Indeed, the authors of the resources reviewed did not pull any punches in their portrayal of the impact that the current and impending nursing shortage is going to have on the profession and on the quality of healthcare services in the future. Furthermore, it was apparent from the review that the implications of a growing shortage for the nursing profession itself were severe, but none of the authors emphasized just how difficult it is to be a nurse today.
Notwithstanding the popular perception of professional nurses in clean scrubs delivering timely medical care, the harsh reality of the situation is that nurses are routinely called upon to care for patients who are difficult to manage (either by virtue of their health condition or otherwise) and encounter all manner of bodily excreta including HIV-infected vomit, urine and feces. It is little wonder that many people who might aspire to this helping profession because of an innate sense of wanting to help others may be steered away from the profession because of existing understaffing levels, strict legal and ethical considerations and a woefully low pay scale compared to the credentials needed and the work involved.
Conclusion
The research showed that the United States is currently experiencing a severe shortage of qualified nurses and there was a near consensus that the problem is expected to become much more severe in the future as the Baby Boomer segment of the population retires and begins to experience a wide range of age-related medical problems. Although nursing shortages have occurred in the past, the research also showed that the nursing shortage today is different in fundamental ways as a result of changes in demographics, work expectations and a growing sense of job dissatisfaction as a result of understaffing and overworked nurses. The effect of job dissatisfaction on employee turnover is well documented, and it is reasonable to conclude that unless and until enough resources are brought to bear on the problem in meaningful ways, the shortage will simply continue to grow worse and patient care will suffer as a result. In addition, as fewer and fewer nurses are available to care for more and more patients, the problems of burnout and job dissatisfaction too will continue to worsen, thereby further exacerbating an already bad situation. More money for wages and a relaxation of immigration laws to allow foreign nurses to more easily emigrate to the United States are steps in the right direction, but they will not solve the problem by themselves. To help overcome this national healthcare threat, there must be a multifaceted and comprehensive approach involved that addresses all of the issues and constraints identified in the review of the literature, as well as more active recruitment of nursing candidates by nursing schools across the country.
References
Anderson, S. (2007, September). Deadly consequences: The hidden impact of America's nursing shortage. National Foundation for American Policy brief, 1-11. [Online]. Available:
http://www.nfap.com/pdf/0709deadlyconsequences.pdf.
Writing for the NFAP, author cites the growing elderly segment of the American
population and cautions that unless something drastic is done today, the shortage of qualified nursing staff in the United States is going to mean more and more people are going to be denied the level of healthcare services they need for age-related condition in the future. Author also emphasizes that more than 1.2 million new nurses will be needed by the year 2014 to satisfy the growing demand but current enrollment levels will not nearly satisfy this need. Author's recommendations to relax immigration laws so that foreign nurses can help alleviate the problem is a step in the right direction, but he also notes that much more is going to be required from government policymakers at all levels to solve this problem today and in the future.
Elgie, R. (2007, November 28). Politics, economics, and nursing shortages: A critical look at United States government policies. Nursing Economics. [Online]. Available: http://
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/565608.
Author suggests that the use of government subsidies to help nurses attend college and receive their degrees has adversely affected current wage levels because many nurses have not invested large sums of money in this pursuit and recommends reducing or eliminating these...
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