Nursing Shortage not good

Kentucky Nursing Shortage
Texas Nursing Shortage
Scotland, UK Nursing Shortage
New Zealand Nursing Shortage

These links are just four from over forty news items concerning the worldwide nursing shortage. Its a proven fact this shortage can endanger the welfare of patients. I couldn't help but notice most nurses were older as I visited a nearby hospital. I mentioned this to an older RN on duty that day and she told me her daughter had just finished college and was working a computer job for more money and better benefits than she was earning after all these years as a caring RN. So, maybe its about the money. For one thing.

Another thing is mentioned in the Texas report above. There aren't enough nursing schools with sufficient faculty to meet the increasing demand. Can you imagine Texas turning away 4,200 people who applied to nursing programs ? That was a couple years ago. Its more like 5,000 last year. Everyone of them was needed and would have been hired in a heartbeat. IF they could have been trained. Where are the teachers? Some have retired, others went to private sector for more money.

The bottleneck is the lack of faculty in this case. Not the lack of willing students. Good jobs waiting if they could only receive training. If only there were more teachers ~!

Nationally, the shortages are continuing to mount. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that registered nurses will be the fastest-growing occupation by 2012.

The New Zealand report above mentions five nursing vacancies amongst the Mental Health staff. And that is why six beds have to remain empty out of 31. It doesn't help that Mental Health nurses are paid less than general nurses. Why would that be ?

The Scotland report above mentions the nursing shortage there is affecting patient safety. No doubt it would. What can any of us do to help? Two of my family were nurses and I always respected that. One way the nursing shortage affected them was in working overtime so much. I saw first hand the weariness this caused and wondered how do they expect nurses to be on top of things when they are weary to the bone.