title: The nursing shortage. Past, present, and future.
abstract: According to healthcare experts, the present nursing shortage is going to extend to 2020 with an estimated 400,000 RN vacancies. A number of factors are contributing to the shortage: an increase in the age of registered nurses, decreased school enrollment, increased career opportunities for women, changes in the healthcare delivery system, nurse "burn-out," and the public's misunderstanding of what nurses do. Additionally, a number of social and economic trends are going to affect the healthcare delivery system in the future, such as: aging of the population, increased technology, the increase of the health/wellness movement, changes in employee's work ethic, influence of Generation X and dot.com workers, and scarcity of entry-level and low-wage workers. If nursing is going to be a major player in the healthcare delivery system in 2020, nurses must take an active role in developing and implementing a strategic plan. We need to look beyond solutions used in the past, such as increasing compensation and modifying school curriculums.
authors: SMBF LLC Healthcare Consulting, Overland Park, Kansas, USA. smbfllc@hotmail.com
authors: Marilyn Kettering
authors: MK
authors: Murray
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology; D002321:Career Choice; D002322:Career Mobility; D003479:Curriculum; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005544:Forecasting; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000639:trends*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D012938:Social Perception; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors