The nursing shortage can feel scary. There are fewer than ten nurses for every 1,000 people. If something happens to a good chunk of the population, there wouldn’t be enough nurses to go around, and that’s scary. The good thing is understanding the issue makes it easier to address.
High Quality
Quality care is what all seniors want, yet they don’t always get it. Because of the shortage, some nurses are asked to do more than usual. Overworked nurses feel tired. That’s not good because it may start to affect their job performance. All this affects quality, but the good thing is this shortage is also ushering in the solution. As demand continues to spike and the shortage continues, nurses can ask for better hours. They can ask for a better work environment, which should help improve the care seniors receive. This is a good thing for everyone, and hopefully, it only continues to get better.
Standards Maintained
When there’s a shortage, some industries start to overlook certain qualifications, and that idea is floating around the world. Seniors are scared that since there’s such a significant shortage, hospitals and other health care centers will start hiring folks that aren’t qualified, but that’s not the case. Comprehensive background checks for nursing staff and other qualifications are still required before someone is allowed to treat patients. The truth is this shortage is making health care centers focus on hiring the most talented nurses because they know seniors will go where the nursing staff is more effective and qualified.
Growing Interest
A shortage like this one is exposing the importance of investing in health care. The country doesn’t have enough schools that focus on helping folks become nurses. Different states and local governments are trying to figure out how to offer an easier path for people to become nurses, and this wouldn’t be possible if there weren’t such a significant shortage. What’s even better is that there’s a lot of interest because there’s such a shortage. Young adults are looking at this profession and realizing it represents a secure career. They also see that this path allows them to help others. With renewed interest, it’s likely the industry will continue to get better at producing talented nurses.
Improved Personalization
Personalization wasn’t something hospitals could always provide. Sure, smaller clinics might be able to do it a little better than larger hospitals, but it still wasn’t all that personal. That’s no longer the case. The shortage is also increasing the demand for more personalization. Nurses that know their value are offering their services directly to seniors in their homes. Seniors get to have talent all to themselves, and they get to feel safe at home. As this type of nursing continues to rise, it will continue to become more accessible to seniors, and that’s a great thing. Giving seniors a choice between care centers and staying at home with a person they trust is a good thing.
Reliance on Technology
The shortage is bound to create some issues. Some nurses might feel a little burned out after a while. A burned-out nurse could make mistakes that could put someone in danger. What’s interesting, though, is that this shortage has made healthcare and biological technology even more critical. There’s a lot of technology available today. There are wearables designed to help monitor seniors without even being there. If anything were to happen, the nurse could be notified to take the necessary steps. This reliance on technology will create a demand for advancements, improving the kind of care seniors can expect using tech.
Seniors should continue to pay attention to the shortage, but there’s no need to worry. Hopefully, the shortage continues to provide the industry with reasons to continue to innovate.