The Importance of Nursing in Colorado - Essay Example

"The Importance of Nursing in Colorado" is an engrossing example of a paper on care.
It seems that Colorado is one of the best states in the United States to live and work in. Lest anyone feel that I am painting a rosy picture, I am referring to data culled from reliable and authoritative sites. This paper highlights the job scenario in the healthcare sector.

Demographics

Colorado is preparing for a fresh round of census in April 2010. According to the earlier census on 01 April 2000, 2,495,169 people in Colorado were aged 18 years and above, and those aged 65 and above numbered about 443,107.

49.6% of the total population of 4,302,015 was female (Colorado).

As against this population, it is necessary to have the number of nurses required to efficiently carry out the various functions of health care. This does not exist at present.

Job Market

As far as the job market is concerned, Colorado ranks 8th among the states. Colorado has 4.99 unemployed workers per advertised job (Harden, Mark; 2009).

The healthcare scenario is, however, not so fortunate. Ongoing through the working conditions of nurses in Colorado, one can feel their hard routine. At any rate, the job of a nurse can be demanding.

The requirement of nurses is greater in Colorado when compared with the national requirement of nurses. “On the healthcare sector, Colorado faces a critical mismatch between the number of nurses it has and the number of nurses it needs. Colorado has 12 percent fewer nurses than its population requires which is double the national vacancy rate” (Fact Sheet, 2010).

Competition

Notwithstanding this shortage of skilled nurses, enthusiasm is high and there are nursing agencies and associations ready to provide excellent nursing care at affordable charges. The competition among nurses does not lead to efficiency. In the first place, there is a dearth of skilled nurses.

The shortage of skilled nurses is understandably due to the stressful condition of the job. This stress in this job “relate to concerns and complaints relating to their work environment, for example, long work hours, no meal breaks, no rest breaks, and expectations regarding working multiple shifts or extra hours required beyond work shift, among others” (Ricker, Fran; 2007).

Working conditions

It is important to improve working conditions for nurses in Colorado. The quality of the services the nurses provide is linked to the health status of its population.

The nature of the nurse’s work is stressful because it covers almost everything from bathing the patient to providing medical care.

Conclusion

A healthy population will reflect on the general welfare of the nurses. The job market for nurses exists and more nurses are required. It is necessary to clearly outline the different routines of a nurse so that nurses are slotted according to a clearly defined work routine. Nursing is a noble career. It must be treated with respect and care.