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CALLING ALL NURSES Kelley Parsons is burned out. The 29-year-old floor nurse often works back-to-back shifts, sometimes up to 16 hours straight, and cares for many patients at a time. Lately, she’s been thinking about pursuing another avenue of nursing. Parsons has been a floor nurse for only three and a half years. The same scenario is happening across the country. Experienced floor nurses are entering new fields of nursing or leaving the profession. Simultaneously, baby boomers are starting to retire. Experts are projecting a national nursing shortage of 500,000 by 2020. The situation is not new in the U.S. In fact, Parsons capitalized on a consequence of a previous shortage in the ’80s – accelerated nursing programs. She completed her BSN in one year and was snapped up by a hospital. Unfortunately, current conditions are prompting her to make a change. Low nursing school enrollment is also cutting into the workforce. "In the past, women had fewer job opportunities so they were more likely to choose nursing," states Frances Ward, PhD, RN, NP,C, dean, UMDNJ-School of Nursing (SN). She comments that the profession is not currently perceived as high tech or exciting. Another worry is the projected scarcity of nursing faculty. "The average age of nurses is 40 and above," explains Ward. "The average age of nursing faculty is 50 and above. Who will teach our future nurses?" A new track within the already existing Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs at SN will focus on nursing education. "This program provides nurses with the tools to become faculty or educators within the clinical setting," explains Kathleen Burke, PhD, RN, assistant dean at SN. Improving the image of nurses, eliminating mandatory overtime, and increasing salaries and recruitment efforts are among the strategies to counteract declining numbers. Stratifying licensure based on education is another. "The profession has added many levels of education," explains Ward. "These academic degrees – diploma [RN], associate, baccalaureate [BSN], masters and doctorate – need to be clearly defined with competencies and job functions outlined for each. This will set clear expectations for nurses and hospitals." In spite of the projected shortage, nursing remains one of the most trusted professions. In a recent public opinion poll conducted by NurseWeek and HealthWeek, 92 percent of individuals reported that they trust healthcare information provided by registered nurses. "We are faced with a challenging situation," says Ward. "But with these new strategies, we feel we can retain the nurses we have and attract new individuals into the profession." |
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The magazine of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey |
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