Nurses are important members of our society as they perform life-saving jobs to ensure our health is safe. However the numbers of registered nurses are rapidly declining through the years. The nursing shortage is a growing problem in the United States and is adversely affecting the delivery of basic health care services to millions of Americans as the demand keeps on rising. The crisis endangers the welfare of patients as they are exposed to increased risks of illnesses and the probability of death due to lack of nurses who will take care of them. Currently there are 126,000 vacant positions and by 2020 the shortage is projected to reach at 800,000.
As to why there is a shortage, the answer is caused by multiply factors. The nurse workforce is aging, and fewer new nurses are entering the profession to replace those who are retiring or leaving. Furthermore, nurses report unhappiness with many aspects of the work environment including staffing levels, heavy workloads, increased use of overtime, lack of sufficient support staff, and adequate wages. In many cases this growing dissatisfaction is affecting their decisions to remain in nursing (GAO, 2001, p. 6).
Studies have shown that the average age of nurses today is 43 and by 2010 almost all of them will be retiring. Only 12% of nurses are below 30 years old. More often they experience verbal abuse and are not given the opportunity to share their opinion or make decisions that affect their work.
The Term Paper on Nursing Shortage In Long Term Care Facility
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The shortage crisis is complex in nature and solving it needs the collaborative efforts of all sectors in the health care industry including educators, the government, nursing associations, labor unions, hospitals and other health providers. Aggressive strategies must focus on the recruitment and retention process. Recruitment must be proactive so as to make the profession more attractive to the younger generation, to the minority groups, and to men as well. Scholarships for those interested in nursing must be availed through funding by both government and private organizations.
Advertising campaigns that sell nursing as a competitive profession and a rewarding career will boost the image of nurses and will certainly inspire others to join the labor market. In retaining the workforce, administrators must create a safe working environment and strictly implement a code of conduct where nurses are valued and respected for their work and contributions to the health industry.
It is also crucial that their inputs and concerns are acted upon so that they would be empowered to make decisions. In order to develop effective initiatives to address the nursing shortage, it is essential to understand what new realities exist and how they interact to shape the overall environment of nursing today (Kimball, O’Neil & HWS, 2002, p. 14).
