Nurse Staffing Shortage - Research Paper Example

The lack of a sufficient number of nurses impacts negatively on patient safety and care as it becomes compromised. Shortages in working staff also impact the nurses themselves as they become dissatisfied, stressed, and overwhelmed. Recent research shows that a High patient-to-nurse ratio leads to job burnout and frustration and this, in turn, leads to higher turnover. An inadequate nurse staff force plays a negative role in patient outcomes. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2007 conducted a metanalysis which found that a shortage of registered nurses together with an increased workload poses a potential threat to the quality of health care (Papas, 2008).

 To ensure and facilitate future improvements in nurse staffing, healthcare organizations must focus on maintenance, recruitment and retention. A case study by the Nogueras recommended that policies need to be developed to ensure an increase in recruitment and retention of young persons into the nursing profession (Coshow, Davis & Wolosin, 2009). The nursing career and profession should be recognized as a faculty that poses high levels of pertinent technical and scientific knowledge as well as personable aspect. This will be more appealing to a more diverse applicant pool. It is also imperative for the nurse leaders to develop and sustain a working environment where the employees connect with their organization. This should be done with a focus on recruitment as well as retention of the employees. Researchers also suggest that health care organizations should focus on aspects that yield more satisfaction to the older nurses such as benefits and pay. This will aid in achieving job satisfaction and retaining experienced veteran nurses (Zurmehly, 2008).

It is the responsibility of the health department and the various health organizations to come up with strategies that will ensure there is sufficient replacement of the aging and retiring number of nurses.  First, there should be partnerships between healthcare institutions and nursing schools (Papas, 2008). The nursing schools should be promoted or even funded by the health care institution to admit and train more qualified nurses who will replace the ones who are retiring. Universities partnerships’ with hospitals help to supply baccalaureate-prepared nurses (Coshow, Davis & Wolosin, 2009).  The hospitals should target new student populations who are through with their college program. This is the most assured way for healthcare institutions to increase the staffing of nurses. The young graduates are faster and reliable than the old nurses who are about to retire. With proper training and learning in the hospitals, they will be able to replace the old ones.

The government on the other hand should create more nursing faculties and prevent the barriers of admission of nursing students. It should create new programs and also increase access to clinical exposures and experiences and also involve the use of technology and simulators in the patient care institutions. The technology significantly reduces the workload of nurses (Robinson, Jaqim & Ray, 2008).