Nursing Tasks, Methods, And Expectations
State of the Industry
The Art and Science of Nursing
Relative Pay Scales
Male Nursing Roles
Sex Stereotypes
The Influence of the Nationalized Healthcare Debate
Proposed Methods toward Recruiting Nurses
Joint Corporate Campaigns
Steps to Recruiting Men
Wages issues
Recent employment trends in the nursing field have demonstrated a disconcerting drop in the number of employed and employable nurses. In what has been traditionally a female dominated filed, the exit rate of both men and women, as well as the approaching retirement of a majority of existing nurses, threaten the long-term care quality of hospital and other in-patient care facilities.
This paper examines some of the factors behind the current nursing shortage, and offers suggestions as to how to reverse the trends which, if left unchecked, threaten our nation's health care delivery system.
Introduction
Since the days of Florence Nightingale, patients in hospitals around the world depend on the care of nurses. These trained professionals assist doctors and specialists in virtually every area of medicine. In addition the 'extra set of hands' needed for many medical procedures, nurses provide a special type of one-on-one contact that is outside of the scope of a doctors daily responsibilities. The special, intimate contact offered by nurses has built significant value in the field of nursing. This hands on; personal touch is a needed component to the overall health and well being of in-patient care.
In most modern medicinal institutions, as well as practical training programs, nurses are taught to provide skillful services, as well as compassion and caring. Patients and doctors alike realize the value of the services nurses provide. After Florence Nightingale revolutionized the profession in the 1850's, deaths in hospitals dropped dramatically, from 420 per 1000 to 22 per 1000 (Kurzen, 1997). Since that time, hospitals and rehabilitation centers have depended on the skilled nurses in addition to the doctoral staff. Soon thereafter, practical nursing programs developed in the late 1800's were designed to increase the opportunities for women (Kurzen, 1997). These institutions soon became vital to the growth and effectiveness of hospitals and health facilities. The demand for nursing services grew so dramatically that national organizations flourished by providing supervision and planning for the growing profession. Within a relatively short period of time, nursing had evolved from a pink-collar employment to a female dominated, respected profession.
For many nurses, the daily chores and duties begin long before sunrise. After receiving briefs and updates on hospital conditions, nurses must check the charts of their patients (Wolkomir 1998). Patient charts include crucial information about the administration of medications and special notes from physicians. Any mistakes in the administration of medicine can be fatal, so it is the responsibility of nurses to give precise dosages (Wolkomir 1998). After completing orders from doctors, nurses perform more ordinary tasks. Many patients are unable to complete simple acts of daily hygiene, so nurses are responsible for these care giving tasks as well. A nurse featured in the article "The Quality of Mercy" said that she did not "mind her work- despite the high tech gear and the life-and-death responsibility- requires services as humble as Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet" (Wolkomir, 1998).
Patient care studies detail treatment and therapies provided by nurses for treatment of various illnesses (Livesay, 1998). In addition, care studies outline problems and expected outcomes or goals due to a particular treatment. Nursing is a highly skilled profession with huge amounts of responsibility. Nurses perform these numerous duties daily for not one, but a large population of needy patients.
Statement of the Problem
At a time in which medical care costs are accelerating along with the demand for additional care, the number of applicants for career nursing positions is in a steady decline. For over 6 years, numerous studies have identified this trend which will leave the nursing profession over 100,000 nurses short by the year 2020. Like a monster thunderstorm which created by the combination of many weather factors and front, many factors are combining to create this impending 'storm' for our health care delivery system.
The problem is not limited to the United States. During the recent SARS outbreak in Toronto, the shortage of nurses in our northern neighbor exacerbated the crisis. (Silas, 2003) When hospital beds fill, and the conditions are life threatening, if the hospital, or in the current climate, the entire North American continent, cannot meet the demand...
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The reluctance to refer patients to specialists may also mean that nurses must practice more holistic, rather than specialized forms, of nursing. The desire for cost containment has resulted in many nurses assuming physician's duties, such as those duties confined in previous eras to the patient's primary care physician. In states with high HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) enrollment, more nurses were shifted to lower-paying nonhospital settings, such as in home
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