Responses to the Nursing Shortage: Policy, Press, Pipeline, and Perks

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

From Medscape Nursing:

Leadership Roundtable

from Nursing Economics

Posted 01/08/2003

Alison P. Smith

Introduction

Numerous government, corporate, and local entities have been organizing around growing concerns for the health of the nursing profession, the dependent health of the health care industry, and ultimately the safety and well-being of patients. Their efforts and concerns have focused on a variety of strategies to draw individuals to the profession of nursing, strengthen training programs, and make them more accessible. We have also seen a proliferation of scholarships funded by local health foundations and federal grants. Many hospitals have been scrambling to sharpen their recruitment efforts and distinguish themselves with clever lures. Others have also enhanced retention efforts. Fewer have actually examined the fundamental issues within the work environment. The American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program clearly outlines a path to becoming an employer of choice, but only 58 organizations have earned that honor as of October 2002. All of this recent activity and general public awareness seems to suggest that this shortage took us by surprise, as if some variable changed suddenly and unpredictably. Obviously, this shortage did not come out the blue, but the realities of the shortage are beginning to be experienced firsthand by staff, institutions, and patients. The country appears to be lining up behind nursing and pushing it forward with tools like policy, funding, respect, and thanks. While this feels like the verge of crisis, it may well be the verge of professional prominence for nursing.

Full story--9 pages (free registration required)

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/446158

[sjoe]

"While this feels like the verge of crisis, it may well be the verge of professional prominence for nursing."

Maybe. But the bottom line is that it will have to be an "inside job," nobody will come to rescue us.

[-jt]

Professional Services Corps - New York State Dept of Education Grants - awards $15,000 to students in college programs to become Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and PAs. If they chose to go to a NY State university, total annual fees (including room board books, tuition, & spending money is less than $14,000/yr. NY City universities are just $3,000/yr. That grant = a free nursing education.

[-jt]

all the world is talking about the shortage..... the shortage.... the shortage.... of what? Decent hospital jobs.

And they wonder why the rest have a "shortage". Oy.

[DelGR]

The Florida thingy is weird. Why would a foreign educated doc be expected to know nursing? Wouldn't they first have to take all the required test that a foreing educated nurse would have to take? They'd have to then take the state boards.

I still think most miss the mark when trying to figure out how to end the "nursing shortage."

It is the working conditions, for one. And, two, the reality that there are other professions that are more attractive to young people than nursing is.