Nursing Shortages
Nursing shortages have been recorded in many parts of the United States and around the world. It applies to a situation in which the need for nursing practitioners outnumbers the supply. The nurse-to-population ratio, nurse-to-patient ratio, and the numerous available career openings for nurses who have no one to occupy are all indicators of the pattern. The shortage is not caused entirely by an insufficient supply of qualified nurses but other factors also come into play such as inadequate staffing ratios in healthcare institutions, insufficient worker retention measures, and absence of placement programs for the nurses who have just left training. It has been estimated by the World Health Organization that the global shortage of nurses stands at 4.3 million.
A comparison of research questions
According to AACN (2017), nurses can be attracted to the population by allowing them to operate under flexible schedules. Such schedules will assist them to be prepared to balance between their busy work schedules with home environments. They will also be able to decompress themselves from the stressful conditions and the emotionally draining shifts that they have to undertake in the course of their duties. Keeping the nurses joyous in regards to their work schedules enables them to become more positive and free in their work environments thus they are able to connect well with their patients without losing focus or feeling the immense pressure placed on them. Retention among the nurses needs to be improved. The fact that nursing is a very stressful occupation means that organizations should work improve the level of communication and increased staffing conditions. By creating more autonomy, nurses can be assisted to attain high level of job satisfaction leading to high rates of retention and general reduction in the level of stress.
Moore and Simendinger (2012)
argue that there is need to advance career development among nurses. Healthcare institutions need to assist nurses to gain the highest levels of education that they can ever long for. By undergoing different sets of training, nurses are able to gain different techniques that will enable them to appropriately handle diverse populations. Many organizations according to Satterly (2003) have not granted nurses sufficient opportunities to address their issues. Most of the times they do not get their pertinent issues addressed by the management leading to increased cases of job dissatisfaction and low employee turnover. The management should allow the nurses to voice their concerns as well as share their ideas that can improve their levels of operations at the workplace and interactions with their clients (Hockenberry & Becker, 2016). The management should show their level of seriousness and commitment towards the ideas presented by their employees. AACN (2017) contends that there is need for healthcare institutions to create strategic partnerships with other organizations so as to improve the well-being of the nurses. Through media campaigns, awareness can be created so as to promote the measures aimed at protecting the interest of the nurses.
A comparison of sample populations
The sample populations for the study are composed of adults aged above 65 years of age. This is the age bracket that really needs the services of the nurses. As a result, they emerge as the most affected part of the population by shortage of nursing. Buerhaus et.al, (2009) indicates that nursing homes that consist of the elderly people are in need of registered nurses to be available at all times in order to assess the various needs of the clients and to evaluate the divergent outcomes of their care. The Registered Nurses (RN) are charged with the responsibility of supervising the operations of the licensed practical nurses and the certified nursing assistants in regards to their roles of administering care and medications. They further maintain clear records and accurate reporting so as to clearly present their cases that can be used to promote care initiatives to the designated populations.
A comparison of the limitations of the study
According to Satterly (2003), the study will be limited by resources that are needed to carry out extensive research on the factors contributing to the shortage of nursing. The age group that the study focuses on is likely to be affected by communication owing to the fact that elderly people are not able to articulate issues clearly. Time constraint is another limiting factor in that the researcher cannot cover a wide area within the set time period. The researcher will therefore have to select a few areas to undertake the study which may not be a true or clear reflection of the entire population.
A conclusion section
The impact of shortage of nursing is being felt in various parts of the world especially in the developed countries such as the United States. Such countries have a surge in the older population who are in deep need of nursing care. Increasing retention rates among nurses will greatly improve the situation and reduce shortage of nursing. There is need to create proper programs that will ensure a direct link between nursing institutions and the healthcare institutions who are need of nurses. This will ensure quick deployment of graduate nurses to the needed locations.
References
AACN (2017). 2016-2017 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing. Retrieved on August 9, 2017 from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/research-dataAmerican Association of College of Nursing, (2017). Nursing shortage. Retrieved on August 9, 2017 from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
Hockenberry, J. M., & Becker, E. R. (2016). How Do Hospital Nurse Staffing Strategies Affect Patient Satisfaction?. ILR Review, 69(4), 890-910.
Moore, T. F., & Simendinger, E. A. (2012). Managing the nursing shortage: A guide to recruitment and retention. Rockville, Md: Aspen Publishers.
Satterly, F. (2003). Where have all the nurses gone?: The impact of the nursing shortage on American healthcare. Amherst, N.Y: Prometheus Books.
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Buerhaus, P. I., Staiger, D., & Auerbach, D. I. (2009). The future of the nursing workforce in the United States: Data, trends, and implications. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
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