Future considerations of nurse staffing shortage (is a huge problem Research Paper

Future considerations of nurse staffing shortage (is a huge problem that impacts quality and safety everywhere and is only going tmuch worse with an aging nursing staff and retirements.) - Research Paper Example Shortages in working staff also impacts on the nurses themselves as they become dissatisfied, stressed, and overwhelmed. Recent research shows that High patient to nurse ratio lead to job burnout and frustration and this in turn leads to higher turnover. An inadequate nurse staff force plays a negative role in the patient outcomes. The Agency for healthcare Research and Quality in 2007 conducted a met- analysis which found that shortage of registered nurses together with an increased work load poses potential threat to the quality of health care (Papas, 2008). To ensure and facilitate future improvements in nurse staffing, healthcare organizations must focus on maintenance, recruitment and retention. A case study by the Nogueras, recommended that policies need to be developed to ensure an increase in recruitment and retention of young persons into the nursing profession (Coshow, Davis & Wolosin, 2009). The nursing career and profession should be recognized as a faculty that poses high levels of pertinent technical and scientific knowledge as well as personable aspect. This will be more appealing to a more diverse applicant pool. It is also imperative for the nurse leaders to develop and sustain a working environment where the employees connect with their organization. This should be done with a focus on recruitment as well as retention of the employees. Researchers also suggest that health care organizations should focus on aspects that yield more satisfaction to the older nurses such as benefits and pay. This will aid in achieving job sa tisfaction and retaining the experienced veteran nurses (Zurmehly, 2008). It is the responsibility of the health department and the various health organisations to come up with strategies that will ensure there is sufficient replacement of the aging and retiring number of nurses. First there should be partnerships between