Question

What is the impact to the nursing profession and to the public related to the projected nursing shortage? Discuss at least one way that the nursing profession is working toward a resolution of this problem.

Answer 1

Nurses plays a vital role in health care sectors and it can helps to deal not only with patient care but also we can deal with family health issues. Nursing shortage in clinical set up affects the patient care. Adequate manpower of health care personnel is very important in dealing with patient care. Due to advancement and development in technologies , so many professions came into light. But whatever it so , nursing always stands for evergreen job opportunity. There has been shortage of licensed nurses in US for long and this situation has further been complicated by healthcare industry forces on reducing reimbursement and lack of training for improvement in service.

Although licensing of nursing profession is very much required and its a good policy implemented by government. But lack of faster implementation created dire customer demand and supply gap for nurses. Scope of nursing to be explained to the students to develop interest in nursing. This will help to increase the number of admissions in educational institutions.

Due to location preferences based on salary, nurses are not available in rural areas. This has further deteriorated issue by shifting focus on overall shortage of nurses in US. Also customer from rural areas already are at remote places and if nurses are not availabe in time then mortality rates would increase in rural areas significantly.

A. Nurses facing problems leds to nursing shortage:

1. Long Working Hours

2. Less Compensation

3. Workplace Violence

4. Lack of Respect from Others

B. The overall effect of shortage of nurses are as follows:

1. Increased hospital mortality rate across US

2. Increase in failures to rescue patients on time

3. Increase in length of patient stay

4. Unavailability of space for patients due to increase in stay

5. Reduction in quality of patient care services

6. Inability of doctors to maintain patient safety, detect complications early, and collaborate with other team members

7. Long term effects include increased job turnoverd and decreased resident and family satisfaction

8. Low staffing level may trigger lawsuits from residents' families and their lawyers

9. Nursing facility not properly staffed with licensed nurses can also attract litigation

C. Action plans needs to take ovecame nurses shortage problems:

1. Short Term Action Plan:

Improve staff training and implement enhanced procedures

Increase staffing levels as well as to implement systemic changes in policy to reduce turnove

Bringing inactive nurses back into practise by offering financial support

Bring new salary structure and incentive plan for nurses to make profession financially attractive

Attract talent from out of US to undergo licensing process from nursing profession

2. Long Term Action Plan:

Hospitals need to work closely with nursing schools to improve training and increase opportunities.

Financially supporting institutions to increase network across US

Launching scholarship, grants and sponserships for students pursuing nursing course.

Specifically providing debt free nursing education to students in rural areas

Encouraging other groups such as men and minorities to attend nursing schools

Using digital media to spread awareness about nursing profession

3. Financial Implication:

Government will have to provide additional budget to healthcare department specifically promoting nursing profession

Hospital industry should invest additional capital in training in nursing schools

Hospitals are already facing huge litigation cost due to careless nursing services resulting into death of patients

Universities must offer additional scholarships, sponserships and grants for nursing schools

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