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The Nursing Workforce Shortage
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The Nursing Workforce Shortage
Nurses are an essential part of healthcare as the ability of health systems to function
effectively depends on a healthy workforce of these professionals that make up about half of the
global health personnel. Drennan and Ross (2019) indicated that even though these professionals
play a critical role in ensuring equitable access to health care and achieving population health
and coverage, the comprehensive demand for health and social service that far exceeds the
supply has created a shortage of nine million nurses across the world. In the United States and
the United Kingdom, the nursing shortage is an issue of concern for human resource managers
that require resource allocation and an informed evidence policy to address the challenge.
The Challenge
The nursing profession continues to face shortages, with nurses and midwives leaving
health systems for various reasons, including low pay, lack of professional status and autonomy,
lack of career development, and hazardous working conditions. In the United States and other
developed nations, key factors contributing to deficiencies entail the aging baby boomer
generations that require increased healthcare needs, the aging nurse workforce, and nurse
