire and employ must be up-to-date on their Covid-19 vaccinations. Despite the fact that they are doing so to help keep their staffing issues under control, many (both inside and outside the industry) wonder what the repercussions of the actions might become. Thankfully, the healthcare industry sports one of the largest percentages of workers who are likely to get vaccinated all on their own, without the need for a mandate to get them the shot.
To make matters that much more complicated, the CDC is often still pushing for frontline workers to not only have their base vaccinations but to be boosted as well.
The Uncertainty Surrounding Vaccine Mandates After Supreme Court Rulings
Before the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that struck down the vast majority of regulations within the Biden administration’s Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates, there were very few healthcare employers who were taking a chance on not requiring their employees to get vaccinated. While the number of employers turning course is not yet drastic, the recent ruling has set the ground for more employers to give into employees who still remain hesitant (if not downright insistent) on not receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
That being said, it should be noted that some areas of the healthcare industry are still affected by tenants of the Biden admin’s mandate. If you’re a healthcare worker who is uncertain whether you’re required to be vaccinated or not, it’s best to talk to your supervisors, as they will have the nitty-gritty details you’ll need.
It will not be much longer before other Covid-19 and vaccination-related cases end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, so the state of vaccination mandates (both politically and legally) will not become cut and dry anytime soon. No matter what side of the fence you might be on, this will be a topic you’ll want to keep up-to-date on for the foreseeable future.
Major Staff Demands Have Yet to Go Down as Covid-19 Rages
There is a massive shortage of employees in the healthcare industry, and there are no signs that this problem will have an easy solution anytime in the near future. Without this massive demand caused by the continued raging of Covid-19 around the country, the need for so many court and political battles surrounding the vaccination topic would not be needed in the first place.
Even if the courts become more supportive of the Biden admin’s efforts to keep vaccination mandatory for healthcare professionals (not to mention mandates of individual governors and other major politicians), the actual heads of the healthcare industry will continue to struggle with this pressing issue. Due to this, it’s highly recommended that healthcare workers make their voices heard as this issue continues to boil.
Additionally, Covid-19 has seen many looks for new career positions, or even retirement. There’s an uncertainty lingering in the minds of healthcare professionals about the safety of certain workplaces, and this will continue to make the already major staffing crises that much more difficult to handle. Alongside this, switching careers, while often appealing to many healthcare workers, has become a much more monumental task within the chaotic climate the Covid-19 pandemic has created for the industry.
The Future of Healthcare Staffing Remains Unclear
The problems in the healthcare industry Covid-19 has led to will be with us for a long, long time. Consider how your own vaccination status will affect your healthcare in the future, and prepare for it. For those who are professionals within the industry itself, this action becomes that much more drastically important.