Survey: Do you think the federal government is taking the nursing shortage seriously?

Its not just a nursing shortage, we are short secretaries, CNAs, housekeepers. maintenace men, in the nursing facilities and we still have to make due. Many times the extra responcibilites fall onto the nurses because they are so visable and easy to blame. How many times can you write up a broken toilet before it is fixed, find a file that's been miss placed, or run into a room to help that over worked cna to help before your own work suffers. The shortage is in common sense to supply as much help as is needed so our jobs can be done right and we are not left feeling like we have failed yet another day when we go home from work. And thats all I have to say about that. deb

Let's see...the Nurse Reinvestment Act passed last year... with no money budgeted to implement it. Real serious

[quote]Originally posted by ocankhe
Let's see...the Nurse Reinvestment Act passed last year... with no money budgeted to implement it. Real serious [/QUOTE

This succinct post says it all, folks.

I am greatly interested in the "nursing shortage.” I read everything I can to keep myself better informed.

The Federal Government is:

Giving money to schools to train nurses.
Making loans available for students of nursing.
Allowing any nurse to enter the country to practice nursing.
Anything else?

These acts are similar to funding most higher education. Lax immigration allows the "free flow of professionals” from abroad.

What is the scope of the federal government? Should they (we) legislate all of our needs and wants? In the USA our system of government is designed to promote freedoms for individuals.

The rights and freedoms of Americans are being eroded quite quickly already! I desire our federal government to safeguard our individual freedoms, promote the richness of our country, maintaining our boarders, and ensure legislation toward those goals.

I do not want the federal government legislating the minutia of business and labor! I hope that the current laws doing this are repealed.

My ideal political candidate for office will be one that would begin with a red pen striking, repealing and eliminating current laws that go too far, and are unfair. We currently have intrusive and far-reaching laws written and enforced for special interest groups who contribute heavily to political campaigns. They cloud the focus and intent of our laws to cover their interests while leaving the average citizen subject to the unfair laws created and the burden of provideing funds to enact them.

The "shortage" situations currently being endured by nurses and most health care workers is all about pay and working conditions- market forces. There are enough licensed nurses to fill all positions available in the USA - without any from abroad. I suspect essentially the same is true in most countries as well. There is no "nursing shortage"!

The illusion of a nursing shortage is created by compensation for health care employees being maintained at low levels and poor staffing choices made by employers. Who wants to undergo the stressors and risks entailed in health care for the paltry compensation currently being offered and the working conditions maintained?

Engage sufficient numbers of personnel to perform the work necessary. They are currently available.

Pay the individuals enough to live as middle class (CNA’s Maintenance, Dietary, Housekeeping) or upper middle class (RN’s Lpn’s) citizens on ONE INCOME! Funds to accomplish this are also currently available from the billions spent on health care in the USA.

Let the economics of the situation solve this situation. Legislation is not needed and would not serve to benefit nurses or other health care workers.

Increased demand should, in theory, raise the compensation. People will choose to be employed in these areas because the compensation is sufficient to assume the risks associated with the work.

Too little , too late. The entire heathcare system sucks. But thats another thread! (why is medicare always the primary payor when the patient has BC/BS..... for starters....)

I would like to see an elected FEDERAL politician be an anonymous patient in a hospital WITHOUT all the hoopala that goes with political patients or without all the extra benefits that go with their medical insurances that we as tax payer give them. Do you think they dare????
They live on another level and decide other well being. That is something that should be stopped.

No - the govt isn't taking the nursing shortage seriously. There is a shortage - of nurses working in nursing.

I too see the only way out of this situation (for me at least) is more education and I'm getting it.

The nurse reinvestment act was a step in the right direction, but w/o funding it is just a piece of paper.

YES the govnt is taking the "shortage" seriously, its just their focus us not on the "human factor side" or nurses side who are in the field slaving away.

Their focus is on the "business side", how they can infuse the hospitals with enough nurses to meet the "current" staffing ratios. That is why the nurse policy was passed but is also the same reason it was not funded.

Nursing is a business.

Great posts Norbert

No. the government isn't taking it seriously and i say that judging just from my personal experience.

I am married with 1 and a half kids. We have a house in a nice area and 2 cars. I am going to school part time and can not recieve ANY financial aid, because , apparently, 60 K a year for a family is considered "well off" in NY state.

By the time I'm done with my associate's I will be 15 000 $ in debt.

Maybe i'm wrong, but this is the what I feel.

No, the government is not taking the nursing shortage seriously. If it doesn't affect the politician personally, then they don't care....