By Debbie Moore-Black, RN

I go to the hospital cafeteria to unwind from this night — another unpredictable one with irrational patients that randomly attempt to assault the staff.

This time, they missed. Behavioral health. Land of the psychotics and schizophrenics. But an incredible staff to work with.

This song blares out. “Easy Like Sunday Morning.” And I know that nothing is “easy” anymore.

I’ve heard it all about COVID vaccinations:

“It’s my body.”

“It’s not FDA-approved.”

“I have natural God-given immunity.”

“I’m not putting toxins in my body.”

But the facts are there.

The numbers keep rising.

The unvaccinated, who knew it “couldn’t happen to them.”

Certain states are overcrowded with COVID, Delta variant — mutated.

There are waiting lists to get into an ER or an ICU. Or to get intubated.

To say: “I should have gotten the vaccine.”

To say: “He didn’t make it.”

To say: “Death.”

Beyond ICU beds being rare, so are experienced ICU nurses.

You can’t clone an experienced ICU nurse, physician or respiratory therapist.

You can’t reawaken the soul of an ER nurse, paramedic or ICU nurse.

There’s a rationalization for the nurses. It’s coming down to quitting their profession because they are burnt to a crisp. Because they are afraid for themselves and their family. Or they are flocking to travel nurse agencies that offer as high as $5,700 per week.

This all creates a huge vacancy and vacuum in the nursing profession.

This could have been preventable.

But because of doubters, cynicism, resiliency, hoax theorists — your numbers are rising.

Soon, the light will go off.

The killing fields.

Unlike Motel 6, we won’t be able to keep the light on.