| Nursing shortage have been an issue for | | | | temporary fix in general. These do not guarantee |
| sometime now in the country. The causes are | | | | retention of the nurse in the same facility. |
| varied and have been discussed in many articles in | | | | Long term planning for this national problem is |
| the recent past. | | | | addressed by federal as well as state level. These |
| The purpose of this article is to explore the | | | | will have effect though not in very near future. |
| strategies US Hospitals are employing to | | | | A serious effort by the hospitals, nurses |
| overcome the nurse shortage. | | | | themselves as well as the government and the |
| The remedy of a problem is dependent on its | | | | nursing organizations will be needed. Image building |
| cause. This is no different here. Since the causes | | | | , making the profession attractive are the sort of |
| of shortage of nurses are varied the possible | | | | things which will take time but will have lasting |
| solutions proposed are many too. Nurse shortage | | | | effects. |
| stems from lesser number of students choosing | | | | For the short term it is the hospitals which have |
| nursing as profession , | | | | to deal with the nursing shortage. |
| Uncertainty created by a wrong research report | | | | The latest news is that some nurses who are in |
| in 1988 by a reputable organization predicting | | | | army reserves are now being called in for active |
| impending nurse oversupply (resulting in students | | | | duty and sent to Germany (3 from our |
| deciding not to chose nursing), more nurses | | | | institution). |
| choosing to work in out patient setting creating a | | | | There are not many innovative strategies |
| mal distribution of nurses in some areas of the | | | | available to hospitals to deal with the shortage of |
| country , dissatisfaction among nurses because of | | | | nursing staff. |
| shift work, mandatory overtime, insufficient pay, | | | | Here are some ways different health care |
| lack of a career ladder are some of the common | | | | organizations and hospitals are dealing with this |
| causes. | | | | nursing emergency: |
| Many nurses are choosing Temp. work as it pays | | | | (These strategies are for recruitment of new |
| more money and allows some control over work | | | | nurses, new graduates as well for retention of |
| hours and benefits. | | | | existing workforce. Some strategies are short |
| In the private sector the turnover is higher then | | | | term and some are long term. Your institution or |
| in the govt. sector. | | | | hospital may already be employing many of these |
| Hospitals are doing all sorts of things to recruit | | | | methods.) |
| and retain the nurses. | | | | Commonly employed strategies to attract and |
| Financial incentives to recruit nurses are | | | | retain nurses in the organization include: |