"America is undergoing a massive nursing shortage. Not only are experienced nurses retiring at a rapid clip, but there aren't enough new nursing graduates to replenish the workforce, said Ross.
The nation's aging population is exacerbating the problem. The American Nurses Association estimates the U.S. will need to produce more than one million new registered nurses by 2022 to fulfill the country's health care needs.
UCHealth, which operates nine acute-care hospitals and more than 100 clinics across Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, currently has 330 openings for registered nurses. Since the nonprofit health system can't find all the nurses it needs locally, it has been seeking out candidates from other states -- and sometimes other countries. ...
..."During economic downturns, nurses stay put in their jobs and attrition dips," she said. "When the economy is booming, attrition goes up. Nurses feel more comfortable pulling back on their hours or moving ahead with their retirement decision."
In two-income households, if their partner is doing well financially, some nurses feel comfortable dropping out of the workforce to take a break from a grueling job, said Salka.
The American Nurses Association's Ross worries that rich bonuses and creative perks may not go far enough to retain nurses in the long run.
"What's to stop nurses from accepting a job because of the perks and then hop to another hospital after two years because of their perks," she said.
A better approach would be to invest in improving the work environment for nurses and offering better pay, career development and hours to help make sure they don't burn out, she said....
