The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that we will need 1.1 million nurses by 2012.  Study after study has shown that when there are not enough nurses on duty, patient care suffers—it’s that simple.  Ask any nurse, and he or she likely will have a story about what it’s like to work “short” in a busy hospital caring for patients who are sicker than ever before. 

Not only are patients unnecessarily at risk when not enough nurses are present … retaining nurses willing to work in understaffed hospitals becomes harder and hospitals resort to counterproductive measures like forcing nurses to work overtime, which worsens the staffing shortage cycle.

The good news is, nurses have proposed solutions to the staffing crisis.  Improving working conditions and requiring hospitals to maintain minimum staffing levels are being addressed through state and national nurse-patient ratio legislation, as well as groundbreaking UAN contracts.  By tackling the tough issues that are fueling the nurse staffing crisis, we can bring more RNs back to the bedside and improve patient care.