Fact Finder: Nurse Shortage

By Corinne Alcazar

Published: November 12, 2008

These are our future nurses.

Some are new to the workforce.

Others—- like Jim Moyer—are seeking a second career.

“I wanted to do something that gave back to the community and to others so I decided that I would go into nursing because I always loved the health sciences.“

And once they graduate from UAB’s School of Nursing—

They’ll be in high demand.

Fact—by the year 2015 Alabama will be facing a nursing shortage of 15 to 25 percent. 

And statistics show a direct link between nurse staffing and the quality of patient care.

“If I’m a patient in a hospital should I be concerned about this 15 percent shortage we’re going to see soon?  I think we all should be concerned about that shortage.“

Fact: Tens of thousands of hospital deaths every year are caused by the nationwide nursing shortage. 

From 1996 through 2002 nurse staffing levels contributed to 19 percent of all medication errors.
 
“Our patients in hospitals today are very sick and need nurses more than ever.“

But nursing schools—like this one—- have more prospective students than teachers—- forcing them to turn many qualified applicants away.

Fact: last year more than 5,000 nursing students were turned away from nursing schools across Alabama simply because there aren’t enough faculty members to teach them.

Many qualified teachers have retired—and recruiting new educators is tough since most nurses can make more money in the field than in the classroom.

Nursing is also a high stressed job—filled with long hours and patients requiring complex care.

Fact—30 to 50 percent of new nurses don’t make it past the first year—because the job is so challenging.

“It’s very difficult sometimes and you know sometimes the nurse to patient ration make it a little bit harder but i think all in all it’s a great profession.“