Nursing Shortage Affects Employee Wages

In Florida, nurses are the most valuable asset to the healthcare system and economy alike. However, there is "shortage of qualified nurses" (Lovell, 2006) in the state, which has the health care industry scrambling to entice new recruits. Many "nurses" are forced to "work longer hours", in order to keep up with the "aging population" (FHA, 2001). Some health care facilities are increasing their "benefits" or "giving sign on bonuses", in order to "meet the growing demand" (Lovell, 2006). Many "hospitals in Florida will face a significant challenge" and a "potential crisis", if they are unable to attract more people to enter nursing.
Healthcare Crisis

Nursing Shortage

Basically, nurses are overworked and overwhelmed, by the surge in patients that are need of care. According to Lovell (2006), hospitals are trying to recruit new nurses, instead of raising the existing nurses pay. So, many nurses have left the "profession" or "reached retirement age" (Lovell, 2006), which has the healthcare industry trying to replace them. However, qualified nurses are flocking toward "hospitals that are offering higher wages" or "adequate staffing" (Lovell, 2006). Honestly, nurses are dealing with "stress" that is both "mentally and physically" (FHA, 2001) challenging.

Patient Care

In order, for "the hospital", to meet all of the "patient's needs" (Lovell, 2006), they must find new ways to entice the nurses into staying. Currently, there is not enough "licensed nurses" or "licensed RN's" at local hospitals, due to "cost-cutting" (FHA, 2001). So, the "nurse/patient ratio" is not met, which causes everyone to "suffer" (Lovell, 2006).

Unfortunately, "if the current shortage isn't addressed soon" every patient in "Florida" (FHA, 2001) will be affected. According to Lovell (2006), hospital should "mandate" the amount of "patients" that a nurse is to care for. This way, no patient is dissatisfied or lacks the proper care that is needed to fully recover from their illness. Therefore, the "shortage of nurses", must be dealt with or patient's will feel the effects the most.

New Recruits

Therefore, the healthcare industry must try new initiatives, in order to keep the existing workforce. Many "nursing programs" are trying to raise their "enrollment" and "graduation rates" (Lovell, 2006), by offering other benefit may interest the new recruits. But, students are "leaving the profession", due to "low wages" and "poor working conditions" (FHA, 2001). According to FHA (2001), less people are interested in pursuing a career in the nursing profession. In "1995", the amount "of students enrolling" had declined by "21%"FHA, 2001), which has caused the recruiters to rethink their strategy.

Labor Market

Wages Matter

As the "graduation" rates fell to "16.5%", some "hospitals" actually tried to offer their nurses a "higher wages". According to Lovell, (2006) many students were leaving before graduating for many reasons. Even "nursing schools" are having trouble finding "qualified instructors", to teach the new recruits. According to FHA (2001), nursing institutions are blame lower wages and lack of qualified teachers for the decline in enrollments. Basically, a "nurse's wage vary substantially among the local labor markets" and is based solely on "supply and demand" (Lovell, 2006).

Labor Demand

Only "186, 500 nurses were added between 2001 and 2003", in order to prepare for the possible shortages. However, "one out of three nurses under the age of 30" will "leave the profession" for many personal reasons. Basically, many nurses will "retire" or move to another state that "pays higher wages", because "Florida" demands more "labor" for less wages. Sooner or later, "the labor demand and labor supply" will eventually "even out" and allow the hospital to hire more nurses at "higher wage" (Lovell, 2006). In order, to "maximize" a "hospital's profit", they cannot "hire more workers than the market equilibrium" (Lovell, 2006).

Nursing Unionizations

Now, many nurses are joining "unions", which allows it "members to enjoy a 13% wage boost". These unions tends to "raise morale, job stability", while improving the "quality" of the "patient's care". Now, there is "20 percent more nurses per patient" and "raising nursing staff levels". So far, research shows that nurses are excited about signing up with these unions. According to Lovell (2006), the research shows an improvement in patient mortality among the unionized hospitals. Therefore, "38 percent of hospitals have union contracts"; however, who knows what the future holds.
Conclusion

As a nurse, many things factor in interpreting a nurses pay and labor requirements. Without patients to car for, a nurse would be without a job. With the baby boomer's getting older, there has been a surge in need for" licensed nurses" (FHA, 2001). As labor market rises, the nurse's wages should rise with it.

However, local labor market hasn't "evened out", with the wage market yet (Lovell, 2006). So, many nurses are joining the available unions to protect their jobs and wages. The only thing that will help the hospitals improve their patient's care is to be fair and give nurses higher wages. This way, the nurses feel more appreciated and are more apt to stay in the profession. Therefore, it is important for hospital to contemplate raising wages, before the nurse shortage becomes deadly to patients.

References

Florida's Health Care Association (FHA) (2001) Florida's Nursing Shortage: Here It is and It is Getting Worse

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on September 15, 2007

http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/cspcn/flanursshort.PDF

Lovell, V. (2006) Solving the Nursing Shortage through Higher Wages

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on September 15, 2007

http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/C363.pdf