The World of Nursing:
What Is Causing the Shortage?
One of the few careers left in the United States that is said to be everlasting, seems to be getting a taste of reality. What once was a thriving career has steadily begun to struggle with a call to arms. Hospitals around the world are finding that the need for nurses is increasing as new nurse graduates are decreasing. Nursing schools are unable to produce enough new graduates to meet the need. Which causes a need for adequate instructors with the knowledge necessary to educate nursing students. Even with the rate of nurses graduating each year with Bachelors and Associates, why are we in such a drastic need for nurses? Has the population and illness increased so fast that our current
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For instance, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) completes all the daily living tasks with the patients, assists with turning schedules on complete patients (those individuals without the ability to move), and gathers information for the nurses. The nurses monitor the patients, providing proper medication and are the messengers to the doctors. The doctors, of course, have the ultimate say of the patients’ care. But if the CNAs were decreased or no longer available to assist the patients with the daily living tasks and gather information for the nurses. Then the nurses would have to take over these duties on top of the duties they already preform.
As an example at any given hospital, on any given floor, there are anywhere from 4-6 patients to a nurse and 8-10 patients to every CNA. The total amount of patients per floor could range between 20-30 patients. There are some occasions where a nurse and nurse aid may take a much higher patient load then what is recommenced but the California Assembly Bill 394. “This bill mandated the maximum levels of patients per nurse in the hospital setting” (Cook et al., 2012, p.3). If the CNA was not there to assist the RN, then the RN would be required to complete all duties to the patients. With that large of a patient to nurse ratio and the amount of duties required by the hospital, it would be physically impossible to provide adequate care to the patient, especially since the majority of patients in a hospital are
One way to avoid issues that may require nursing home abuse attorneys is to know the telltale signs of understaffing in nursing homes. Many certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, are overworked. It is not unusual for each CNA to care for up to 20 residents during their shift. When a CNA has to help these individuals shower, bathe, reposition
Hospitals nationwide are experiencing nurse shortage and increased workloads because of shorter hospital stays, fewer support resources and higher acuity in patients (Vahey, D. C., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S. P., & Vargas, D., 2004). Higher nurse workloads are directly associated with job burnout and job dissatisfaction which in turn causes more voluntary nurse turnover and relates to the increased nursing shortage. According to the Missouri Hospital Association the turnover rate of nurses has increased by fourteen percent in the last five years (Browning M., 2012). Nursing shortage is a real threat to the patient population. According to the Quality Health Outcomes Model by the American Academy of Nursing by Donabedian, effects of the healthcare interventions are characterized by the environment the staff works in (Vahey et al., 2004). Donabedian describes that quality metrics can be divided into three broad categories, structural, process, and clinical.
Without the nurses the doctors would be unaware of their patient’s status. It is highly important for the nurses to collaborate with the doctor in patient care. The nurse I followed was always aware of how her patients were doing. She sat by her patient’s room that way she knew what was going on at all times. With help of the CNA the nurse was able to provide proper care to each of her patient’s.
The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must
According to an article submitted by Rosenfeld, 2009, the growing trends of an aging population require the need for more nursing services. In addition, there are insufficient numbers of facilities to train new nurses (Rosenfeld, 2009). The above issues pertaining to nursing shortages have created what is called a “nursing crisis” which have caused and will continue to cause dramatic shortages on a national basis.
Certified Nursing Assistant Duties and Responsibilities Certified Nursing Assistant(CNA), commonly referred to as Patient Care Assistant or Nurse Assistant, are important healthcare professionals in the nursing industry. They are well trained health workers who serve as the eyes and ears of the nursing staff and also act as a coordinator between patients and doctors. Under the direct supervision of registered or licensed practical nurses, they provide high quality care to patients. They work in variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare, adult day cares, rehab centers, urgent care clinics and doctors' offices. They are required to work for irregular hours, be prepared to handle crucial responsibilities
LPN’s carry out the orders of the physician, by administering medications and treatments to the patients assigned to them. LPN’s are often the voice of the doctor when it comes to patients care. LPN’s want to make sure to safe and effective care is rendered to all their patients. LPN’s often participate in readjusting a patient plan of care to benefit the patient’s outcome and their safety. LPN’s can delegate procedures to personal qualified to carry out those tasks. Some of these tasks may include items such as vital signs, glucose checks, back massages, bathing and ADL’s, activities and feeding of patients. CNA’s, play a very important role, in helping the nursing staff carry out their orders and duties every day the come to work.
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster
It is not a secret that for many years there has been a detrimental nursing shortage in the United States. Factors that contribute to the unfortunate decrease in availability of nurses and other health care professionals can be attributed to a shortage of nursing school instructors which impacts enrollment into nursing schools, and many in the health care profession are nearing retirement age. The need for health care continues to steadily increase as the baby boomer generation ages. In order to meet these demands, there has to be adequate staff in the workplace. After an extended amount of time dealing with unsafe staff to patient ratio it has come the time to take action and devise solutions rather than letting patient care suffer. After comparing a variety of possible solutions, the most feasible was to create and implement a clear updated set of regulations, and formulate a law to enforce the same. The proposed solution will address the ineffectiveness of current health care staffing regulations, propose a law that will enforce safe staff to patient ratios, mandate that all parties involved in developing health care laws be members of the health care field themselves, and work to maintain a strict continuous reassessment phase to ensure that all changes remain beneficial. With the help of the entire health care community the implementation of this proposed solution will create a dramatic decrease in adverse patient outcomes while increasing patient and staff
Some believe it is because of retirement. The Toronto Star reported in 2001 that 14,000 of their 81,000 nurses were due to retire by 2004 (Honor Society of Nursing, 2001). The huge shortage of nurses has had an impact on patient care (Rosseter, 2011). They would need more graduating nurses to fill those open positions. There are several hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies with multiple jobs open due to the shortage of nurses (Honor Society of Nursing, 2001). Experts also believe that nurses are enrolling into school at an older age averaging at 31 year age opposed to 18 years of age (Honor Society of Nursing, 2001). Some jobs are even offering a sign-on bonus so they can fill these open positions. To new graduating nurse’s this can be a good incentive since the medical field is competitive.
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care
The number of residents will determine the amount of staff that will be needed to provide care around the clock. The key staff members will include (1) medical director, (2) DON (3) RN or LPN and (4) CNA’s. The medical director will serve as a consultant and provide his expertise to the staff on how to adequately care for the patients. The DON will supervise the workers in the department and is available to handle administrative tasks. As for an RN one will serve as a charge nurse who will report directly to the DON. LPN will provide treatment and administer medication per doctor’s orders. According to Singh (2016), CNA’s provide hands-on care such as but not limited to taking vital signs, positioning and bathing assistance to the patients
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
Nurses occupy a central role in the delivery of health care in all countries though countries have different health care systems and methods of payment options. Unfortunately research on the nursing experience carried out in some countries has indicated high levels of job dissatisfaction, burnout and intention to leave the profession. Many countries are facing nursing shortages, worsened by the fact that richer nations are luring nurses away from poorer ones, and that the nursing profession has lost popularity among younger women and men as a career option (Burke et al., 2012).
Historically, the nursing field is one that has consistent positive job outlooks, as there is typically a continued shortage. Healthcare is the backbone of most communities, not just for its services, but also for the jobs it provides and the economy stimulation. Jill Bernstein, author for “Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization” states, “The health care industry is a critical component of the national, and most regional and local economies of the United States” (4). The nursing field has suffered challenges due to the economic, social, and the political downturn of the U.S. Nevertheless, there is still some noticeable growth taking place and opportunities available. This shows encouraging signs for new nursing graduates.