With predictions that this nursing shortage will be more severe and have a longer duration than previously experienced, traditional strategies implemented by employers will have limited success. The aging nursing workforce, low unemployment, and the global nature of this shortage compound the usual factors that contribute to nursing shortages. For sustained change and assurance of an adequate supply of nurses, solutions must be developed in several areas: education, healthcare delivery systems, policy and regulations, and image. This shortage is not solely nursing’s issues and requires a collaborative effort among nursing leaders in practice and education, health care executives, government, and the media.
Every article, speech, and interview …show more content…
Thus, this is a more complex shortage, which promises to worsen during the next decade as more nurses retire. Past economic solutions such as sign-on bonuses, relocation coverage, or new premium packages will have limited and temporary effect because they simply redistribute the supply of nurses, not increase it.
However, these solutions are already gaining in popularity again as evidenced by ads in local newspapers. The solutions to create a sustained improvement to the nursing shortage will need to be more radical than past shortages and must address many long-term issues.
In addition to the worsening nurse shortage is the shortage of other staff including various allied health professionals, secretaries, and support staff. The shortages of other staff are adversely impacting nurses who have the most continuous and closest relationship with patients and their families. In the early 90’s, for cost cutting reasons, there was an increased use of unlicensed assistive personnel. However, these models have failed due to increasing patient acuities, the concerns over medical errors, and the declining numbers of ancillary …show more content…
The challenge is for redesign of patient care delivery models that are built to support the practice of an older workforce. Nursing, a physically demanding profession, must address this challenge by initializing new technology into practice. Hospitals must support the aging nurse by offering flexibility in scheduling, increased time off, and sabbaticals.
The general work environment in the U.S. is different than at the time of the last shortage and needs to be taken into consideration when developing strategies to manage the shortage. There is blurring between what has been the traditional role of manager and the managed and between work and home. Rapid technological advances are changing the way in which work has been done. Organizations in all industries are dealing with a tight labor market and competing aggressively to hire the best and brightest.
What the public thinks about nurses generally and what they specifically see or read in the media shape the current image of nurses. Annually, the nursing profession ranks very high as a trusted profession in the U.S., above physicians and other healthcare
Every article, speech, and interview …show more content…
Thus, this is a more complex shortage, which promises to worsen during the next decade as more nurses retire. Past economic solutions such as sign-on bonuses, relocation coverage, or new premium packages will have limited and temporary effect because they simply redistribute the supply of nurses, not increase it.
However, these solutions are already gaining in popularity again as evidenced by ads in local newspapers. The solutions to create a sustained improvement to the nursing shortage will need to be more radical than past shortages and must address many long-term issues.
In addition to the worsening nurse shortage is the shortage of other staff including various allied health professionals, secretaries, and support staff. The shortages of other staff are adversely impacting nurses who have the most continuous and closest relationship with patients and their families. In the early 90’s, for cost cutting reasons, there was an increased use of unlicensed assistive personnel. However, these models have failed due to increasing patient acuities, the concerns over medical errors, and the declining numbers of ancillary …show more content…
The challenge is for redesign of patient care delivery models that are built to support the practice of an older workforce. Nursing, a physically demanding profession, must address this challenge by initializing new technology into practice. Hospitals must support the aging nurse by offering flexibility in scheduling, increased time off, and sabbaticals.
The general work environment in the U.S. is different than at the time of the last shortage and needs to be taken into consideration when developing strategies to manage the shortage. There is blurring between what has been the traditional role of manager and the managed and between work and home. Rapid technological advances are changing the way in which work has been done. Organizations in all industries are dealing with a tight labor market and competing aggressively to hire the best and brightest.
What the public thinks about nurses generally and what they specifically see or read in the media shape the current image of nurses. Annually, the nursing profession ranks very high as a trusted profession in the U.S., above physicians and other healthcare