I became a psych nurse because I have two younger brothers with autism. They’re the reason I chose to work in Western Psych’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders Unit. So the mental health crisis is very personal for me, and I believe strongly in advocating for my patients.
When I first started, we had 28 beds in our unit, with one wing serving children, one serving adolescents and another serving adults. Now, UPMC has shut down the units for kids and adolescents due to understaffing, and we’re reduced to only 11 beds. We can’t admit a lot of the patients seeking care, and they have to wait months for backlogged outpatient appointments.
Meanwhile, UPMC execs have the gall to look us in the eyes and say they don’t have the resources to retain staff, even though they’ve been flying their $50 million jet to Boca Raton, Fla., where they don’t even have a hospital. I feel like UPMC is disrespecting every family who has a loved one struggling with a mental health issue. My fellow nurses and I will continue to advocate to hold UPMC accountable and ensure families have access to the effective treatment their loved ones need.
Zachariah Flynn
Lawrenceville