Doctor's Panel Discusses Hospital Bed Shortage, Nurse Burnout

While the number of new COVID cases is trending down, doctors tell News 9's political analyst Scott Mitchell a typical COVID patient now stays much longer in the hospital, leaving many beds across the state full. 

The doctors' panel also discussed the reasons behind the nursing shortage, not just here in our state but across the country. 

Dr. David Chansolme from Integris says the burnout through the second round of COVID is real, and the state is seeing the effects of it right now. 

"If you look at the number of nurses vs. the number of nurse shifts filled that has changed since the first round. I think people are burned out," said Chansolme. 

Oklahoma's seven day rolling average for new COVID-19 cases has dropped to about 12 hundred, down by more than half since the end of August.