Comments on: “Averting Nursing Shortfall” Requires Policy Change, Says Dean

By: Calandra

Calandra — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 03:28:00 +0000

The nursing shortage is a crucial problem occurring within the nursing profession. Registered nurses are one of the largest group of healthcare professionals in this nation. However, there is a high demand of more nurses to be added to the nursing profession. Due to the fact, there are high numbers of nurses who will be retiring in the coming years. Nursing is vital to patient care services especially in the 21st century where we have an increase in the older population with the baby boomer generation. The three main reasons why there is a nursing shortage is because there is an increased in the population with a growing need for healthcare services due to old age and chronic illnesses, a low number of new students in nursing and an aging nursing workforce (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society). The nursing shortage opens up the opportunity for new nurses to go to nursing programs and obtain degrees and pass the state licensure exam as a means to correct the nursing shortage in healthcare facilities across the country. The nursing shortage forces current nurses to endure long hours on shifts along with fatigue leading to drug administration errors and poor patient-centered care. During this time in our country after these current hurricane disasters in Houston, Texas, Mexico as well as Florida and Puerto Rico, nurses are in high demand to access the various needs of patients. Due to this shortage, there are nurses currently relocating and traveling to different parts of the country to help these hurricane victims during time of need, medical help and homelessness after losing their homes and family members to this natural disaster. Patient safety is a big concern when it comes to nursing shortage and the need for incentives to retain nurses are vital to fixing the shortage within the country.

The strategies that can be implemented due to the belief that “there is a growing realization that the supply of appropriately prepared nurses is inadequate to meet the needs of a diverse population and that this shortfall will grow more serious over the next 20 years” (“Strategies to Reverse the New Nursing Shortage”). There needs to be a change to address the nursing shortage because “in order to encourage the development and deployment of nursing personnel with skills appropriate to the health care system, the public, policy makers and the profession must engage in ongoing long-term workforce planning, regardless of the perceived or real pressures related to the short-term demand for nursing services. Without measures to reverse the trends discussed above, the nation is in danger of experiencing serious breakdowns in the health care system” (“Strategies to Reverse the New Nursing Shortage”). As a nursing profession, it is essential to educate the public as well as the field of nursing on the importance of pursuing a careers in nursing for the betterment of the future. Healthcare only improves throughout when we take necessary concerns about what needs to be done to continue to progress towards healthcare improvement and advancement as a whole.

References
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. (n.d.). Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://www.nursingsociety.org/why-stti/about-stti/stti-media/nursing-shortage-information/facts-on-the-nursing-shortage-in-north-america

Strategies to Reverse The New Nursing Shortage. (n.d.). Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/workforce/NursingShortage/LegislationStrategies/NursingShortage.html

By: JohnG35

JohnG35 — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 20:07:00 +0000

The challenges we face in nurse staffing is not posting or “allowing” positions, rather obtaining actual candidates. We find ourselves in a constant spin where we hire and train graduate nurses to have them leave once they have gained experience. Hopefully turnover will reduce as we continue to implement Magnet strategies in our hospital. In efforts to improve patient assignments we are looking to implement an acuity based system to help manage patient assignments. I worry for our future in general as we continue to look for new strategies to ensure patient’s receive the best care they can. We need reform in the form of government policy to help build a workforce, provide assistance for people to join the profession, incentives to mobilize nurses to rural areas in need, while fighting for better pay practices. http://www.registerednurseweb.com/

By: Macey Gayle Bronson

Macey Gayle Bronson — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:28:00 +0000

Hi! I’m an Licensed Vocational Nurse and I am currently in the transition program from LVN-RN at the Galen College of Nursing in San Antonio, Texas and then will go another year for my BSN. They are one of few nursing schools that admit more than average students each year and they do admissions four times a year I believe. Their NCLEX pass rates are really high and I love the program so far! There has got to be a way to get more nurses into programs every year so you wont have that shortage that everyone has been talking about forever, but have never seen, then turn around and tell the LVN that are only starting to take RN’s. I don;t think anything is wrong with wanting all RN’s in your facility, but when it just physically isn’t possible, then until then, there needs to be stuff like on-shift continuing education for the LVN’s where they can receive certain certifications to be able to do more than what is in an LVN’s scope of practice.can do, possibly making it into a transitions type of program. All I know, is there has to be some change in what is going on right now. and the only way that is going to happen is by the law. God Bless!! and PRAY FOR TEXAS AND FLORIDA!!