The Is Where It 's At !

Nursing shortages have always occurred in cycles. Recently, the shortage has become worse due to the implications of managed care as a way of controlling escalating health care costs. While the shortage did ease some during the recession of 2009, there is still a shortage in some areas of the country (Cherry & Jacob, 2014). Increased student enrollments and government policies have helped with the shortage, but the occupational outlook for nursing jobs is expected to grow faster than any other occupation through 2018. So it is essential that the supply of nurses increases to keep up with the demand. The current shortage is due to several factors. First, new nurses are needed to replace “baby boomers” who will be retiring in the near future. Second, as the population ages, there will be a demand for more healthcare, leading to a demand for more nurses. Third, new advances in patient care will lead to more people in the healthcare system needing more specialized care, and lastly, the affordable care act places a large emphasis on preventive care, leading to more people desiring wellness visits (Cherry & Jacob, 2014). Finally, according to Dall’Ora, Chiara, Griffiths, Peter, Ball, Jane, Simon, Michael Aiken, Linda H. (2015), “shifts lasting 12 hours or longer were associated with a 40 percent greater level of job dissatisfaction and a 31 percent higher risk of planning to quit. Job satisfaction and burnout in the nursing workforce are global

As a nurse working in the home healthcare field for many years, I have enjoyed being an

My career commitment as a nurse has grown tremendously over the past three years; through my daily experiences as a Medical Assistant. I have devoted my time as a full time student and employee of the health care profession. Both of these occupations have helped shape me into the person I want to be for as long as time allows. Daily I witness these community role models that posses abilities such as problem solving skills, promotion and protection of an individual’s advocacy all tied in with compassion to meet the health care needs of an individual.

The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must

The profession of nursing is usually described as high-demand job, as well as stressful. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses believes that nurses can empower their work environments and truly make a difference (AACN, 2016). Although nurses have the ability to join committees and help make changes slowly, there are many factors in the nursing that cannot be changed by nurses. “The global increase in the aged population, the intensity of health care problems, the incidence of chronic illnesses and advanced technology, nurses are faced with a variety of work-related stressors” (Lambert & Lambert, 2008, p. 38). Regardless of nursing communication and social aspects of units, nurses need to accept some stressors as they are and

Across the United States, hospitals are experiencing a nursing shortage. Yet, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 63,857 students graduated from nursing school in 2015 alone and enrollment is increasing. It seems like a lot of new nurses to fill those vacancies, does it not? Studies show, however, that within a year, about thirty percent of those new graduates have voluntarily left their job (Hillman). Further studies have attributed the high turnover rate to new nurses’ lack of competency to handle conflict, make critical decisions, and function autonomously (Bratt). Many of the new graduates are disappointed with the hospital’s orientation, or lack thereof. Lack of knowledgeable preceptors and lack of nursing staffing in general has led to new nurses being thrown into autonomous function more quickly. Without proper training, these nurses must make sound clinical judgements and provide competent care to patients, which anyone can imagine is stressful. Today, Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs) are being instituted in numerous hospitals as a way to improve new graduate nursing skill, but research shows many other benefits to these programs. NRPs also reduce hospital spending costs, increase patient safety, and most importantly increase new nurse retention rates.

No matter which perspective the view is from, most everyone would agree that millions of nurses worldwide are involved in a profession that is constantly changing and changing at a very quick pace (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). This transformation is due to a number of factors like demographic changes, the shortage of health care professionals, economic downfalls on the health care system, and evolving technology (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). In an effort to support and promote the future of nursing and advancement in health care, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) took on a 2 year initiative that

While the US has more nurses and physicians than ever before, upcoming retirements and a dysfunctional workplace are creating clinical shortages that can become more severe than the industry can bear (Woods, D. 2009). According to research, half of all nurses working today were born during the baby-boomer years. Therefore, the workforce is aging at a rapid rate. As such, in efforts to prevent a mass exodus from the profession, healthcare organizations leaders are exploring innovative ways to keep experienced nurses (Larson, J, 2009). The average age of registered nurses has risen from 41 in 2002 to 48 in 2006(Bolton-Burnes L. 2007). Even more troubling, in 2006, 45% of hospital-employed RNs

In the previous assignment I mentioned that I had reached out to numerous healthcare professionals, but I was awaiting a response. In the meantime, I ended up shadowing my mother who is a registered nurse. After shadowing my mother, I discovered that I did not see myself as a visiting nurse. Luckily, I have another individual who is not only involved in the healthcare profession, but also extremely close to home. My neighbor, Janet, so happens to be a physical therapist and she happily allowed me to shadow her over this past month. Similar to my mother, Janet turned to working as a part-time physical therapist when she had children. She explained that most physical therapists work full-time, but the home health agency VNA Care employs numerous

Great post! I agree with you as well regarding the nursing shortage. All through nursing school as well and through out my career it has been a constant struggle. When you become overworked there is a constant strain, stress, and burn out. All thos things can lead to job/career dissatisfication. It is also importnt that each nurse knows their rights as well, including the Safe Harbor laws. This is not only to protect the nurse but to protect the patients and make sure they are receiving the quality are that they deserve.

“The aging population and chronic disease are creating the perfect storm driving demand for nurses.”

Long-term effects of fatigue can lead to nursing "burn out" and decreased job satisfaction, often leading to self-termination within a year (Maust Martin, 2015). In a qualitative study performed many nurses negatively correlated their level of fatigue with job satisfaction. One participant discussed feelings of decreased patience and being short in responses to others, often lacking compassion for those who needed support. Another participant stated that the level of fatigue she continuously undergoes would more than likely contribute to her leaving her position as a floor nurse within the years (Steege, Rainbow, 2017). However, this is not the only negative impact of fatigue on a nurse’s

Buerhaus, Auerbach, and Staiger (2009), estimate the nursing shortage to grow to 260,000 by 2025. They pinpoint the rapidly aging workforce as a principle contributor to the projected shortage. A deficiency of this extent would be twice as large as any nursing shortage experienced in this nation since the 1960s. Further complicating the problem is the fact that a substantial portion of the nursing workforce is approaching retirement age. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2013) predict that within the next 10 to 15 years, more than one million registered nurses over the age of 50 will reach retirement.

The nursing shortage is not a new problem to hit the medical field. It continues to burden the nursing profession across the globe. As the baby boomers reach an age of retirement, nursing is going to see a large portion of currently employed nurses retiring from positions in the upcoming years. As expressed by Jewell (2013), 57% of nurses in Canada are between the ages of 40 and 60 (p. 325). In other words, more than half of employed nurses are nearing retirement, and there is a lack of nurses coming into the profession to replace them. Jewell (2013) furthermore expresses the strain the nursing shortage places on both new nurses and the veterans who train them. New nurses are constantly battling to fit in with their peers. Veterans are often focused on patient care, often forgetting to aid new nurses as they try to fit in. As the nursing shortage becomes more prominent, both new nurses and veteran nurses are faced with an increase in work hours and workload, placing additional stresses and burdens on an already overworked staff. Focus must be made on retaining new nurses in order to replace the veterans when they retire. Unfortunately, the majority of new nurses end up leaving the profession within the first year (p. 324-5).

The nursing shortage is no longer a projected problem in the healthcare industry in the United States, this problem is present and is not phasing out anytime soon. Addressing this challenge would improve job satisfaction, reduce burnout in the profession and ultimately improve retention.