Nursing Shortages

In the year 2000 there was a shortage of 6% of nurses , anticipated demand is expected to reach a shortage of 12% by 2010, and by 2015, a 20% shortage of those who are registered nurses. This supply and demand of healthcare workers and registered nurses is a serious crisis.

While health care costs are spinning out of control, and the prescription drug field is increasing in expense daily, many necessary surgeries and healthcare procedures are put off until such a time that they are critical, when they could've been taken care of earlier and with much less expense.

While there are many reasons for the shortage in nurse care, one of them is the aspect of intelligent young women who do have a science aptitude of going into other careers. Decades ago, young women with an aptitude for nursing were encouraged to go to school and volunteer. Now these same young women are reaching higher by becoming doctors, researchers, scientists, and other high end career choices. Many of these fields may be more demanding academically, but at the same time are less stressful than the nursing field itself.

Many time cycles will be seen within the nurse field, and there can be a shortage or surplus at any one time. Unfortunately this cycle of supply and demand is now in a severe shortage with projected shortages continuing for many years. The current RNs will be retiring, while at the same time there is a replacement shortage, so the cycle will never be able to replenish itself for an excess of nurses.

While the factor of young women reaching higher degrees is a factor, there is also a factor of the aging US population. While people are living longer, they need more geriatric care and we are still producing replacements for our population and then some. This results in more people needing healthcare at the same time, fewer nurses.

In order to combat this shortage, nursing education in schools will need to be re-examined and possibly retooled in order to increase their recruitment. Retainment of those nurses who attained the RN degree are going to become more and more important. And we may see an increase in salaries, improvement in status, differing education opportunities, repayment of education, and many other incentives for young men and women to enter the healthcare field.

The shortage of personnel in the nursing field is going to force changes within the healthcare field as far as stress management, caseload, working hours, vacation and family leave time as well as retirement and employee benefits. With a 20% shortage of RN registered nurses by 2015, there are bound to be major changes coming into the nursing fields, and anyone entering the nursing field at this time is bound to be treated well.