Paper Topic:

Nursing Shortage

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Medical facilities across the country have been experiencing a nursing shortage for decades . Both state and federal governments have enacted legislation designed to increase the numbers of people entering the field of nursing . Most of these programs have not addressed the need for an improved work environment however . The climate in which nurses work is stressful , with little payout for nurses . Most nurses feel undervalued in their jobs

. Nurses are leaving the field for jobs with less stress and more security . Magnet hospitals have provided a working environment that allows nurses to be part of the decision making team Overall , Magnet hospitals have had a positive impact on the nursing profession , one that all hospitals and medical facilities can learn from .While the healthcare industry in the United States continues to expand , becoming the largest industry in the country , the number of registered nurses continues to decline . Registered nurses are responsible for the bulk of patient healthcare , communication that occurs between the patient and the physician , and yet spends less and less time working directly with the patient . The shortage of nurses is having an impact across the United States and will continue to present a threat to the quality of healthcare . In 2002 , American hospital reported a that number will rise to 400 ,000 by 2020 , according to an August report from the Joint commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Fewer people are entering the nursing field than ever , and as turnover rates climb , the situation will continue to become increasingly strained (Goodwin , 2002

The current average age of nurses is 45 .2 , and with a reduction in nursing school graduates , there will be no one to replace those who retire . This combined with the growing elderly population in the United States , will continue to expand the shortage of nurses and place undue pressure on those who are employed . With the increased costs in the healthcare industry and lower reimbursement rates , medical facilities will struggle to solve this problem any time soon . Nurses cite a variety of causes for the shortage and the high turnover . They work in high responsibility jobs with difficult working conditions and a lack of respect . Fewer nurses lead to more overtime in an already unsatisfactory working climate (Goodwin , 2002

Recent studies report that nurses are not satisfied in their jobs Approximately 30 percent of nurses say they are dissatisfied in their current position , according to the 2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses . In hospitals and nursing homes , job satisfaction rates are even lower . A 2001 American Nurses Association survey of nurses found that 75 percent of those surveyed believed that the quality of nursing had declined in the past two years , and 56 percent said that the time they have for patients has decreased . Overtime is reported to be one of the most important issues . Six states have enacted legislation...

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