Emergency Nursing Program

Project Description

Harris County’s Emergency Nursing project supported an increase in medical workforce staffing levels in local hospitals to address surges in COVID-19 cases associated with the Omicron and Delta variants and provided critical support to patients and healthcare workers. COVID-19 created a strain on hospitals in disproportionately impacted areas, and during both the Delta and Omicron wave, hospitals across Texas struggled with historically low staffing levels.

Harris County Public Health collaborated with Angel Staffing and the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) to place healthcare staff in area hospitals. SETRAC specifically worked to identify hospital needs to prioritize and place staff based on those needs. Angel Staffing recruited and placed emergency medical staff in area hospitals and managed the associated payroll. Through these services, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and other medical staff were supplied to hospitals across the County, with a particular focus on Intensive Care Units (ICU), medical surge/trauma, emergency department, respiratory specialists, pediatric ICU, and pediatric medical surge staffing. In total, 963 registered nurses and respiratory specialists were placed across 18 hospitals. Harris County received a FEMA reimbursement on the funds spent supporting non-profit hospitals in Harris County in September 2022.

PRIMARY PARTNERSHIPS

TARGET IMPACT

1,095 Registered Nurses and Respiratory Specialists were placed across 18 hospitals in 9 different categories including: ICU, Emergency Departments, Pediatric ICU, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Obstetric ICU, Medical Surge/Trauma, Respiratory Specialist, Pediatric Medical Surge, and Inertial Measurement Unit.

Harris County collected the following Key Performance indicators:

  • Number of staff requested during the Delta wave
  • Number of staff rostered during the Delta wave
  • Number of staff requested during the Omicron wave
  • Number of staff rostered during the Omicron wave

USE OF EVIDENCE & PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

Having adequate medical staff on hand to treat patients with COVID-19 was vital throughout the pandemic. Many medical professionals left the field due to burnout, risk of infection, or for more lucrative positions. As a result of nationwide nursing shortages, many state and local governments had to create new avenues to employ nurses in hospitals experiencing critically low staffing levels. The Emergency Nursing project brought qualified healthcare staff into hospitals with critical needs in Harris County. This project was based on studies completed and guidance provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE).