The issue of nursing shortage - Coursework Example

Nursing Shortage al Affiliation: Nursing Shortage Nursing shortage is a real problem that is affecting our healthcare sector. In thepast five years, the demand for quality health care has increased. This has mainly resulted from the increase in the number of people who have an insurance cover. However, the number of nurses who are joining the sector remains very low (Satterly, 2004). This is creating a huge disparity which is affecting health delivery in the country. Just as the swelling of baby boomers in the society, the country’s nursing population is aging very fast than the rate at which new nurses are joining the sector.

Many of these aging nurses are moving to primary care setting. As a result, the healthcare institutions are in dire need for more nurses, especially those who give specialized care to the patients. The number of complaints from nurses that they are working for long hours is an indication of the escalating problem of nursing shortage (Balogh-Robinson, L., 2012). In order to supplement for positions for those who have left the service, the existing nurses are working for long hours. Some healthcare sectors have set up incentives to motivate the nurses to work for extra hours.

This is an indication that the demand for their services is increasing in order to cover for the shortage. In order to address this shortage, the government should embark on a process of employing new nurses. There are very many nurses that are remains unemployed in the society. Therefore, for the government to close this gap and avoid putting too much pressure on the current nurses, it should employ new nurses and expand the training institutions for nurses in order to ensure that the nurses being released to the market meet the set requirements (Chapman & Utica College, 2012).

ReferencesBalogh-Robinson. L (2012). The crisis in leadership in the context of the nursing shortage and the increasing prevalence of nursing unions. Dove Press.Chapman, B., & Utica College. (2012). The nursing shortage: A literature review of factors of causation, impact on health care, and solutions to fix the problem. UT: Utica College. Satterly, F. (2004). Where have all the nurses gone?: The impact of the nursing shortage on American healthcare. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.