The nurse in intensive care in Phoenix quits her job due to the pandemic | Coronavirus in Arizona

By Randall Perry On Aug 7, 2021

PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – Paulette Rangel is one of many healthcare workers who are leaving due to the pandemic. The intensive care nurse in Phoenix recently quit her seven-year job. Rangel said the stress during the pandemic left her with anxiety and depression.

“I felt like I didn’t want to go to work, drive to work and just be scared of being there,” said Rangel. Rangel said even as COVID-19 cases declined and vaccines were introduced, their job hasn’t gotten any easier.

“We were still getting all of these patients who were sick, who were waiting for surgery all the time, and they were getting worse and worse,” said Rangel. She tried to work part-time, but the hospital was short on staff. In June, she left the hospital she did not want to name. It’s a growing trend across the country as the pandemic rages on. According to a nationwide study in April, 48% of ICU nurses are considering quitting their jobs. Banner Health, the largest hospital system in Arizona, currently has hundreds of job openings. A spokesman said job openings at RN were at an all-time high.

For now, you’ll find Rangel in a different role. Today she works as a nurse at the Via Del Sol health center. She is currently working with her mobile unit handing out COVID-19 vaccines. Though she says she still feels guilty about quitting her job at the hospital, she’s a lot happier.

“Ultimately, I have to decide what is best for me and best for my family, and it is.”