Economic downturn prompts many nurses to work more shifts, helps address nursing shortage

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how the "ailing economy" has prompted many nurses to work additional shifts, delay retirement or return to the work force from retirement -- all of which have helped "ease the nursing shortage."

The nursing shortage began in the 1990s as older nurses began to retire and fewer younger nurses replaced them, and the shortage became worse as aging baby boomers increased demand for health care. By 2001, the U.S. had vacancies in 126,000 nursing positions, according to the American Hospital Association.

According to the Journal, the "renewed interest in nursing," a "familiar pattern during economic slowdowns," has helped hospitals, which in recent years have increased wages and offered signing bonuses to attract nurses, as well as implemented measures to allow older nurses to continue to work. However, experts expect the nursing shortage to continue to increase in the future as demand exceeds the number of nurses who enter the profession.

Jane Llewellyn, vice president of clinical nursing affairs at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said, "We are seeing a temporary lessening of the nursing shortage," but, "as soon as the economy turns up, we'll see them staying home again" (Dougherty, Wall Street Journal, 5/7).

Nursing Schools

The Journal on Wednesday also examined the "potential risks would-be nurses face amid a proliferation of schools looking to capitalize on the fast-expanding nursing field," as many of the institutions do not have accreditation from state nursing boards.

Many individuals who complete nursing programs find they cannot obtain licenses or employment as nurses because their schools do not have accreditation from state nursing boards. According to the Journal, no law prohibits schools from "offering courses that purport to teach nursing skills," but state nursing boards will "issue permits to practice as a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse only to those students who train with certified programs and pass a state nursing exam."

As demand for nurses has increased, for-profit schools have "rushed into the market," and a number of those institutions are "drawing scrutiny and litigation," the Journal reports (Shishkin, Wall Street Journal, 5/7).