California health care providers are being affected by a shortage of nurses.
Health Care Systems Struggle to Meet Demand Amid Nurse Shortage
Health care systems across the state are grappling with a shortage of registered nurses and growing discontent in the field, according to a recent survey conducted by AMN Healthcare—a health care providers are being affected by a shortage of nurses.”>health care staffing firm based in Dallas. The survey results reveal the urgent need for action to address this critical issue.
The report found that 94 percent of nurses believe there is a severe or moderate shortage of nurses in their area, with half of them describing the shortage as severe. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of nurses stated that the nursing shortage is worse now than it was five years ago, and 80 percent expect it to worsen in the next five years.
These significant shortcomings are attributed to an aging workforce, lack of educational opportunities, and shifting health care needs following the pandemic, according to the research.
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Survey responses indicate that pandemic-related stress has led many nurses to shorten their careers. Factors such as social distancing requirements, personal protective equipment shortages, staffing issues, and the risk of exposure have influenced their decisions to reduce hours or retire.
These challenges, combined with the increasing number of people seeking medical care, further strain the health care system.
Research from the University of California–San Francisco supports the survey results, showing a shortage of approximately 19,000 licensed nurses statewide. The data reveals a disproportionate number of older nurses retiring or planning to retire soon.
Alarmingly, more than 85 percent of nursing professionals reported that they are considering changing jobs or retiring, with only 15 percent intending to stay with their current employers.
Hospital administrators rank nurse staffing as the most pressing problem, with 90 percent of CEOs expressing concerns about shortages.
According to CalMatters, nursing vacancy rates in Southern California currently exceed 30 percent, compared to 6 percent before the pandemic, as reported by the Hospital Association of Southern California.
Limited space in university nursing programs also contributes to the nursing shortage, as schools lack the necessary educators to provide more opportunities.
State leaders recognized the nursing predicament in 2005 with the passage of the California Nurse Education Initiative, aimed at improving educational programs and increasing enrollment opportunities.
Multiple health care workers in the Bay Area have expressed their desire to advance their careers and become registered nurses. However, they blame lottery systems used for admission at some nursing schools for delaying their progress.
“They don’t even look at grades. It’s just random as to who gets in, and I’ve been denied twice,” said patient care coordinator Maria Garcia. “It’s not fair to those of us who tried hard and scored high on our tests. We deserve a chance.”
In 2019, more than half of the 77 nursing programs surveyed by California Community Colleges reported using multi-factor admissions criteria, including grade point averages, while up to 30 utilized other processes, such as lottery enrollment.
The community college group has consistently highlighted the need for increased funding and support from the state to overcome nursing shortages in their annual reports to the governor.
Delaying educational progress for prospective nurses exacerbates the problem, especially considering the advanced age and retirement rate of nurses today.
California legislators have introduced bills at the federal level to address the need for more educators and nursing programs nationwide.
Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) Support Access to Nursing School Act aims to fund nursing school instructors, while Rep. Jim Costa’s (D-Calif.) newly introduced National Nursing Shortage Task Force Act seeks to assess the situation and enhance educational opportunities.
“We have a nursing shortage in our country, fueled by the pandemic and burnout. As a result, hospitals and clinics are in crisis and rationing care because there are simply not enough nurses,” said Mr. Costa in a press release announcing the proposal. “My legislation will help develop a roadmap to bolster the nursing workforce and improve access to care.”
Disparities in pay between educators and clinical nurses also contribute to the shortage of educators, exacerbating the nursing problem.
“Schools have been unable to meet all the demand because we cannot recruit faculty to teach the students—clinical nurses earn significantly more than the teachers who instruct them,” said Gina Intinarelli-Shuler, associate dean at the UCSF School of Nursing. “It’s challenging, but our senior nursing leaders are putting together a comprehensive workforce recruitment, retention, and training plan.”
In many cases, travel nurses are filling the void, signing contracts of varying lengths with health care providers. While they represented less than 2 percent of nurses in 2019, the hiring of travel nurses surged in 2020 and 2021.
With the increased demand for health care workers and the bottleneck in educating and licensing new nurses, proposals in the state Legislature aim to minimize the impact of the ongoing shortage.
One such measure, Assembly Bill 698, introduced by Asm. Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), would require community colleges to reserve 15 percent of enrollment opportunities for health care workers.
Another proposal, Assembly Bill 16
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