The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Big Sandy businesses are feeling the effects of the national labor shortage, particularly the larger employers in the area. The school system, the Medical Center, and Big Sandy Activities are all dealing with staff shortages, which is a particular problem because all three organizations provide services that cannot simply be cancelled. The needs of residents, patients, and students do not take a day off simply because there aren’t enough people to do the work of caring for, treating, teaching, or transporting them.

The Big Sandy Public School system found hiring teachers and support staff to be a particular challenge going into the coming school year. Though they were able to deal with the shortage of teachers, Superintendent Kelly Haaland explained that the search for workers is far from over. “We can’t find janitors, we can’t find bus drivers, we can’t find just common people to come in and help. It’s everywhere. It’s hitting education really hard because you have to have licensed and certified people. A lot of people don’t want the burden of doing that.” The school is also looking to fill a full time kitchen position. The school is able to deal with some of the shortfalls through creative means, like using substitute teachers. One novel solution came out of the measures they employed during Covid, when they opted to keep the high school students at their own school to eat lunch. This limited the exposure of students from the older grades to the elementary school, and limited opportunities for the virus to spread. Previously, all students went to the cafeteria at the elementary school to eat because the kitchen is there. This approach also eliminated the need for a bus driver to transport the students. The school has struggled with finding new bus drivers as old ones retire or leave. Still, the staff shortfalls present a big problem for the school going into the new year.

Ashley Jacobi, the Director of Nursing and Infection Control at the Medical Center, expressed her frustration with difficulty hiring nursing staff. “It’s hard to find people who are reliable, but also willing to work in healthcare right now post-Covid. There are a lot of changes and new rules, so you have a lot of your older nurses and CNAs retire or quit. For this new generation, it’s hard because it is so demanding in our line of work.” The Medical Center nursing staff is currently running full shifts, which testifies to the quality of the work environment and treatment they receive from the organization. The major issue with the shortage of extra nurses results in wear and tear on the regular staff. “We are working short-staffed. So, if someone calls in, you have a 2 hour notice at 4 in the morning, and you have to be at work at 6 or vice versa, you get a call at 4 in the afternoon and you have to be at work at 6 in the evening to work a night shift.” The Medical Center’s efforts to hire CNAs (Certified Nurses Assistants) still brings in new hires, but rarely from the Big Sandy area. Ashley explained the value of nurses and CNAs recruited locally: “It’s nice having people in the area, especially when you have those traumas come in, then it’s “all hands on deck.” Having people closer increases the chances of saving someone’s life. But also, a tighter community and knowing why we go above and beyond on a Sunday night for a community member who needs something. It’s that sense of community that people don’t understand coming from the outside.” The Medical Center is able to make up shortfalls within their staff by utilizing

travelers, CNAs and nurses who travel the state and fill in at different facilities. These travelers have been a God-send. Still, consistent staffing brings its own major advantages in quality of care, which is a top priority for the Medical Center: “Quality of care and consistency. We are there for the residents. We want them to have the best routine and the best quality of care. So if I take care of a resident every single day, I am up to date on what’s going on. Things aren’t being missed. Meds aren’t be missed. They are on a routine schedule. Pain meds are on the routine. But if you throw in a traveler, who doesn’t know our computer system, they’re hung up on that. Then their meds can be late. They don’t know that so-and-so likes to be put to bed at 7 PM and then we bring her pills in at 8 so she can be asleep by 9. It’s just those little things that make their lives so much easier. If you throw a new person into it, they have no idea.” For those interested in working at the Medical Center, they do offer CNA classes. The full class includes only one Big Sandy resident with all the others coming in from elsewhere. Throughout our conversation, Ashley made it a point to explain that the extraordinary quality of the nursing/CNA staff has been the main reason things continue to run so smoothly.

Big Sandy Activities is also experiencing a shortage in staffing. Though I speak on this topic in another article in this issue, it’s important to note that the need there has stretched to the point of having 5 full time positions open, which Heather referred to as a “desperation level” of need. Though some shortfalls at BSA can be filled through the use of overtime hours, the need exceeds that stop-gap measure.

The common feature in all of these organizations isn’t difficult to spot: they all serve the needs of others who can’t take care of their own needs. They are also jobs that bring a payout that is less obvious than large checks or recognition. They are opportunities to be a part of the education process or care for someone who can’t care for themselves. It’s often dirty or difficult work, but it’s worth it. Michael Yegerlener, a former long-time BSA staff explained it well: “Half the time they couldn’t pay me enough to do this job, and the other half I can’t believe I am getting paid.” Ashley offered the same sentiment: “I’ll be honest, I got my CNA when I was 16 years old, and I just did it because I wanted a job. I remember my first day was with Deb, and she put me in a bathroom with a resident who was combative, and I was like “I am done! I’m never going to do this again!” Now, here I am the director of nurses, and I don’t know what I would be doing if I wasn’t. I used to say: I am not doing this. I am not wiping anybody’s butt. I am not cleaning up puke. But, it was so rewarding that I couldn’t not do it.”