 | Don Morris is Vice President for Human Resources at Wesley Medical Center, a regional, acute care medical facility in Wichita. Licensed for 760 beds and 102 bassinettes, the medical center provides a full range of diagnostic, treatment and trauma services.You may contact Don by e-mail don.morris@wesleymc.com, or call (316) 962- 2600. |
Health & Medicine
2005-09-01 07:39:00
Issues of nursing shortage?
ANSWER: We are fortunate to have extremely caring individuals who enter the nursing profession. Their dedication to patient care, particularly in light of the stresses inherent in the field, is uplifting. Still, there are systemic problems that this nursing shortage poses. Among them are decreased access to health care, including hospitals and long-term care facilities. Some of the highest vacancy rates across the country are found in critical care and medical-surgical care units. In some severe cases, medical facilities have had to close beds due to a lack of nursing staff. What can be done to improve this nursing shortage? First, the issue of education needs to be addressed. Federal funds are being earmarked to increase the number of faculty. More grants, loans, scholarships and other incentives are needed to help attract faculty and students to nursing programs.Next, we need to make the field of nursing more attractive. Flexibility in scheduling already is being addressed through creative solutions like shift-bidding, which allows employees to compete for unfilled shifts through a computerized system - something they can do through the internet at home. On a national level, there are media campaigns designed to increase awareness and improve the image of nursing. But much more needs to be done to attract and retain nursing staff. From policies and procedures in the hospital to creating an environment built on a team approach, there are many creative solutions that everyone in health care needs to explore. The bottom line is that the quality of health care rests in the hands of a caring, capable and committed nursing staff. It will take all of us to find ways to make sure the best and brightest are caring for us all in the future.
