Issue of the Shortgage of Professional Nurses

The purpose of this research is examine the issue of the shortage of professional nurses, and to recommend a solution to the problem. The issue is defined in the following section, after which, alternative solutions are identified and assessed.

At the beginning of the 1990s, a shortage of professional nurses exist in most areas of the United States. The problem is particularly acute in rural counties and towns.

The causes of the shortage are many and varied. On one level, the personnel shortage itself is also a cause, because the stresses introduced into the practice of nursing by overwork causes many nurses to leave the profession (Scherer, 1987). The stresses associated with the contemporary practice of nursing also lead to an increase of burnout among professional nurses (Benner, & Wrubel, 1988). Burnout leads to additional defections from the profession, and further exacerbates the professional personnel shortage.

To the problems discussed above must be added the issue of autonomy in nursing. In the contemporary environment, threats to the professional nurse's autonomy in practice are increasing (Scherer, 1988). Impingements on their autonomy in the

1 2practice of their profession is a major underlying cause of job dissatisfaction among professional nurses (DeBack, & Mentkowski, 1986). Job dissatisfaction, in turn, is a major reason why professional nurses turn their backs on the profession (Huey, 1987).

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hese outcomes may be expected to lead to higher levels of job satisfaction (White, & Maguire, 1973). 5 The level of formal nursing education, thus, likely has a significant impact on the retention of professional nurses in the field. Obviously, the retention of highly qualified professional nurses is a critical concern for both hospital administrations and the residents of communities. The level of formal nursing education likely has a significant impact on the retention of professional nurses in the field. With respect to nursing education specifically, it has been stated that strategic planning is a critical element for the future (farley, 1987). For nursing education, strategic planning has also been stated to be a rational process that can be plotted along a formal, detailed continuum (Donely, 1987). One major issue which must be addressed by strategies adopted by schools of nursing is the reduction of attrition rates among students. High attrition rates in schools of nursing have been associated with curriculum rigidity (Manthey, 1988), and the stress levels experienced by nursing students (Parkes, 1982). For schools of nursing, therefore, both curriculum tailoring and the provision of psychological support for

Category: Medical - I