Workforce shortages may very well be
“the current greatest threat to global health”.
Healthcare, along with governments and industry leaders, was "shockingly underprepared" for the COVID pandemic. The shortage of Nurses before, during and after the pandemic speaks loudly to this under-preparedness.
Nurses are the largest workforce in healthcare so …. a disruption of “numbers of Nurses” is a MAJOR problem for the healthcare industry, providers of care, and most of all --- those of us who are patients.
The pre-pandemic shortage of Nurses was estimated at almost six million Nurses globally and the United States had an estimated shortage of 200,000 to 450,000 Nurses available for: direct patient care.
How Did We Get Here?
…..Even before the pandemic, several leading organizations (including governments) were expressing concern that the aging population would require more health-care services, meaning à more Nurses and caregivers would be needed to provide services to the elderly population. Since a large portion of the Nursing workforce is itself over 50 and in retirement mode, it is reasonable to extrapolate a Global Nursing shortage was/is underway.
Nurses leaving the profession
is at the heart of the Global Nursing shortage problem.
Loss of a Nurse is a loss of institutional knowledge, skills, wisdom, and capabilities. Collectively and individually, Nurses bring skills, experience, attributes, and an innate knowledge to patient care – not easily replaced.
….. Stress has been a principal factor leading to burnout and Nurses leaving bedside nursing or the profession entirely. Covid-19 exacerbated these problems.
…… Women have traditionally and consistently been paid less than men throughout history. Nursing is seen as a “feminine” profession which exacerbates the wage problem.
“Women in the health and care sector face a larger gender pay gap than in other economic work areas, earning on average 24 percent less than their male peers” (study by ICN). Women are consistently underpaid for their labor market attributes when compared to men.
….. The requirement that individual states place on a Nurse to obtain a license prior to working in each state --> is an outdated model of work.
…... Nurses have been excluded from top-level decision-making positions for too long. The largest workforce for Healthcare is not represented at the senior levels for policy development, and leading organizational operations.
What can we do?
// .... Education - not enough educators to fill the academic positions to accept nursing students; thus, people are denied enrollment to a Nursing program. Why does academia not have enough Nurses, you might ask? All the reasons we do not have enough Nurses in the profession -- - $$$, respect, etc.
// .... Retain nurses – at all levels and all areas of practice. It cost thousands of dollars to replace a Nurse; the collective knowledge a Nurse brings to the work of healthcare cannot ever be replaced.
// .... Wages – paying Nurses for their contribution to healthcare and their organization shows value and respect -- - a Key attribute to retention.
// .... Working conditions – improving the conditions that Nurses are often subjected to -- - shifts, hours, patient to Nurse ratio, a break for food and nourishment, and patient and family engagement.
// .... Interstate licensure – critical to solving the shortage of Nurses. The U.S. law allows a person with a Drivers License to travel and drive to another state – why not a Nurse to work in another state? Can our laws not be applicable to all 50 states?
// .... Mentoring – use of experienced Nurses in mentoring is an asset to both. Nurses new to the profession – often younger individuals starting a career – can benefit from the knowledge of an older seasoned Nurse. Mentoring spans the full working career.
Equally Important ----- What We Should NOT Do?
Luring foreign nurses and other medical professionals to the U.S. leaves a shortage in other countries and is not a "global solution" to the Nursing or workforce shortage.
"Forget the Table …. Give nurses a seat in the cockpit"
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