Minnesota Now with Nina Moini

How nurses in greater Minnesota are faring as COVID surges

a nurse layers PPE in a hospital
North Memorial Health Hospital critical care nurse Kayla Lynch wears a protective gown before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient during her shift on Dec. 7, 2020 in Robbinsdale, Minn.
Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP, file

Minnesota marked a sad milestone today: The state surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began.

The pandemic has stretched Minnesota's hospital system and health care workers thin. The presidents and CEOs of some of the state's largest health care systems recently published a letter in newspapers across the state to say their hospitals are overwhelmed.

Health care professionals in greater Minnesota met virtually Wednesday to discuss the COVID-19 situation in rural parts of the state. Andrea Roberts participated in the meeting, and she told host Cathy Wurzer more.

Roberts is interim director of the graduate program in nurse anesthesiology at Mount Marty University and president of the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She practices at Sanford Luverne Medical Center in Luverne, Minn.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dear reader,

Your voice matters. And we want to hear it.

Will you help shape the future of Minnesota Public Radio by taking our short Listener Survey?

It only takes a few minutes, and your input helps us serve you better—whether it’s news, culture, or the conversations that matter most to Minnesotans.

Volume Button
Volume
Now Listening To Livestream
MPR News logo
On Air
Fresh Air with Terry Gross