Nursing Shortage Critical
May 13, 2001
It is a good time to graduate from nursing school. Hospitals and doctors' offices are aggressively competing for registered nurses with some offering signing bonuses, child care and other perks. The low supply of nurses is occurring as demand for their services is reaching an all time high. With the 78 million baby boomers turning 65 in coming years, the need for nurses will not decline anytime soon.
While only a few years ago the nursing shortage was limited to a few geographical areas of the country, today it has become more widespread, affecting all corners of the Nation. "Six months ago, I would have said yes, it was geographically limited. Now, I'd say it's not," said Pam Thompson, executive director of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. "Our members are having difficulty in filling positions, especially in the more specific areas like critical care, labor and delivery and the emergency room," she said.
The near future does not look promising for hospitals in need of registered nurses. Enrollment in nursing programs has fallen for the last five years and fell over 5% last year alone. Meanwhile the average age of U.S. nurses is 44 and many older nurses are looking forward to retirement, an event that will further reduce the nursing workforce. "There will not be enough nurses to meet the different needs," said Denise Geolot, director of the division of nursing at Health and Human Services. It is estimated that by the year 2020 the Country will have 20% less nurses than it needs to provide adequate care.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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