Reply1 Tracey Cash 1 posts Re: Topic 6 DQ 1 Topic 6 DQ 1 Hospitals around the world were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Early during the pandemic is was not clear how health care utilization and spending would change. Most expected health cost to increase during the pandemic but surprisingly statistics show that health care use and spending decreased dramatically in 2020 due to cancellations of elective care to increase hospital capacity and social distancing to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. The drop in health spending in 2020 reflects a decrease in utilization for non-Covid medical care. (Cox et al., 2021) As the health care industry maneuvered through the pandemic it became evident that the quality of nursing would be changed forever. Health care professionals had to make daily changes in the way they cared for Covid-19 patients. This in turned changed the quality of care. Health care professionals were forced to change their daily routines in how they cared for patients due to the limited supplies of personal protective equipment. Limiting bedside care to minimize possible nurse exposure to the virus. Although burnout in the health care professional began long before the Covid-19 pandemic, health care leaders will learn from the past and work toward implementing change, so it does not continue. Challenges that nurses have faced during and after the Covid-19 pandemic are burnout, compassion fatigue, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. With the already acknowledged shortage of nurses across the nation the psychological issues if not addressed will lead to nurses finding new careers. The clinical aspect of the health care industry continues to be deeply affected by this. My change project interventions will have a direct impact on the financial, quality, and clinical aspect of the health care industry. The health care industry cannot function without nurses and their knowledge and specialties. Each department of the hospital requires nurses to have special knowledge for the department to run smoothly and care for patients. Elective surgeries generate millions of dollars to a hospital therefore nurses and other health care professionals are needed to provide care and generate this type on income. As the health care industry makes strides to return to a “new normal” nurses will be able to conduct bedside care with less fear of being exposed to Covid-19. With support from administration my change project will have an impact on the mental health of health care professionals that have treated Covid-19 patients. With mental health support, telemedicine evaluations, and Chaplains on call for counsel and prayer psychological issues will be reduced, reducing burnout, stress, depression, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder. By offering health care professionals psychological support will indirectly affect overall hospital production, income, and patient satisfaction. Refe.