NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1: Discuss the events that have contributed (or will continue to contribute) to the nursing shortage, or that contribute to a shortage in a region or specialty
NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
Discuss the events that have contributed (or will continue to contribute) to the nursing shortage, or that contribute to a shortage in a region or specialty. Discuss at least one way that the nursing profession is currently working toward a resolution of this problem. In replies to peers, offer different examples of how the nursing shortage has been addressed in your state, community, or specialty area. NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
REPLY TO DISCUSSION
Nursing shortages are a new problem that not just the United States is facing but the whole world. As the nursing shortages increase in the United States the demand for nurses can change the current healthcare style. There are several reasons why nursing shortages are happening. Some of the reasons are from the current nurses retiring and the increasing demand of the population that is aging. Another reason is the current COVID-19 pandemic that changed the world which caused nurse-to-patient ratio to increase due to the staff shortages causing the current nurses to leave and be burned out leaving the nursing field in general.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
The aging population will put a stain on the current nursing workforce since by the year of 2030 the baby-boom generation will be at the age of retirement which will bring approximately 73 million people into the population that would require more health services. This also means that with the current nurses who are part of the baby-boom generation will then retire as well.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
A way to try and counter the shortages would be to have nursing schools and health centers to recruit new nurses. With the help of the government this can be done. With the CARES Act, the nurses who work in underserved areas get help with training and educational financial aid. There is also a Nursing Loan Repayment Program that offers to pay up to 85% of educational loans for nurses that work in areas that have critical nursing shortages.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
So with the help of the government and having educational facilities be able to take on more students then this will help with the nursing shortages that we are facing.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
There are several reasons for the nursing shortage such as, nurse burnout, aging nurses , new nurses unable to handle the patient workload, high stress levels and more. Nursing schools are aware of the shortage but unfortunately there are not enough nursing faculty to service the potential nursing students. The patient is the most important individual to the health care organization and they deserve quality care. When nurses have higher education and multi-skilled they can effectively combat the health care workforce and essentially care for more patients.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
A common objective of health care providers and health organizations is to provide safe, effective quality care therefore, adequate nursing staff is vital. Decreased staffing is a huge contributor to the nurse stress level which may cause their work performance levels to become compromised and job dis-satisfaction occurs leading to more nurses leaving nursing altogether. Quality of patient care is decreased when access to health care is affected by nurse stressors or nurse burnout (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017).NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2017). Nursing shortage fact sheet. http://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-ShortageNRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
Also Read: NRS 429 Assignment Family Assessment Part I
References
Hamlin, Kristen (2021). Why is there a nursing shortage? Nursejournal.org. https://nursejournal.org/articles/why-is-there-a-nursing-shortage/
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Hi Jose! Great job discussing the events that have contributed (or will continue to contribute) to the nursing shortage. I agree that prior to the pandemic, nurses were already spread thin. My thoughts had always been it was the nature of the job, as nurses are prone to compassion fatigue and get burnt out easily. The added stress of the Covid pandemic and loss of life further exacerbated this. After the mass exodus, the nursing world is left with a large void to fill.
I live in the state of Arizona and one example of how the nursing shortage has been addressed in my state is that they are committed to increasing the number of graduating nurses by over 100 %. Arizona’s public universities have proposed a novel plan to rapidly expand their capacity to train and deploy nurses ready to enter the workforce as soon as next year. If approved, we estimate that ASU, NAU, and UA will be able to graduate 500 more nurses per year by 2026. (DuVal, 2022)
References
DuVal, Frank (2022) Arizona has a serious nursing shortage. Here’s how we solve it. Retrieved from https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2022/02/27/how-solve-arizona-nursing-shortage/6937783001/
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Hi Jose, I agree with your strong well put points, the nursing shortage has been addressed in my state by increasing the number of nursing schools and increasing the number of slots available in nursing programs. In addition, the state has also increased the number of scholarships and loan forgiveness programs available to nursing students. In my community, the nursing shortage has been addressed by increasing the number of nursing homes and hospitals, and by offering more flexible scheduling and higher wages to nurses (Whitney, 2018). In addition, the community has also established a nursing task force to address the nursing shortage.
References
Whitney, S. (2018). Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective. Grand Canyon University. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/1
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Well discussed the nurse shortage and solutions to tackle these problems. As you mentioned, Covid 19 makes the health industry increase the demand for more nurses also, nurses stress out and leave the job, and turnover occurs. It is a severe problem that nurses graduate and start working, then realize it’s not the profession they want to do and quit; also, some leave the job due to burnout. It says the national average for turnover rates is 8.8 % to 37.0%, depending on geographic location and nursing specialty.
Reference.
Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2022). Nursing Shortage. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
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The nursing deficit is a nationwide issue. A contributing factor is the fact that a lot of the nurse’s in the present labor pressure are nearing the era of retirement(GCU,2021). Yet another contributing factor is the fact that enrollment in nursing school isn’t growing fast adequate to meet up with the need of the growing aging population (GCU,2021). An additional problem is the fact that there’s not sufficient nursing school to satisfy the need and that leads to reduced seating available for nursing students( GCU,2021).
As the baby boomer’s era this will even contribute to the nursing deficit because it is going to increase the quantity of individuals that need care (AACN,2019). There are numerous initiatives which are aimed at dealing with the nursing shortage. A number of states have launched programs to offer nurses mortgage forgiveness in case they decide to instruct after graduation (AACN,2019). Nursing schools are trying to develop jvs to grow their pupil capacity (AACN,2019). The area community college which I have the ADN of mine from created a partnership with another 4 year college to supply BSN courses on the neighborhood community college campus to give a chance to local area nursing pupils to attain their BSN. The identical school that’s teaching the ADN method are instructing the BSN courses.NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1 References:
Grand Canyon Faculty (Ed). (2021). Fads in overall health care: A nursing perspective. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/
American Association of College of Nursing (2019) Nursing Shortage Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Shortage
Worldwide, hospitals continue to be confronted with a nursing shortage problem, which has been a concern for decades. According to Whitney (2018), there is a deficit in the nursing workforce related to the age of the current nursing workforce, the need for schools to enroll more students at an accelerated rate to meet the projected demand, and a shortage of nursing faculty and clinical sites. Moreover, the population is aging, and long-term care needs are increasing. Patient care can become too overwhelming as one age. The solution to this problem can be found by employing older nurses in the facility’s education and non-direct patient care areas as resource personnel (Marquis & Huston, 2017). NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
With more experienced nurses retiring earlier, younger nurses will need to gain exposure to the valuable experience and knowledge that older nurses have accrued during their careers. The availability of clinical preceptor sites for nursing students also contributes to a need for more nurses. Because many nursing students apply at the facilities where they do their preceptorships, hospital systems that partner with nursing schools can benefit financially and as employers. As a result of staffing shortages, higher patient needs and pressures, and potential violence, nurses are feeling burned out and are seeking employment outside of healthcare. There is a need for changes within the nursing industry. There are several issues related to nursing, but there are also options, and nurses tend to go where they are well-paid and treated.
To improve the quality of service, facility leadership should pay attention to and listen to the staff when they talk about issues. This is the biggest issue in the region I practice; nurses are not being incentivized or paid anywhere near what they are worth for the knowledge and experience they bring with them. Nursing salaries in Oklahoma are among the lowest in the nation. RNs in Oklahoma earn an average salary of $64,800 a year. Accordingly, Oklahoma nurses make an average hourly wage of $31.15. Meanwhile, the national average for RNs is $77,460. In terms of an hourly wage, this is approximately $37.24 an hour annually (Registered nurse salary in Oklahoma (2021): Trusted health).
Lack of mental health support and understanding is another issue plaguing nursing. We have had two attempted suicides by two nurses at my current facility. I can only speculate as to the reason, but there is no doubt that the current working conditions of nursing were not one of the possible and probable reasons for them to attempt such a permanent act. Mental health strains result from long shifts, staff shortages, and a lack of resources, so healthcare organizations must support nursing staff. Establishing a mental health-positive workplace culture that provides mental health resources to destigmatize mental health issues is essential. Nurses’ mental health can be enhanced and protected by peer support groups and self-care strategies, enabling them to perform at their best (2022).
Happy and healthy nurses are essential in creating and maintaining happy and healthy patients. A healthy work environment contributes to the retention of nurses by creating a positive work environment. It is important to note that as nurses are retained, staff shortages will decrease, thus positively impacting patient satisfaction and safety.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing (9th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Trusted. (n.d.). Registered nurse salary in Oklahoma (2021): Trusted health. Registered Nurse Salary in Oklahoma (2021) | Trusted Health. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.trustedhealth.com/nurse-salary-guide/oklahoma
University of North Dakota. (2022, August 8). Supporting mental health for nurses: Why it matters. University of North Dakota Online. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://onlinedegrees.und.edu/blog/supporting-mental-health-for-nurses-why-it-matters/
Whitney, S. (2018). Reader. BibliU. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/1000000000592/epub/Chapter1.html#page_6
Some issues that have contributed to the nursing shortage are related to the COVID pandemic.COVID affected the nursing field dramatically. Many nurses couldn’t handle the amount of work and deaths that they witnessed. Nurses left the field along with the nurses leaving for retirement or death from COVID. Many hospitals are having trouble keeping staff and recruiting new staff. Some organizations have had to make budget cuts which also has led to a decrease in nursing staff. However it is important to maintain nursing staff to care for their patients and provide adequate care. Another reason that affects the nursing shortage is due to the nursing schools restricting enrollment due to staffing issues with instructors.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is working with schools, policy makers, nursing organizations, and the media to bring attention to this healthcare concern (AACN Fact Sheet – Nursing Shortage, n.d.). Some nursing schools are limited to the budgets and staff being overwhelmed. Many nurses are leaving bedside care and getting advanced career opportunities. The baby boomer population is the largest generation in the country and is continuing to age which is leading to an increase in patients needing healthcare. The nursing workforce cannot keep up the demand. It is estimated that between 2010 and 2030, one in every five people will be a senior citizen (Dufilho, 2022).NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1 Reference
AACN Fact Sheet – Nursing Shortage. (n.d.). https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
Dufilho, M. (2022, June 28). Causes and Solutions for the Nursing Shortage. Always Culture. https://alwaysculture.com/hcahps/causes-solutions-nursing-shortage/
Topic 1 DQ 1
Nurses form a critical component of healthcare and make up the largest portion of the health profession. Despite having close to 4 million nurses, the United States continues to experience a nursing shortage because of a host of events or factors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 275,000 more nurses will be required from 2020 through 2030 to meet the rising demand for nursing (Buerhaus, 2021). The factors leading to nursing shortage are diverse and vary from profession’s position to external issues. The aging population and an aging nursing workforce are two critical factors contributing to nursing shortage. The aging population needs more health services because of diseases associated with their age.
Today, the U.S. has the highest number of individuals aged 65 and above than any other time in its history (Boyle et al., 2022). Over 71 million individuals in the country are 65 years and above. The implication is that these individuals require more care because of comorbidities associated with age. The aging nursing workforce due to the retiring of baby boomers means that more nurses will be required to fill those positions. Nurse burnout due to limited supply of new nurses is also another trend leading to nursing shortage (Haddad et al., 2022). Many nursing schools have limited resources and funding which makes it difficult to train and graduate students. The current reforms in healthcare means that more people can access health services leading to the need for more providers. NRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
Getting a resolution to the issue of nursing shortage is critical and the nursing profession is focusing on a host of ways to address the problem. Among these is the increased use of health technology through telehealth and telemedicine to increase accessibility (Buerhaus, 2021). Training more individuals to take the profession is also important as it means that more graduates will become nurses to reduce the shortage.
References
Boyle, S. M., Washington, R., McCann, P., Koul, S., McLarney, B., & Gadegbeku, C. A. (2022).
The nephrology nursing shortage: Insights from a pandemic. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 79(1), 113-116. DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.07.007.
Buerhaus, P. I. (2021). Current Nursing shortages could have long-lasting consequences: time to
change our present course. Nursing Economics, 39(5), 247-250. http://www.nursingeconomics.net/necfiles/2021/SO21/247.pdf
Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P. & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2022). Nursing Shortage. StatPearlsNRS 440 Topic 1 DQ 1
(Internet). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/
There are many events that have contributed to the nursing shortage, after the financial recession in the United States in the years 2007 and 2008, nurses went back to their pre-recession jobs and left the nursing profession once again, there is a significant number of nurses close to retirement age, approximately 1 million nurses in the next 10 years will be at retirement age (Snavely, 2016). There is also a shortage on the labor force overall due to decreasing numbers in the population; the 1990 census showed a baby boomer population of 77 million Americans vs. 44 million of generation Xers, creating the smallest pool of entry level workers since the 1930s (Snavely, 2016). According to Snavely (2016), nursing schools have reported a shortage of faculty; resulting in a smaller number of student nurses enrolling in nursing programs. Nursing is a rewarding career, yet stressful and demanding on the nurse and the nurse’s family, creating burnout, stress, and fatigue; there is an estimate that about 30-50% of nurses will leave the profession in the first 3 years (Snavely, 2016). The global COVID-19 pandemic had caused a catastrophic nursing shortage due to heavy workloads, increased in stress levels, insufficient resources, and mental anguish; it is predicted that by 2030, 6 million nurses will be needed to meet global demand (Johnstone, 2022).
Because there is such a high turnover rate of new nurses leaving the profession of nursing, developing a program of education where the novice nurse is paired with an experienced nurse and developing a transition to practice program where the preceptor is an experienced nurse who has been educated to train a novice nurse and ensuring new graduates are not being oriented by new nurses is critical, given that it can take up to a year for a new nurse to feel comfortable to fufill her duties. The shortage that is occurring at the nursing school levels should be addressed with comparable salaries to other nursing specialties; new DNP-prepared nurses should be mentored for teaching roles and provide opportunities for continuing practice while teaching (Perkins, 2021).
References
Johnstone, M.-J. (2022). Nursing shortages and the “Tragedy of the Commons”: the demand for a morally just global response. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39(4), 1–3. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.37464/2020.394.1024
Perkins, A. (2021). Nursing shortage: Consequences and solutions. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, 19(5), 49. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1097/01.NME.0000767268.61806.d9
Snavely, T. M. (2016). Data Watch. A Brief Economic Analysis of the Looming Nursing Shortage In the United States. Nursing Economic$, 34(2), 98–100.
Many are the events that have contributed to today’s nursing shortage. This is a global issue in the nursing profession as it is mostly related to the healthcare needs of the consumers of health and therefore to the evolving character of the healthcare system itself (Whitney, 2022). For that, organizations such as The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AANC) took the issues seriously and have been working tremendously and continuing to work with schools, policymakers, nursing organizations, and the media to bring attention to this healthcare concern to find solutions to the issue (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AANC]. The issue of nursing shortage is continuing to be an issue in the healthcare system. A lot of efforts are made to resolve or lessen its impact on the patient’s quality of care.
AANC believes that the nursing shortage is a global issue and many reasons such as Nursing school enrollment not growing fast enough to meet the projected demand for RN and APRN services, an aging population, an increase in chronic conditions, and a lack of qualified nurses are contributing factors. To address the nursing shortage issue, the nursing profession has elaborated strategies. One of them is to increase educational opportunities by increasing the number of students entering nursing programs. To achieve this strategy, through NursingCAS, the nation’s centralized application service for nursing education programs that prepare nurses for entry-level and advanced roles, AACN ensures that all vacant seats in schools of nursing are filled to better meet the nation’s need for RNs, APRNs, and nurse faculty.
References:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Nursing Shortage
https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Shortage
Whitney, S. (2022). Trends and Issues in Today’s Health Care. In Grand Canyon University (Ed.), Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective (2nd ed).
https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/1000000000592/epub/Chapter1.html#page_6