Why Nurses Leave the Bedside. The Nursing Shortage : a Bedside RN's Perspective
Hypothesis & Purpose of these Pages
Part of Introductory Pages [See Introductory Pages Table of Contents] 
Homepage/Table of Contents*888888888888888*Chapter Table of Contents*888888888888888* Email Webmistress
Fact:  The current crisis nursing shortage is one of many crisis shortages evident since the post World War II era when the longstanding and never fully erradicated nursing shortage first exerted its presence.  Periods of alleviation of nursing shortage present  since the post WW II era can clearly be viewed as the abberant occurence, and the cyclical  periods of crisis shortage evidence that an underlying longstanding shortage has never been adequately or effectively addressed. Attention has been paid to nursing demands  in a retrospective manner throughout the post World War II period and as a result of  the  pressure of  crisis nursing shortages in the periods following their identification. Each crisis shortage  yields  recycled methods  temporarily correcting previous crisis shortages. Periods of crisis shortage  are always followed by  periods of  temporary adequate supply  soon  followed by  new and higher spiking crisis shortage  more devastating  than the predecessor shortage.  The methods  resurrected are ineffective, and their use futile.
Creative, insightful, truly innovative means are required to alleviate the current crisis shortage, and to dismantle the longtanding cycle of shortages followed by brief alleviation of which it is part. Many pages herein seek to bring the reader to the same conclusion.
Hypothesis:
Two Alpha Factors [environment and wage] fuel the shortage. Four responses are required to fully address the two alpha factors giving impetus to the current crisis shortage.  If the Two Alpha factors are meaningfully, creatively, and realistically addressed, the current crisis shortage will be alleviated, the nursing shortage of which the crisis is merely a part reversed,  and future crisis shortages avoided. The four responses  necessary to fully address  the Two Alpha Factors must be initiated in tandem and none of them, alone, will prove effective. Only with all four addressed will the cycle be meaningfully broken. See the Two Alpha Factors identified for gateway to their individual discussion.

Purpose:
It is the purpose of these pages to soundly identifly  the two alpha factors fueling the shortage, and to convince the reader that the four responses identified as effective responses  to the alpha factors will, when implemented and present in tandem, realistically affect  the alpha factors,allow for erradication of  the longstanding shortage of which the crisis shortage is merely part, and prevent the future, worse crisis shortage anticipated in absence of their adoption. 
Created with the considerable assistance of alterego  Pye
All Rights Reserved. Linking to This Page is Encouraged; The author would appreciate notice of when this occurs.
Back to:Homepage/Table of Contents