The New Nursing Shortage Analysis

It is no secret that the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of nurses . “The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2009 ) estimated that more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2018 to meet the increased demands of the health care workforce” (). The stressful conditions under which nurses work, due in part to the nursing shortage, are among the risk factors that contribute to nurses’ abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol. Nurses are unique in that they work in an environment where they not only have access to controlled substances, but also are exposed to critically ill patients, traumatic situations, death and dying, the stress of which can increase the risk of substance abuse. (Epstein, Burns, & Conlon, 2010). Unfortunately, it is the patient that suffers the most.

The shortage of nurses in the United States has been discussed often and has been fully reported in the media over the past several decades. There have been reports of shortages so critical that they actually have become "…a national security concern" (Nelson, 2002). Moreover, the reasons for the shortages and potential solutions for this crisis are extremely well covered in the scholarly literature. In this paper, an article in the peer-reviewed Health Marketing Quarterly points to how the nursing shortage can be addressed using marketing strategies. In addition, other scholarly articles will be reviewed in order to address the challenges and consequences that could result if this crisis is not addressed immediately.

The United States healthcare industry faces many challenges everyday, such as the rising cost of care, medical errors, access and quality problems etc. Within the next few years, the United States will experience a shortage of Register Nurses (RNs). “Registered Nurses are considered one of the largest health professions in the health care industry. The Nurses duty is to provide direct patient care and can be done in a hospital, public health facility, nursing home and many other different settings. Other services included are patient education on disease prevention, administering treatments and promoting a healthy lifestyle.” ("The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State- Level Projections 2012-2025”) The shortage will occur due to Baby Boomers aging and the demand for health care will dramatically rise. With the baby boomers aging, Registered Nurses are at the top of the list for demand in health care. Unfortunately the supply and demand does not meet. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2012-2022 released in December 2013, RNs will increase of about 526,800 within that time frame but will still have job openings of 1.05 million by 2020)”("Nursing Shortage") Indicating that there is no growth between 2012- 2022. There are multiple factors to this shortage and one of them is that nursing schools across the nation are struggling to increase the capacity of students to meet the rising demand. Considering the fact

In 1960, Virginia Avenel Henderson a nurse and a theorist in the same time, defined nursing, “the unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible”. It is a noble function and to be fulfilled at the highest levels, it takes time, patience and the devotion. When the number of people given this care is much lower than that of people who must receive the care, then a crisis occurs. The phenomenon is acute not only in America but all around the world. Even if the nursing is considered a meaningful work, the country is facing a nursing shortage that grows more with each passing year. Nursing shortages in America affect all parts of the health care delivery system.

The Nursing Profession has been experiencing shortages for many years. The pattern seems to be repetitive, high demand for nurses followed by phases of downsizing with a surplus of nurses. The earlier years of the nursing shortage was short compared to today’s current nursing shortage. The nursing shortage exist globally and in all nursing areas. There are several factors that are the cause of the nursing shortage of today as well in years past.

The national nursing shortage is an ever-growing concern, and it is essential for healthcare organizations to confront the looming issue. Possible solutions to the nursing shortage include retaining older nurses who are looking to retire, increasing the amount of students graduating from nursing schools, and drawing nurses back to the bedside who have left the nursing workforce (Hatcher, 2006). Leaders must assess the nursing turnover in their organization, and they must strategize on ways to retain those nurses. Organizations must implement techniques to retain older nurses to help combat the national nursing shortage and prevent a national healthcare disaster (Keller & Burns, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to identify the demographic breakdown of an organization, explain how the organization’s environment is conducive and non-conducive for older workers, and describe tactics to retain older workers.

The national nursing shortage is an ever-growing concern and it is essential for health care organizations to confront the looming issue. Possible solutions to the nursing shortage include retaining older nurses who are looking to retire, increasing the amount of students graduating from nursing schools, and drawing nurses who have left the nursing workforce back to the bedside (Hatcher, 2006). Leaders must assess the nursing turnover in their organization and strategize on ways to retain those nurses. Organizations must implement techniques to retain older nurses to help combat the national nursing shortage and prevent a national healthcare disaster (Keller & Burns, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to identify the demographic breakdown of an organization, explain how the organization’s environment is conducive and non-conducive to older workers, and describe tactics to retain older workers.

Between you and I we have said it all, you brought up the element of putting more doctors into the system, however, I read one study that stated MDs would rather work in major cities and not small towns. So, I believe the shortage will be handled by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs).

The national nursing shortage is predicted to continue to rise to levels that have not been seen since the 1960’s (Fasoli, 2010). Managers must create an environment that is conducive to employees. The leader needs to promote organizational commitment and retain employees by promoting a positive culture on the unit. Nurses want an environment where they can provide high-quality care to patients and leaders must help facilitate and maintain this environment. Employees also want to feel like their opinions matter to the manager, and they have a say in the future of the unit. Employees do not want to feel like they are not important, or their voices are not being heard.

With our nation focusing more on health care and the overall wellness of its people, the demand for it has been rising. According to Dr. Paul Takiguchi, a dermatologist at Pali Momi “- the biggest issue is the shortage of physicians which includes dermatologists, thus limiting patients’ timely access to care.” Though it may not seem like a big deal, the effects of it are starting to appear today and will only become more prevalent in the near future. In order to stop the doctor shortage in the field of medicine, the government must make changes to the education and training of doctors.

Is the nursing shortage in the United States real? The answer to that question is not as simple as it may seem. The nursing shortage greatly depends on the constant changes in healthcare coverage, for example Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements but it is also based on the rising number of the aging population. Although many sources predict that the nursing shortage is expected to get worse overall throughout the United States. There many other sources that we must consider when debating whether or not there is a big deficit. There are over 3 million nurses in America and they make up the largest segment of the health-care workforce in the U.S. (Grant, 2016). Nursing is one of the largest number of healthcare professionals in the United

The U.S. healthcare system is no stranger to nursing shortages. In very simple terms, this type of shortage happens when a lack of skilled nurses negatively impacts individual patient care; shortage occurrences can transpire at a local, national or international level. It is a recurring problem we have been faced with for the past five decades. However, what we will be up against between now and 2025 is a predicament of far greater proportion than ever encountered before. “Considering the impacts this prolonged shortage will have on the U.S. healthcare system, nursing and other health-related organizations have even brought their concerns to lawmakers in the central government for immediate consideration” (Janiszewski Goodin 335). This quote

Registered nurses are the largest group of professionals in health care. There remains a growing demand for nurses both in hospitals and in the community. A 16% growth is expected to take place in the next decade for registered. This is a large increase of 439,300 nurses (Rosseter, 2017). The growth is expected to be from 2.7 million to 3.2 million. This is faster than the average for all other occupations (Rosseter, 2017).

health care professionals in the United States.Current and projected nursing shortages reflect the fact that fewer people are entering the profession.Shortages are difficult to estimate and project.In the past,shortages have tended to be resolved as wages rose in response to increased need for RNs.In addition, there is a cyclical aspect to shortages,as RNs are more likely to work when the economy is doing less well.1 Projected shortages differ from past circumstances in that,by 2020,a decline in the number of available nurses will coincide with an increased need for nursing services due to aging of the baby boom generation.These changes suggest that it will be more difficult,and more costly,to respond to the future

The health care industry is experiencing a crisis. In the United States, registered nurses (RNs) are in short supply, and the shortage is expected to increase to 29% by the year 2020 (Akinci & Krolikowski, 2005). Although nursing homes have traditionally utilized Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), higher acuity patients have caused nursing homes to rethink staffing levels across the board. Due to demographic changes and an increased population of adults 65 and older, the American Health Care Association projects the need for nursing home personnel to increase more than 60% from 1999 to 2020 (Akinci & Krolikowski, 2005). The need for staff and the amount of staff available are going in opposite directions. Recent studies have