Reasons for Nursing Shortage

One reason for the shortage is the change in generations: the baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 resulted in a large population increase through high birth rates, but the next 11 years, which produced the Generation Xers, saw a drop in the birth rate from 77 million baby boomers to only 44 million Generation Xers (Cooper, 2003). This resulted in a smaller entry-level population for the workforce. However, the aging baby boomer population will need more professional nurses, and still more nurses will be required to replace baby boomer nurses who are retiring (Buss, 2003). The problem will stem from the fact that the bulk of the nation's nurses will be retiring just as the bulk of the nation's population also retires. This will put a greater demand on the nursing work force. The U. S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor

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, who really want to give quality care and simply cannot because of their work overload. Different approaches are being taken to counter the nursing shortage (Cooper, 2003; Smith, 2002). In house changes can be instituted, such as hiring enough patient aides to decrease the load on nurses; using bright lights which help the body to stay awake; improving the quality of food available for those working the night shift; and reducing tasks for night shift workers since short-term memory problems and concentration difficulties occur at night. In 2002, President Bush signed into law the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which provides a number of incentives to nurses (Smith, 2002). It includes: the National Nurse Service Corps, which provides funding for tuition, expenses, and a stipend for nursing students who agree to work for two years in an area which has a shortage of nurses once they have finished their training; the Nurse Education Act amendment to direct education, practice, and retention of nurses by awarding grants to nursing schools promoting these activities; Geriatric Nurse Training Grants to schools of nursing and health care facilities; and Faculty Loan Repayment Grants for masters and doctoral students who teach i
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Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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