The nursing shortage is a persistent and ongoing concern for the United States, especially in the context of the severe nursing shortage by 2020 due to the aging population. Although nursing is among the highest professions in the context of employment growth, the rapidly increasing health care demand will put a considerable amount of strain on nurses (American Nurses Association, 2016). The projected nursing shortage will have several effects on the nursing profession and the public regarding health care services and quality (Grant, 2016). The nurse-to-patient ratio will decrease considerably because the number of patients will increase substantially in comparison to registered nurses. The public will face deterioration in the quality of healthcare mainly because of the shortage of registered nurses. On the other hand, the shortage will exert a significant amount of strain on the nurses due to the increase in patient demands (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2016). Nurses will experience a significant increase in workplace stress, but the patients will face a decline in quality of care due to the deficiency of nurses.
The resolution of this problem is necessary to provide patients with ample amount of qualified nurses. Different authorities should balance up the demand side and the supply side of nurses because this would create the overall balance in the system. The decision makers should also provide well-trained nurses and urge students to opt for this profession. Aging of nurses and lack of interest of people to enter this profession is an important reason why people do not pick up this profession. Different decision makers should provide financial and other related benefits to the nurses that would attract them to enter this profession.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2016, August 26). Impact of the Nursing Shortage on Patient Care. Retrieved August 27, 2016, from Aacn.nche.edu: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/nursing-shortage-resources/impact
American Nurses Association. (2016, August 27). Nursing Shortage. Retrieved August 27, 2016, from Nursingworld.org: http://www.nursingworld.org/nursingshortage
Grant, R. (2016, February 3). The U.S. Is Running Out of Nurses. Retrieved August 27, 2016, from Theatlantic.com: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/nursing-shortage/459741/
