Other Voices ...re Nursing Shortage

Nurses Activism

Published

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

found at modern healthcare website, posted 08/19/2002

opinions-editorials:

"it is frightening that the joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations found that a shortage of nurses contributed to 24% of the unexpected hospital deaths and serious injuries the commission has counted since 1996. other problems in nursing, including inadequate training, were also factors in many of the cases (cited by the commission). it is also frightening that a senior vice president of the american hospital association responded to this credible report by saying, `i don't agree that patients' lives are in danger.' of course, they are.''

-newark (n.j.) star-ledger

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/currentissue/pastpost.php3?refid=9061

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Fascinating, as usual, Karen. Your hard work on behalf of nursing advocacy is always appreciated here!

No suit wil ever admit that the nursing shortage is negatively impacting patient care. It will never happen. They live in a land of denial and manipulation. They are so busy lobbying to get laws changed so that RN's will no longer be required and ULP's can start doing everything that they are clueless as to how bad it really is!

I am trying to understand the many aspects that have caused the nursing shortage. How long has there been a shortage? It seems this has been a big problem for a number of years. For all you working in the field what are your beliefs on the reasons behind the shortage? Does one of the reasons have to do with all the amount of work and time put in by nursing in exchange for lousy pay makes going into the field unappealing? I know it must be much more complicated then that, but I would just like to open up the conversation in order to gain a better understanding myself.

There has been a nursing shortage since the early 1930s. The severity has come and gone at different times, but the fundamental shortage has not gone away for some 70 years.

Jim Huffman, RN

http://www.NetworkforNurses.com

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

brown rice: check out some of the articles on the link provided by UKRNinUSA on the thread "maybe Karen will come across an article" for some answers to your question.

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