Introduction
One of the major issues affecting the nursing profession currently is understaffing. While understaffing is common in many industries, it is of great concern in healthcare as it has life-and-death implications. Understaffing in healthcare organizations in the US is a result of a lack of flexibility, inadequate staffing models, and poor workplace conditions for nurses, among others (Bourgault, 2022)
Problem of Nursing Burnout and Staff Shortage
To illustrate the severity of the situation, the American Nurses Association estimated that nurse job openings in the US in 2020 would exceed all other job openings (Haddad et al., 2022). Further, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than 250,000 nurses will be needed between 2020 and 2030 (Haddad et al., 2022). Thus, the nurse shortage is a significant issue that can be addressed through policy changes.
To compound the problem, a recent survey of nurses by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) showed that more than a third of nurses plan to leave their employment in the next few years due to stress and burnout (Haddad et al., 2022). The ICN also noted that the global shortage of nurses, not just in the US, is catastrophic (International Council of Nurses, 2022). Shortages of nurses affect healthcare organizations and patients because they lead to lower-quality healthcare, higher costs, lower patient satisfaction, and reduced access to healthcare. At a personal level, a shortage of nurses means that I do not get the quality of care that I pay for.
Multilevel Solutions to the Problem
Addressing nurse professional shortages is a priority for the government and concerned healthcare organizations. At the policy level, the government can allocate more financial resources to train additional nurse educators. At the institutional level, healthcare facilities should offer nurses flexible work schedules that allow a healthy balance between work and family matters. The current practice is that nurses are often forced to endure mandatory overtime, which can lead to burnout (Bourgault, 2022).
Conclusion
Thus, a flexible work schedule also eliminates incidents of burnout. Further, state and federal governments should repeal some of the regulations that add to a nurse’s workload. Ultimately, governments at all levels in the US should implement policies that support nurse career development (Costa & Friese, 2022). In particular, policy options such as offsetting tuition debts for nursing students could help alleviate nurse shortages.
References
Bourgault, A. M. (2022). The nursing shortage and work expectations are in critical condition: Is anyone listening? Critical Care Nurse, 42(2), 8–11.
Costa, D. K., & Friese, C. R. (2022). Policy strategies for addressing current threats to the U.S. nursing workforce. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(26), 2454–2456.
Haddad, L., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. (2022). Nursing shortage – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. NCBI.
International Council of Nurses. (2022). Nursing policy: International Council of Nurses calls for an ethical recruitment process to address the critical shortage of nurses. ICN.