The article “Nursing Shortage” explores one of the major problems facing the medical profession in the U.S. The author succinctly gives background information on the shortage of nurses in the country. According to the author, COVID-19 worsened the crisis since many nurses were forced to work under poor conditions. During the pandemic there was a shortage of personal protective equipment, risking the lives of many nurses. Additionally, the increasing number of patients led to burnout among healthcare professionals who consequently left the profession.
The author provides a clear solution to the problem: the implementation of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act. The legislation is key in encouraging American college students to pursue nursing courses (Dresser et al., 2021). The author uses two credible sources to support their argument: articles by Bombardieri et al. (2022) and Bourgault (2022). Bombardieri et al. (2022) conducted a survey that explored the shortage of nurses in the U.S. Additionally, the two sources discuss contemporary issues in the medical sector, making them relevant to the topic.
While the author’s solution is effective, two significant questions of concern are apparent. First, how can the legislation, FAAN, provide a long-term solution to the existing unpreparedness for natural pandemics that hurt nurses? Secondly, the author claimed that the decreased number of travel nurses exacerbates the problem. Another question regarding the solution is evident: how can FAAN solve over-dependence on travel nurses during natural pandemics? Answering the two questions would help the author sufficiently support their claims. Therefore, the author ought to have provided more information about FAAN and how it relates to emergency responses in the U.S. Additionally, the information about the implementation of the Act would be crucial in supporting the claim.
References
Bombardieri, M., Schweitzer, J., Neal, A., D. Custer, B., & Zhavoronkova, M. (2022). How to ease the nursing shortage in America. CAP. Web.
Bourgault, A. M. (2022). The nursing shortage and work expectations are in critical condition: Is anyone listening? Critical Care Nurse, 42(2), 8–11.
Dresser, S., Fowler, S., & Bassett, R. (2021). National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Legislative/Regulatory Committee Update. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 35(2), 96–97.