Health Care Workforce - Essay Example

"Health Care Workforce" is a wonderful example of a paper on the health system. The supply of doctors and nurses among other health care workforce is determined by different reasons in different areas, counties, and countries. In the U.S. the major determinants of doctors' and nurses' supply are the increment of demand for health since most of the U.S population is an aging population where about 50% of the citizens are above the age of 65 years. This means that the aging population comprises of doctors and nurses retiring and they add to the number of people requiring more health attention (Kovner, Knickman, & Jonas, 2011).

The numbers of youths who graduate from medical schools are reducing each year thus decreasing the supply of the health care workforce. The numbers are declining due to the increment of debt that medical students incur to pay for their tuition is increasing every year at a high rate in comparison with other careers (Kovner, Knickman, & Jonas, 2011). Economic reasons also play a key role in determining the supply of doctors and nurses. Some of the health care workforces are underpaid thus they abandon their careers to earn more thus reducing the supply of doctors and nurses. 

How will health reform determine the health care workforce?

Most of the health reforms are based on encouraging the nurses to gather more skills since they form about 80% of the workforce. This will ensure that the nurses are able to cover for doctors and physicians who are less. The reforms are also encouraging the health care workforce to receive better payments. This will ensure that doctors and nurses do not leave health care for other careers (Kovner, Knickman, & Jonas, 2011).

Why is primary care so important?

Primary care is the basis of a healthy population since it ensures most of the illnesses are prevented or are diagnosed at early stages thus treated early (Kovner, Knickman, & Jonas, 2011). This reduces health care costs and time wastage since one is treated before the disease takes its full control thus does not spend much time before recovering.

 

 

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