Topic 1 DQ 1.1

Please respond with a paragraph to the following question, add citations and references:

Medical advancement has improved the quality of living making American live longer as compared to the past. However, living longer, unfortunately, comes chronic health problems. Common sickness like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and the lists goes on. This requires the need for prolonging nursing care. Although, nursing is said to be the fastest growing profession there still nursing shortage.

The lack of qualified nursing staff can have a negative impact to the public well-being. The shortage can lead to nurses taken care of more patient than they should resulting in fatigue causing patient mortality rate to go up. Then comes medication errors, medication errors are among the most common health threatening mistakes that affect patient care. Such mistakes are considered as a global problem which increases mortality rates, long hospital stay, and related costs. Last but not the least, nursing shortage leading to overcrowded emergency rooms and clinics. A patient with a minor laceration receives the same consideration for utilization of nursing resources as a patient with an acute myocardial infarction or major trauma even though the resources needed to care for each would be much different.

Resolutions of nursing shortage is very imperative. Some of this nursing shortage is due to not having enough qualified nursing educators. “Providing higher salary and other incentives can entice more educators. Financial incentive programs offer scholarships, loan repayment or loan forgiveness in exchange for a teaching commitment, or more competitive salaries for nursing graduate students who choose to pursue careers as nursing faculty” (County Health,2019).

Bradley University. The Nursing Shortage and How It Will Impact Patient Care. Retrieved from: https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/the-nursing-shortage-and-how-it-will-impact-patient-care/