Nursing Shortage in the USA - Essay Example

"Nursing Shortage in the USA" is an outstanding example of a paper on the health system.
As the need for healthcare in the United States grows, the shortage of registered nurses in the region is also expected to intensify. This growing healthcare concern has been in the spotlight for quite a while as policymakers, schools, the media, and even nursing organizations strive to work together to bring this concern to light, and at the same time, find a plausible solution to the problem. Resources are being leveraged in a bid to shape different legislations, form different relationships, and identify strategies that may help salvage this dire situation. This is even as schools try to expand to meet the growing demand from the public on healthcare as current reforms take precedence over all other healthcare concerns. The nursing shortage ultimately affects the quality of care nurses deliver to patients, thus; it is vital to address this issue in order to avert the problems being witnessed presently (Greenwald, 2010, p. 163). This paper will examine the nursing shortage, and methods identified to solve the crisis.

Nurses are known to work long hours under nerve-racking conditions, which eventually lead to dissatisfaction, exhaustion, and even injury while on the job. These are just some of the reasons why registered nurses are finding it difficult to continue providing quality services to patients in their care, as they become more prone to mistakes and errors (Greenwald, 2010, p. 163). Different organizations, for example; The American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) are working to ensure that individuals are aware of the current situation and that nurses are allowed to work in an environment that protects their interests as well. AACN and ANA are trying to lobby federal agencies to campaign for a reduction in the years' nurses take to complete and graduate from nursing school so as to fill the void left by retiring nurses in the nation.

Recent reports might indicate that there is bound to be an increase in the number of registered nurses by the year 2022. Registered nursing is being listed as one of the main job occupations in the nation with a high employment growth that seems to grow with each passing year. These rising figures present opportunities to the countless men and women who are trying to make it into the healthcare sector in the United States. Unfortunately, AACN implies that the current increment in enrollment of registered nurses in different organizations may not be enough. This is especially with the healthcare reforms in place, which may see an increase in the number of Americans in need of healthcare. A large segment of the nursing fraternity is almost at retiring age (Newman, 2013, p. 31). This means that there is an urgent need to allow qualified nurses in schools to make it into the job market in order to assist in solving the problem.

In conclusion, it is possible to provide a growing number of Americans in need of healthcare with quality and affordable healthcare (Finkelman & Kenner, 2010, p. 29). This is if the organizations involved strive to reach the intended targets in terms of numbers when it comes to registered nurses in the nation. Private support is also being sought after so as to expand the student capacity that is already present in most areas in the United States. There is also a centralized application service that allows all vacant positions to be filled in order to meet the demand that is present. All these are aimed at improving the present crisis, and at the same time, improve the conditions that most nurses are exposed to in their current workplaces.