Consequences Of Nurse Burnout

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The Nursing Shortage and Burnout Consequences on Patient Safety Imagine a world where the number of patients is much greater than the number of providers willing and able to care for these patients? This world is the one we live in, but many do not realize or care to see. The demand for nursing professionals certainly exceeds the number that is supplied, resulting in a nursing shortage. This situation affects both patients and nurses themselves and research suggests that nurse shortage outcomes result in burnout and risks in patient dissatisfaction and safety. Many argue the reasons as to why this has become such a national and global issue, creating controversy in the way the problem should be handled. When “shortage” is stated, it can range …show more content…

Furthermore, there is a shortage in nursing school faculty which restricts the number of students allowed to enroll in nursing programs. In a report on the 2012-2013 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, 79,659 qualified applicants were turned away due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites,classroom space, clinical preceptors and budget constraints. Another factor that impacts the nurse shortage is that a large portion of the current nursing workforce is nearing retirement age. About 55% of the RN workforce is of the age 50 or older according to a survey conducted in 2013 by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers. Also, it is projected that more than 1 million registered nurses will reach the age of retirement in the next 10 to 15 years according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. A third factor in the nursing shortage impact is that changing demographics trigger a need for more nurses to care for the baby boomers population. Demographics refer to age, gender, ethnicity, mobility, disabilities, language, employment status and location. Once the baby boomers reach age 60 and beyond, the demand for nurses will only increase dramatically. Statistics report that the ratio of potential caregivers to care for the elderly population will decrease by 40% between the years 2010 and 2030. Due to demographic changes, access to health care is limited unless the number of available nurses and rising elderly population grow to become

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