Nursing Shortage in the US
By: Rebecca Sylvain
What is causing the shortage of nurses in the Unites States? To
some it may be of no concern, but to those who are working in healthcare or even the people who rely on nurses to get through an illness, the nursing shortage is incredibly frightening.
What is causing the shortage of nurses in the Unites States? To
some it may be of no concern, but to those who are working in healthcare or even the people who rely on nurses to get through an illness, the nursing shortage is incredibly frightening.
There are multiple things contributing to the nursing shortage that all together make it so problematic.
-The sharp population increase due to the baby boomer generation is resulting in a growing need for health care services. These generations are also retiring from their healthcare jobs, resulting in fewer nurses in the hospitals. The hospitals are spitting out retired nurses faster than the schools can produce the nursing to start their time in the same hospital (Miller).
-A reduced amount of students are going into the nursing field because of the economy. The schools do not let enough students in, and not enough students are furthering their education enough to teach more students about the nursing field, which is creating less and less nurses. School is becoming more expensive and the pay of nurses is also decreasing, so students are deciding on different career futures, hoping to be more successful ("Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America").
-The ages of the nurses in the workforce has been increasing as the years pass. Because students are considering different career options, men and women are going to school later and later. The later they begin school, the later they begin their time at the hospitals. Nurses are serving shorter times at the hospitals because they are so much older going into the work force.
-The sharp population increase due to the baby boomer generation is resulting in a growing need for health care services. These generations are also retiring from their healthcare jobs, resulting in fewer nurses in the hospitals. The hospitals are spitting out retired nurses faster than the schools can produce the nursing to start their time in the same hospital (Miller).
-A reduced amount of students are going into the nursing field because of the economy. The schools do not let enough students in, and not enough students are furthering their education enough to teach more students about the nursing field, which is creating less and less nurses. School is becoming more expensive and the pay of nurses is also decreasing, so students are deciding on different career futures, hoping to be more successful ("Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America").
-The ages of the nurses in the workforce has been increasing as the years pass. Because students are considering different career options, men and women are going to school later and later. The later they begin school, the later they begin their time at the hospitals. Nurses are serving shorter times at the hospitals because they are so much older going into the work force.
What is the Nursing Shortage Affecting?
The nursing shortage is affecting more than just the people in the hospital. Because it is less hands available in the hospital, the nursing shortage is also hurting the patients who need the help of the nurses. Nicole Miller RN said that during a 12 hour shift, 10 of those hours are spent with the patients. “If I have 5 patients, that only gives me 2 hours with each one which sounds like a lot, but it isn’t at all. That only gives me 2 hours for communicating with the patient, dressing and assessing them, educating them, passing medication safely, and looking over their labs and/or reports. Completing all of these tasks with a shortage of nurses is very difficult to do. With more nurses available, time with each patient is more valuable and things are done well” (Miller). The number of nurses should be high enough so that it is not a stressful
environment. “Nothing is done confidently when we’re stressed, and if you’re not doing it confidently, you’re not doing it very good” (Miller). The Nursing Shortage Crisis has an article that also talks about how dangerous a shortage of nurses can really be. “Studies have shown that when there are more nurses employed in a hospital, there are lower death rates, shorter stays, and much higher patient satisfaction overall" ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Nurse to patient ratios are being compromised, patient care is being jeopardized and the overall quality of care nurses can provide is back pedaling. From this information, having more nurses than necessary is costly to the hospital but is also beneficial is made very clear.
Hospitals are now also starting to subsidize nurse faculty salaries and offer education reimbursement with a given contract of work ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Many hospitals are settling with nurses that are available and are requiring a certain number of years before the nurse can leave. Nursing education facilities are beginning to receive private funding from a numerous hospitals and medical societies in order to boost their percentage of teachers and increase the student capacities of their nursing programs.
The Nursing Reinvestment Act reduces the growing shortage by giving scholarships, loan repayments, public service announcements, retention grants, career ladders, and also grants for the nursing faculty. The United States is finding ways to encourage the field of nursing to remain an option by having many different ways of helping students pursue it.
environment. “Nothing is done confidently when we’re stressed, and if you’re not doing it confidently, you’re not doing it very good” (Miller). The Nursing Shortage Crisis has an article that also talks about how dangerous a shortage of nurses can really be. “Studies have shown that when there are more nurses employed in a hospital, there are lower death rates, shorter stays, and much higher patient satisfaction overall" ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Nurse to patient ratios are being compromised, patient care is being jeopardized and the overall quality of care nurses can provide is back pedaling. From this information, having more nurses than necessary is costly to the hospital but is also beneficial is made very clear.
Hospitals are now also starting to subsidize nurse faculty salaries and offer education reimbursement with a given contract of work ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Many hospitals are settling with nurses that are available and are requiring a certain number of years before the nurse can leave. Nursing education facilities are beginning to receive private funding from a numerous hospitals and medical societies in order to boost their percentage of teachers and increase the student capacities of their nursing programs.
The Nursing Reinvestment Act reduces the growing shortage by giving scholarships, loan repayments, public service announcements, retention grants, career ladders, and also grants for the nursing faculty. The United States is finding ways to encourage the field of nursing to remain an option by having many different ways of helping students pursue it.
The Future for Nursing Shortage
The future for the nursing shortage doesn’t look to be getting any better. By 2020, the estimated number of nurses will fall even further, nearly to 20% below requirements ("The Evolving Nursing Shortage"). That’s a big problem, considering hospitals and health care systems that are already struggling.
In the future, the demand for nurses is expected to increase radically. It is because of the baby boomers reaching their 60’s and older. The nursing occupation is ranked by The Bureau of Labor Statistics as the seventh highest projected job growth in the future for the United States. This is also an issue, during this time of increased demand for nurses and health care, the overall number of nurses will be declining ("The Evolving Nursing Shortage"). The very low amount of nurses is also giving them a bit of a bad reputation. It is ruining the image of nurses, the important care givers you look to for help in the hospitals.
In the future, the demand for nurses is expected to increase radically. It is because of the baby boomers reaching their 60’s and older. The nursing occupation is ranked by The Bureau of Labor Statistics as the seventh highest projected job growth in the future for the United States. This is also an issue, during this time of increased demand for nurses and health care, the overall number of nurses will be declining ("The Evolving Nursing Shortage"). The very low amount of nurses is also giving them a bit of a bad reputation. It is ruining the image of nurses, the important care givers you look to for help in the hospitals.
See how the hospital's are addressing the problem:
What else is The United States doing to
address the Nursing Shortage?
In best efforts to end the nursing shortage, many things are being done to help the students in the nursing field and also the healthcare programs that are struggling. Hospitals have started pulling from an international pool of nursing
candidates, offering monetary incentives, certification courses, and English education for trained and prospective nurses who move to the United States ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Many different possibilities are being looked at to overall increase the number of nurses to create a practicable ratio of caregivers to patients, which is needed more in the future than it is needed now.
Money is the biggest motivation in hospitals these days and even the nurses at Beaumont Hospital in Troy Michigan haven’t gotten a raise in over three years. Associates are paid the same as Bachelors in some hospitals, so there is really no encouraging factor to further your education and spend more money, to be paid the same but be so much higher than the other nurses (Miller). The government is trying its best to save the needed money for the nurses, but there are down falls like this. Hospital programs are working to increase the pay of the nurses dependingon their job positions and hours.
The money that that the hospitals have to spend on the materials/supplies is also being used in smarter ways.
Only the basic tools are in the hospitals because of the economy. When equipment is needed it is ordered instead of sitting around in the hospital not being used. This saves lots of money also for the hospital.
candidates, offering monetary incentives, certification courses, and English education for trained and prospective nurses who move to the United States ("Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?"). Many different possibilities are being looked at to overall increase the number of nurses to create a practicable ratio of caregivers to patients, which is needed more in the future than it is needed now.
Money is the biggest motivation in hospitals these days and even the nurses at Beaumont Hospital in Troy Michigan haven’t gotten a raise in over three years. Associates are paid the same as Bachelors in some hospitals, so there is really no encouraging factor to further your education and spend more money, to be paid the same but be so much higher than the other nurses (Miller). The government is trying its best to save the needed money for the nurses, but there are down falls like this. Hospital programs are working to increase the pay of the nurses dependingon their job positions and hours.
The money that that the hospitals have to spend on the materials/supplies is also being used in smarter ways.
Only the basic tools are in the hospitals because of the economy. When equipment is needed it is ordered instead of sitting around in the hospital not being used. This saves lots of money also for the hospital.
President Obama speaks of how important our American Nurses Association is:
Work Cited List
"Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America." Nursing Shortage. Sigma ThetaTau International Honor Society of Nusing, 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.nursingsociety.org/Media/Pages/shortage.aspx>.
"Health Affairs." The Future Of The Nurse Shortage: Will Wage Increases Close The Gap? Project HOPE, 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/22/6/199/F2.expansion.html>.
Lanciault RN, Tina. "Wellness Coaching - Exploring Alternative Nursing Careers." Exploring Alternative Nursing Careers. 7 Tips To Managing Your Stressful Life, 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. < http://differenttypesofnursing.com/category/wellness-coaching-2/>.
Miller, Nicole. "The NursingCrisis." Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2013.
“Nursing Shortage." - A Study of the Nurse Shortage in America. Aya Healthcare, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.ayatravelnursingjobs.com/nursingshortage/>.
"Obama Loves Nurses." YouTube. UpTakeVideo, 16 June 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2013
"Special Report: Nursing Shortage." YouTube. WMTMTV, 05 Nov. 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eT9FjcrdL0.
"Student Loan Forgiveness for Nurses." Student Loans. N.p., 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.paymystudentloans.com/student-loan-forgiveness-for-nurses/>.
"The Dog Ate My Care Plan…." The Dog Ate My Care Plan. N.p., 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. http://thedogatemycareplan.wordpress.com/category/nursing-school/.
"Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?" Nursing Shortage Crisis. Rnbuilder.com, 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. < http://www.rnbuilder.com/article_nursing_shortage.htm>.
Wilson, Scarlet. "Contact • Scarlet-Wilson.com -Home of Medical Romances." Contact • Scarlet-Wilson.com. Scaret Wilson, 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.scarlet-wilson.com/index.php?p=1_2>.
Winter, Ryan. "Americaâs Nursing Shortage by the Numbers." Soliant Health Americas Nursing Shortage by the Numbers Comments. Soliant Health, 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://blog.soliant.com/healthcare-news/americas-nursing-shortage-by-the-numbers/>.
"Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America." Nursing Shortage. Sigma ThetaTau International Honor Society of Nusing, 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.nursingsociety.org/Media/Pages/shortage.aspx>.
"Health Affairs." The Future Of The Nurse Shortage: Will Wage Increases Close The Gap? Project HOPE, 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/22/6/199/F2.expansion.html>.
Lanciault RN, Tina. "Wellness Coaching - Exploring Alternative Nursing Careers." Exploring Alternative Nursing Careers. 7 Tips To Managing Your Stressful Life, 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. < http://differenttypesofnursing.com/category/wellness-coaching-2/>.
Miller, Nicole. "The NursingCrisis." Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2013.
“Nursing Shortage." - A Study of the Nurse Shortage in America. Aya Healthcare, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.ayatravelnursingjobs.com/nursingshortage/>.
"Obama Loves Nurses." YouTube. UpTakeVideo, 16 June 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2013
"Special Report: Nursing Shortage." YouTube. WMTMTV, 05 Nov. 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eT9FjcrdL0.
"Student Loan Forgiveness for Nurses." Student Loans. N.p., 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.paymystudentloans.com/student-loan-forgiveness-for-nurses/>.
"The Dog Ate My Care Plan…." The Dog Ate My Care Plan. N.p., 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. http://thedogatemycareplan.wordpress.com/category/nursing-school/.
"Why Aren't There Enough Nurses?" Nursing Shortage Crisis. Rnbuilder.com, 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. < http://www.rnbuilder.com/article_nursing_shortage.htm>.
Wilson, Scarlet. "Contact • Scarlet-Wilson.com -Home of Medical Romances." Contact • Scarlet-Wilson.com. Scaret Wilson, 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.< http://www.scarlet-wilson.com/index.php?p=1_2>.
Winter, Ryan. "Americaâs Nursing Shortage by the Numbers." Soliant Health Americas Nursing Shortage by the Numbers Comments. Soliant Health, 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://blog.soliant.com/healthcare-news/americas-nursing-shortage-by-the-numbers/>.