Solving the Nursing Shortage: Best and Worst Practices, Practical Solutions

Over the last few years hospitals have been struggling with a "nursing shortage" that is projected to get much worse in the next decade. As a solution, policies and funding have been directed at increasing the number of new nurses. The real problem is that there is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the hospital industry given the current situation of stagnant wages and deteriorating working conditions. Policies aimed at increasing the number of new nurses will not succeed if the new graduates don't stay. The short and long-term solution is to improve wages and working conditions, especially staffing levels, in order to retain the current and new nurses, and to recruit back the nurses who have left hospital nursing (including LPNs). Adequate numbers of competent bedside caregivers is key to quality patient care and the only way to attract and keep nurses. In this presentation I will discuss recent research and policy alternatives that suggest new directions for recruiting and retaining nurses.