Question

synthesize the description of the current nursing issue Topic nursing Shortage

Answer 1

Ans) The factors contributing to the nursing shortage are multifaceted: a diminishing pipeline of new nurses due to a faculty shortage that has resulted in thousands of prospective students being turned away, steep population growth in several states, ACA providing increased access, and a baby boom bubble that will require intensive health care services. And these issues are occurring at a time when a significant number of nurses are retiring.

- "The biggest challenges facing healthcare are the demographic changes that are pushing expansion of the workforce and the time it takes to educate and train new health care workers to fill those needs. "It seems to me that the shift away from LVNs and LPNs to RNs has exacerbated this in the hospital setting. I would expect a return to a larger team with clear roles would be helpful."

- Perhaps the most critical factor affecting the nursing shortage in the U.S. is nursing schools’ inability to increase enrollment due to a scarcity of nursing school faculty.

- An American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) survey reported that U.S. nursing schools turned away 79,659 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2012 due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints.

- Also, more than 56 percent of the 714 nursing schools that responded to the survey reported 1,236 full-time faculty vacancies for the 2014-15 academic year.
The following factors have contributed to the nursing faculty shortage:

Low salaries for educators compared to clinicians;
• Age-delayed trajectory of nurses obtaining higher levels of education;
• Late point in career development for entering educative roles;
• Inability to fill open faculty roles;
• Looming retirement of large numbers of currently employed nursing educators.

Other factors contributing to the nursing shortage include:

• Hospital acuity: Acuity in hospitals has been on the rise due to the declining average length of stay and new technology that allows rapid assessment, treatment, and discharge.
• Aging population: As a high percentage of Baby Boomers reach retirement age, their need for healthcare will grow and intensify.
• Aging workforce: A significant segment of the nursing workforce is nearing retirement age. According to a 2013 survey conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and The Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, 55 percent of the RN workforce is age 50 or older. Also, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects that more than one million registered nurses will reach retirement age within the next 10 to 15 years.
• Workload and work environment: In response to health care cost pressure, hospitals have been forced to reduce staffing and have implemented mandatory overtime policies to ensure that RNs would be available to work when the number of patients admitted increased unexpectedly. An increased workload may affect the decision to enter or remain in the nursing profession.

Effects of Nursing Shortage on Patient Care:
Due to the shortage, nurses often need to work long hours under very stressful conditions, which can result in fatigue, injury, and job dissatisfaction. Nurses suffering in these environments are more prone to making mistakes and medical errors. An unfortunate outcome is that patient quality can suffer, resulting in a variety of preventable complications, including medication errors, emergency room overcrowding, and more alarmingly, increased mortality rates.

Strategies include:

• Allow scheduling flexibility: This helps nurses juggle their busy work schedule with home life and educational opportunities, and also allows them to decompress between stressful, emotionally demanding shifts. Keeping nurses happy when it comes to scheduling will create a more positive work atmosphere and help the hospital retain quality nurses.

• Promote career development: With new Institute of Medicine recommendations that call for 80 percent of nurses to have a bachelor's degree by 2020, it's important that hospitals help nurses obtain the highest education possible. As a result, nurses will feel more satisfied and more likely to stay within the organization.

Listen to nurses' voices: Give nurses and staff ample face time with supervisors and managers, so they can voice concerns and share ideas about improving workflow. Implementing those ideas and suggestions also shows nurses that hospital managers are serious about their opinions and input.