Solutions for the Current Nursing Shortage

By Stephanie Larkin

The nursing shortage in the United States is estimated between 340,000 to over a million nurses. Many of the nurses that are leaving the field are management and faculty nurses needed by nursing schools for training the new crop of nursing graduates. Many of these upper level administrative nurses are nearing retirement age, just at the time that demand for nursing care is increasing as the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age. The number of nurses in hospitals, public nursing, teaching and geriatric centers are all falling behind the demand, with little improvement seen in the immediate future. Some of the solutions for resolving the nursing shortage which have been suggested by various study groups and interested partners are as follows:

Developing public/private partnerships

In many instances, the plans for public/private partnerships involve public funding to increase faculty and attendance at nursing education facilities. Due to an aging population, the same time the demand for nurses is increasing; nursing educators are aging as well and subsequently leaving the workforce. A three fold program has been implemented to increase the number of classes, increase the number of faculty in the nursing field and increase the number of students who have been unable to enter the field previously because of lack of resources and limited enrollment quotas. Public funding will cover part of the gap between supply and demand in the nursing field.

Using technology as a training tool

Although a major part of nursing education is clinical experience, much of the classroom education can be handled through today's advanced technology. Internet education, distance learning, and accelerated learning programs based around adult work schedules are all ways in which technology can be used as a training tool for nursing educators. As the care of the patient becomes more related to technological advances, routine nursing practices can be drilled by using that same technology. Technology advancements can also be used in testing and certification settings for nursing educators.

Creating healthy work environments

Healthy work environments are important in every field, but more so in the hospital or clinic setting where patients are incapacitated with a variety of ailments, many of which are contagious. The strains of viruses and bacteria are often mutating faster than medical researchers can create designer drugs. In addition to physical ailments, the stress of caring for injured, ill or dying patients will take a heavy emotional toll on nurses. Creating better ways of keeping nurses healthy both mentally and physically helps to keep the nursing force strong and capable.

Changing roles for advanced practice nurses

The nursing shortage can also be alleviated by utilizing practical nurses. Already in the system, these nurses’ skills could be further enhanced by improving their education level through adult education, continuing education and seminars. Still better utilization could be made of existing nurses and staff who are interested in advancing their careers in nursing. Also, as more duties are being picked up by staff with intermediate levels of training, registered nurses are able to perform more of the teaching, administrative and more highly skilled nursing tasks.

Partnerships with nursing schools

Partnerships with nursing schools can take many different forms, each of which could be valuable in reducing the growing shortage of nurses. Assistance in replacing nursing school faculty is of key importance so that nursing classes can continue to be staffed adequately. Provision of grants, loans and scholarships in order to attend educational classes in nursing will allow students who would otherwise not be able to afford nursing school to attend. Adult education classes at nursing schools allow for an increased level of graduates in nursing. Using student nurses effectively could increase nursing caregivers on the job. By covering educational costs in return for a service commitment by graduate nurses is another way to increase the number of nursing staff in the field.

Financing alternatives

Many jurisdictions are recognizing the need to make additional public and private funding available to nursing students. Student loans, grants, low interest government loan scholarships, and employer paid training are just a few of the ways many individuals can afford a nursing school education. If the programs are accelerated so that the students are able to complete the course and enter the work force more rapidly, the education will cost less and the payoff will be larger for the student. This scenario could lead to a larger work force of capable, certified nurses.

It is becoming more and more apparent that there is a large and growing nursing shortage in the United States. It is imperative that actions are taken in order to avoid a complete breakdown in the health care system.


Message from the moderator:

Financial aid for higher education is available in the forms of scholarships, grants and loans for those applicants and nurses interested in becoming nurses and nurse educators at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation (PHEF), link at left.

RN to BSN - Career Benefits and Education Options

By: Michael V. Gruber, Mph

The complexities of a changing medical field in technology, advanced information, and facing a growing leadership role among nurses has increased the need for a degree of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing among registered nurses (RN to BSN). This higher level of education takes commitment and dedication and in the following article, we will outline how to achieve these goals.

Advancing your nursing degree – The difference between RN and BSN

Beginning a career in nursing for those who desire an abbreviated education will get an associate’s degree (AD) which usually involves 2-3 years of schooling. A nurse may also follow a diploma program, usually through a hospital, that is also 2-3 years in length before becoming an RN. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Sample Survey, 70% of nurses have AD or diploma level degrees. An RN must also pass all required examinations such as the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses) before practicing with patient contact.

For many nurses looking to advance their careers, a BSN is the natural next step. It is a 4 year program that includes research oriented learning, leadership training, and liberal arts. Many of the students that are enrolled in the BSN program are previous RN’s with associate degrees or diplomas. They are now going back to school with all the hardships involved; financially, time inflexibility, family and other outstanding commitments.

The differences between an RN and BSN are not necessarily clear to the patient who is being treated with basic care. A nurse treating a patient won’t be asked, “excuse me, are you a RN or a BSN?” Yet the differences lie within. The education gained, the additional technical training, and the potential advancement are not immediately recognized by the patient. A nurse with a BSN can review research papers, advocate for the patient, work with leaders in the hospital or medical facility with confidence and advanced management skills. A nurse with an RN may have all these abilities, yet a BSN enhances them and increases advancement opportunities.

Career Opportunities with a BSN

RN’s return to school for a number of reasons, yet many are personal in nature: To become leaders in the nursing industry, advancing their careers, or move to the next level and receive a master’s or doctoral degree.

Management-level nursing requires an advanced degree such as a BSN. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in management, nurses can become anywhere from the assistant head nurse or head nurse, to assistant director, director, and vice president and upwards. Other career opportunities include research, consulting, and teaching. A nurse with a BSN can manage a home health care clinic and ambulatory services, etc. Nurses can also move into the business side of nursing to becoming an manager of an insurance company, pharmaceutical manufacturer, and managed care organization (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005).

Salary Benefits of advancing a degree from RN to BSN

Advanced nursing degrees create new career opportunities and justify an increased salary. An RN and a BSN will receive the same salary for the same nursing position, but as the BSN moves through the ranks to a higher position, salaries tend to increase. For example, a promotion to a management position of head nurse with a BSN has a higher salary than being the floor nurse with an RN.

Education Opportunities and Education Cost

In 2004, there were 600 RN to BSN programs in the United States. Many RN's use the tuition reimbursement from their employer as an incentive to go back for the BSN. There are also accelerated BSN programs for those individuals who already attained bachelor or higher degrees and wish to go into nursing. There are more than 165 of these programs in the United States. These programs are 12 to 18 months in length (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005). In choosing the appropriate program, it is necessary to choose whether to work in a classroom setting or study through an online RN to BSN program.

The classroom setting has many benefits which include peer contact and live lectures. Sharing experiences with others and learning from other previous like-minded RN’s is a great benefit. The dilemma with classroom education for most nurses is the stringent scheduling and time management needed to attend class and work around an RN’s busy schedule.

An online nursing degree course is the other alternative. It is a way for nurses to work while continuing with their education with flexibility around time commitments. The non-clinical portion of the classroom courses are given online and the clinicals are usually arranged at a medical facility near the nurse’s home. There may be timed lectures or the nurses may do lectures at their own time with assignments being sent to the lecturer by fax or mail on designated due dates. Examinations are usually offered online. Many times the online school follows a semester schedule and has a set start and finish date, though this is not true for all schools. To learn more about online RN to BSN programs, refer to your school of choice and learn what that school offers.

Conclusion

Personal satisfaction, a qualitative factor that can not be measured or quantified, is what many BSN students say is most important about receiving their advanced degree. Our society is advancing in all areas, with technology and intellectual expertise. The information is available and the prerequisites allow many RN's to attain an advanced degree; the determining factor is, we must advance as a society and create leaders in all areas of industry. A BSN gives the degree and knowledge and critical leadership skills for an RN to advance in the world of medicine, business, and personal achievement.

What is Holding You Back?

Are you happy with your present job, employer, and income? Are you living the lifestyle you desire? Do you feel the self-satisfaction and gratification you are looking for, maybe not at the end of each and everyday, but at the end of the week or even the month? How about self-esteem? If you answered yes, congratulations. For those that can not answer yes to these questions, where are you headed? Have you thought about what you want to do and where you want to go? What are your goals? Do you have a plan? Most important, what is your next step?! Undoubtedly, there are some obstacles.

Procrastination and Complacency

There are two very formidable opponents that face us on a human level: Procrastination and complacency. While there are similarities between the two words, they are two different conditions. The common theme of these two conditions is a lack of results.

Complacency is usually the result of accomplishment or achieving a certain level of success. Complacency is defined with “an unawareness of actual dangers.” Complacency creeps up on us unexpectedly, and most times we do not realize that we suffer from this condition until we are faced with the actual danger. The danger we could very easily face is allowing a lapse in our education, such as the mandatory continuing education required for re-licensure as talked about in a previous article dated October 31st on this site by Margaret Lyons, program coordinator at Villanova University.

Perpetual goal setting is one of the best practices we can employ to prevent complacency from setting in. Using a benchmark set by others can further insure that we will never have a goal in which we are satisfied. Tell yourself there is always someone doing it better, and find that someone.

We also need to create our own mechanism that will prevent complacency. It can be something simplistic such as an office bulleting board (hand-written to do list with due dates), or something more sophisticated employing technology (timed reminders on your computer). Keep your goals in front of you - carefully measured in achievable steps - so that you face them everyday. Choose the mechanism that will best work for you; just be sure to implement something. While at this juncture (nurses in Pennsylvania, California, Kansas and Delaware), have you addressed the mandatory continuing education for re-licensure?

Procrastination can be a byproduct of complacency however it has many sources. Unlike complacency, procrastination does not necessarily (and most times probably does not) result from success. It is a factor that prevents accomplishment.

Procrastination is a more conscious opponent usually a result of fear or poor prioritization. Concerning fear, it is never personal; identify and face your fear in order to alleviate anxiety. Our prioritization sometimes needs to be scrutinized. Life in nursing gives us a work load with more than our fair share. We begin to juggle instead of prioritize, and I am not referring to patient care here. When prioritizing, be sure your personal and professional advancement weighs in.

Time and Money

Now for the proverbial obstacles: Time and money. As you address procrastination and analyze your prioritization, commit the time needed for continuing education. Visualize where you will be and of the advanced opportunities afforded you once you have gained the desired (and necessary) degree. Do not let the economy be your excuse. Our profession is experiencing a shortage with a projected increase for the next 12 years. Nonetheless, by the time the economy improves, you could have positioned yourself for the place you want to be, rather than it being too late.

If you still have unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, take the first step to get started.

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation is the first place to look. See if you qualify for the financial assistance they offer. Simply click on their link at left. And do not stop there. Schools of nursing often have assistance for those in need as well. As an example, visit Villanova’s College of Nursing, link at left, to see what they have to offer and peruse their site to learn more about their programs to see if their program may be right for you.

As this site continues to build its resources, please visit frequently for opportunities in education, advancement and employment.

As always, thank you for visiting and please share your comments.


By Jenn Foster

College Nursing Grants – Financial Assistance

College grants help to increase nations’ healthcare workforce. Because of the shortages of nurses and educators that we face today, college nursing grants are offered with the hope of producing more nursing majors, direct care nurses, and nurse educators.

There are thousands of nursing scholarships and college nursing grants from local community-based to college scholarships that are available to nursing students. Financial assistance may come in many forms. Many provided online request information and forms to be filled up for easy inquiries and registration.

College nursing grants are offered to students who are not able to foot the bill for college education. The purpose of these grants is to make educational funds minimal for those who can’t afford. Grants are not only given to students but directly to the college to help expand curriculum, build new facilities, and hire fresh faculty. Compared to college scholarships, grants are need-based or a combination of need and merit.

College Nursing Grants are monetary gifts; they need not be repaid by students. They may be given in general categories or to different degree levels or those who pursue doctorate. College grants may come from federal and state, college and university, and public and private organizations. These college grants are not only awarded to the financially impaired but also to underrepresented students and minorities. In some cases, students may need to exchange their financial assistance for service after graduation. This also helps to retain well-trained professionals in health care professions.

The federal government provides grants and loan repayment programs in the fields of medicine and teaching to foster the growth of these socially necessary professions. The nursing profession affords above average income and earning potential depending on which professional level is earned.

Some examples of college grants are AACN, providing a variety of programs and resources to assist members in conducting research projects and using research to shape their practice; AANP (Grants and Scholarships), providing financial assistance to academy members who wish to pursue graduate study; ANF (founded in 1955), managing grants to support advances in research, education, and clinical practice; Moore Foundation, grant ensuring that additional nurses will be trained to meet the health care needs of San Francisco; and the National Black Nurses Association, established to provide professional and educational support to African American nurses, those that are working and those pursuing a nursing degree.

Undergraduate nurses who are actively enrolled in a 4-year nursing program are assisted by dozens of college nursing grants and scholarships. Because of the acute nursing shortage, more financial aid – specifically college nursing grants – are available to help with the nursing education.


Article originally posted on Staff Quest