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Scarce Resources-Nursing Shortages Nur/531

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Scarce Resources-Nursing shortages

Nursing shortages has become a global issue facing many countries. The scarcity of nurses is expected to increase as demands for health care services increase. Scarcity of resources in health care is a multi-faced problem with multiple causes ranging from nurses leaving the profession because of job dissatisfaction, retiring baby boomers, increasing health demands with decreasing number of those entering the profession, shortage of nurse educators and nursing school, and lack of nursing program funding (Buchan & Aiken, 2008). Nursing shortage is not only a shortage of individuals with nursing qualification but also a shortage of qualified individuals who unwilling to work under current conditions. The American health care system is on a time bomb waiting to explode.

The Nursing Shortage Influencing Factors
Nurses leaving the profession because of job dissatisfaction
Inappropriate distribution of nursing resources through inadequate career support, in appropriate skill mix and utilization, and poor retention incentives lead nurse’s job dissatisfaction (Buchan & Aiken, 2008). Inability of nurses to advocate for patients’ safety causes job dissatisfaction leading to poor job performance and negative patient outcomes. Therefore, nurses will leave the profession because of guilt and dissatisfaction for inability to perform to their best abilities.

Aging Registered Nurses (RN) Workforce
The fewer RN population entering the profession, higher aging nursing workforce, and increased health care demands related to aging population pose a serious threat to the American health care system. After years of dedication to the profession, the Baby Boomer generation including those in academic field is leaving the profession to enjoy retirement further escalating the nursing shortages (Cowen & Moorhead, 2011). Cowen and Moorhead also

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