Nursing Supply and Demand Through 2020, Essay Example

Nursing offers a unique environment in which to administer patient care and treatment to promote healing and recovery. This involves a complex dynamic of variables that have a direct impact on the practice setting and on patients; therefore, these variables must be balanced and provide support for the demands of the nursing profession and what is required to meet the expectations of the organization and its leaders. In this context, nursing is not simply a means of administering patient care, but it is a business in its own right that requires sound fiscal responsibility and financial management to meet the expectations of the profession and its desired level of quality. At the same time, there is an increased demand for nurses across many educational levels and specialty areas, particularly as the healthcare system continues to evolve and requires more advanced skillsets in order to meet the goals and expectations of the profession. With approximately 3.5 million nurses working in the profession, it is important to evaluate the conditions under which supply and demand have an impact on nursing practice as a whole (Carnevale, Smith, & Gulish, 2015).

With an aging nursing workforce and an ever-increasing need for technical knowledge and skill, the supply of nurses is relatively high but their skillsets may not be at the desired level; therefore, it is important to consider how to expand job rates within the nursing profession and to recognize that the demand for nurses often exceeds the supply (Carnevale et.al, 2015). As nurses are retiring, educational requirements are becoming increasingly difficult and there are not enough experienced educators to bridge these gaps; therefore, the quality of healthcare practice is in jeopardy if changes are not implemented (Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, 2011). Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the supply of nurses does not meet the current level of demand, thereby requiring creative solutions in order to improve quality and consistency of patient care.

References

Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., & Gulish, A. (2015). Nursing supply and demand through 2020. Retrieved from https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Nursing-Supply-Final.pdf

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (2011). Wisconsin registered nurse supply and demand forecasting model: brief summary. Retrieved from      https://www.ahec.wisc.edu/documents/RN_SupplyDemandModel_2011.pdf