NBC12 has reported today that nursing facilities and assisted living centers in Richmond, Virginia are facing a post-pandemic labor shortage.
As the state continues to recover from the pandemic, people remain daunted about reentering the workplace, especially within the healthcare sector.
Hermitage Richmond’s Executive Director Amy Chapman has stated that they are offering “great benefits and pay scales, but people are still a little scared about getting back into the workforce.”
This is understandable, however, this new wave of opportunities should be seen as a positive state of affairs for those that might have been out of work for several months now.
Hermitage Richmond has reported similar labor shortages across its sister facilities.
Again, this is unfortunate as the parent company, Pinnacle Living, has recently been awarded a 2021 Top Workplace Award, within the Richmond area.
With safety standards at an all-time high in the wake of the pandemic, and the increasingly wide rollout of several Covid vaccines in the area, now is a great time to be getting into the workforce again.
However, despite the increase in vacancies, there has been a correlating decrease in applications across all Pinnacle Living facilities, Chapman said.
“Most of our vacancies are in the nursing field. We’re always looking for great nursing team members nurses, LPN’s, CNA’s. It’s something not only affecting Hermitage Richmond, but it’s also affecting others in the healthcare industry.”
It has been suggested that the policy around unemployment benefits may need revising as the vaccination rate continues to increase.
Individuals need more encouragement to reenter the workplace, in what many still believe to be relatively uncertain times.
Pinnacle Living now has a 90% vaccination rate and is offering extra workplace benefits in an attempt to encourage more applications.
I recommend any healthcare professional that lives in the area to consider looking into the options available.
As Chapman said herself, “We’re ready to embrace you and let you know that it’s safe to be with us.”
You can apply to Hermitage Richmond, HERE. Jobs currently available at Cedarfield can be applied for, HERE.
