Reasons For Nurse Shortage

1423 Words3 Pages

Nursing Shortage It is likely that most people have heard about the nursing shortage for years now, and perhaps they believe it’s been fixed. However, the nursing profession is experiencing a reoccurring deficiency. According to Brian Hansen, (2002), there was a nation wide shortage in 2001 of 126,000 full-time registered nurses, but the shortage will surge to 808,000 by 2020 if something isn't done. This pattern is a persisting cycle of high vacancies followed by layoffs and a high over supply of registered nurses. Various factors contribute to the lack of nurses within the health care facilities, but today’s shortages are a little different. Many feel that this scarcity is severe and long-drawn-out. The four major issues contributing to the nursing shortage include demand, supply, educational preparedness, and job satisfaction. Demand The demand for nurses is growing at an alarming rate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing employment rates will increase by 26% from 2010 to 2020. Meeting the projected demand for nurses will require a significant amount in nursing graduates to fill these spots. In addition, filling the occupancies with the aging nursing workforce will also need to be addressed. This coincides with the increasing need for the nursing faculty. . In addition, health care reforms are providing more people with health care. Therefore, causing a huge upsurge need for more nurses. Aging Workforce Many nurses are simply getting old and retiring from their professions. The overall nursing workforce age has risen steadily from 49 years of age in 1993 to 54 in 2004 for doctoral faculty and 46- 50 years of age for master’s faculty (“American Association”, 2005). Barely nine percent of the curr... ... middle of paper ... ...ook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012, March 29). Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm Report to Congress on Nursing Faculty and the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program: The Forum, Findings, and Recommendations. (2010, April). Retrieved November 1, 2013, from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/intergovernment-personnel-act/nursing.pdf So, you’re a new nurse. Now what? | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles. (2010, October 21). Retrieved from http://scrubsmag.com/so-youre-a-new-nurse. -Now-what/ Wood, D. (2009). Why Have Nurses Left the Profession? - Nurse Zone. Retrieved November 3, 2013, from http://www.nursezone.com/nursing-news-events/more-news/Why-Have-Nurses-Left-the-Profession_29118.aspx

More about Reasons For Nurse Shortage

Open Document