Covering the nursing shortage crisis and emerging trends in nursing education

The National Commission on Nursing Workforce for Long-Term Care reported last May that there are nearly 100,000 vacant nursing positions in long-term health care facilities. Even more shocking is that the nurse turnover rate now exceeds 50%! The report stated that this situation is costing long-term facilities an estimated $4 billion a year in recruitment and training expenses.

This news is shocking and sad. Qualified nurses are busy recruited and incentivised my institutions with more financial backing while the patients in a facility with a more modest budget suffer. I don't blame the nurses at all - they deserve as much as they can get for the work they're doing. But the system as a whole is out of synch and it starts with nursing education.

Earlier today I read that over 30,000 applicants to nursing school for a BS in Nursing were turned away last year because they simply did not have enough qualified instructors to handle the demand. Let's hope that the qualified nurses that want to advance their degree to become Health Care Educators are not being put on the same type of wait list.

This trend in the nursing field provides qualified nurses with an opportunity to evaluate their current salary, benefits and responsibilities. Knowing the facts about this nursing shortage provides the upper hand for her to request 100% reimbursement for continuing education, a salary increase and improved benefits. If she's interested in exploring other employment opportunities, new recruitment firms have been established exclusively for nurse placement.

More on the Nursing Shortage: http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/12/27/az/west_valley/pi03.txt

Earn your Nursing Educator Degree online: http://nursing.earnmydegree.com/universityphoenix/master_nursing_education.html

Nurse Placement Agency: http://www.execusearch.net/