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Nursing Shortage
Alfa Shrestha
Nursing, Southern New Hampshire University
NUR-300 Scholarly Inquiry
Professor Osmberg
May 8, 2023
Nursing Shortage
Nurses are a critical part of the health care system. Yet the nursing profession continually faces
shortages in all specialties (Brown el al., 2023). Nursing shortages have been present for some time, but
when the COVID pandemic hit this made the previous shortage even more complex (Ross, 2022).
Healthcare organizations in the United States are experiencing a persistent shortage of nurses that has
been projected to increase rapidly throughout the next decade (Brown el al., 2023). This milestone
explores the nursing shortage, providing a rationale for this professional concern as well as an
assessment of evidence-based resources. It will also include essential information about the nursing
scope of practice and standards of practice.
Nursing Practice Issue
The nursing shortage is an important and multifaceted challenge in the health systems and has
reached a warning threshold (Shasmi & Peyravi, 2020). Due to the shortages, many nurses have not had
their usual periods of recreation leave, have had to work long shifts, and are suffering burnout (Turale &
Meechamnan, 2022). The present shortage of nurses is supported by a decrease in the number of
nurses joining the profession, the presence of severe nursing shortages in various geographical
locations, and a lack of adequately trained nurses to address specific patient requirements in an evolving
healthcare environment (Brown el al., 2023).
Nursing shortage is caused by a variety of factors, including working conditions, increased
number of patients, violence in the healthcare system, retirement of experienced nurses, difficulty
retaining new graduate nurses, lack of seats in nursing programs, and a nursing faculty shortage
(Perkins, 2021). Some of the consequences of nurse shortage include increased preventable deaths,
readmission rates, hospital-acquired infections, and decreased quality of care (Perkins, 2021).
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Rationale
Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare, and the nursing shortage is an issue that needs to be
addressed. The nursing shortage has significantly impacted the healthcare system, and during the
pandemic, the healthcare industry witnessed the second-highest rate of resignation (Ross, 2022). The
pandemic has caused many negative effects on nurses’ physical, psychological, and social well-being,
and significantly increased their workloads (Turale & Meechamnan, 2022). The stressful nature of the
present work environment amplifies the likelihood of burnout, high turnover rates, and nurses exiting
the profession (Perkins, 2021). This, in turn, perpetuates a harmful cycle of nursing shortage. To suggest
solutions to reduce nursing shortage, the existing research will be fully reviewed, and the various causes
and consequences of nursing shortage shall be analyzed.
Appraisal of Resources
Numerous nursing studies, completed before and during the pandemic, are now focusing on
nursing shortages, nursing retention, and variables influencing nurses' decisions to stay on the job.
However, there is still a lot more research to be done (Turale & Meechamnan, 2022). Nursing is a
respected profession, but it does not diminish the emotional, physical, and mental tiredness that comes
with the job. The following is a brief literature review of two articles that discuss nursing shortage. The
articles were retrieved from the Shapiro Library, using the CINAHL, and OVID databases. The keywords
used for the search were “nursing shortage,” and “consequences of nursing shortage”. Recent data from
within the past five years was used to narrow the search for “nursing shortage,” and “consequences of
nursing shortage” including information and research articles (2019-2023) comprising post-COVID-
related shortage.
Article One
The article “Nursing Shortage: Consequences and Solutions” was published by Perkins. (2021).
The article reviewed the contributing factors, the effect on patients and nurses, and how nurses can
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positively impact nursing shortage (Perkins, 2021). The factors that are associated with nursing shortage
are working conditions, patient load, workplace violence, retired seasonal nurses, and lack of seats in
nursing programs (Perkins, 2021). The article suggests ways to reduce nursing shortage, by increasing
the number of LPNs working in a healthcare organization's staffing levels. Leaders in healthcare
organizations establish and foster a positive and supportive work environment that prioritizes the well-
being of their employees and patients. This involves implementing comprehensive policies and
procedures that consider the needs and interests of all stakeholders within the organization (Perkins,
2021).
Article Two
Turale and Meechamnan (2022) published the article, “Investment in Nursing is Critical for the
Health of the World: We Need 6 Million Additional Nurses.” The article examines the correlation
between the pandemic and nursing burnout, which escalates the likelihood of increased attrition rates
and necessitates investments to support the graduation of a larger cohort of nurses. These measures
aim to establish and maintain an ample number of nursing positions for sustainable healthcare delivery.
(Turale & Meechamnan, 2022). The article collected data from World Health Organization (WHO). The
lack of sufficient investment in nursing and nursing education, coupled with years of funding reductions
in the healthcare sector, is completely unacceptable (Turale & Meechamnan, 2022). A major investment
is needed in nursing education to facilitate the graduation of a greater number of nurses under
improved working conditions and fair compensation. Furthermore, improving tactics for increasing
retention rates and ensuring nurses remain in the workforce is critical, necessitating a more planned
approach (Turale & Meechamnan, 2022).
Scope and Standards
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The standard of care for the profession of nursing can be found in the Nursing Scope and
Standards of Practice (4th Ed.) (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2021). It is important to understand
that standards of nursing practice are affected by nursing practice issues.
There are two standards that are affected by the nursing shortage. Standard 15 and Standard 18
are not effectively completed when discussing the nursing shortage. Standard 15 is Quality of Practice,
the registered nurse contributes to high-quality nursing practice (ANA, 2021). There are problems in
meeting patients’ needs if the nurses are dissatisfied with their job or the way they are treated (Shamsi,
& Peyravi, 2020). Standard 18 is environmental health, which states the registered nurse practices in a
manner that advances environmental safety and health (ANA, 2021). The present work conditions pose
multiple difficulties, such as an increasing need for services, inadequate support structures, restricted
independence, strained interpersonal dynamics among coworkers, and concerns regarding fairness,
incivility, and the absence of respect (Perkins, 2021).
References
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American Nurses Association [ANA]. (2021). Nursing scope and standards of practice (4th Ed.).
Brown, J. S., Gomez, N., Harper, M., & Olivares, R. (2023). Combating the Nursing Shortage: Recruitment
and Retention of Nephrology Nurses. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 50(1), 49–53.
https://doi.org/10.37526/1526-744X.2023.50.1.49
Perkins, A. (2021). Nursing shortage: Consequences and solutions. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, 19(5),
49–54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000767268.61806.d9
Ross, J. (2022). Nursing Shortage Creating Patient Safety Concerns. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing,
37(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2022.05.078
Shamsi, A., & Peyravi, H. (2020). Nursing shortage, a different challenge in Iran: A systematic review.
Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 34(8). https://doi.org/10.47176/mjiri.34.8
Turale, S., & Meechamnan, C. (2022). Investment in Nursing is Critical for the Health of the World: We
Need 6 Million Additional Nurses. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, 26(3),
371–375. https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/PRIJNR/article/view/258055
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