Reply To: A Great article about quelling the nursing shortage. Short and sweet

[Sintya Sintya]

Nursing forms the largest body of employees in the health care system. Nursing shortages have been happening around the globe even before the COVID-19 pandemic started. A shortage of nurses jeopardizes the provision of quality health care to clients. The current global nursing shortage challenges the provision of a well-qualified and sustainable health workforce to meet future population health needs. A competent, confident, and regulated health workforce is a critical part of a society’s health and wellbeing. Nursing shortages lead to poor work environment issues and insufficient staffing which can lead to burnout. COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone including frontline nurses who bear physical burdens as well. The coronavirus vaccine has increased some nurses’ sense of safety on the job but has not completely relieved their fear of bringing the virus home to their families or of contracting it themselves.

I like how the article mentioned utilizing senior nursing students who are just a few months away from graduation as one of the options to help with the nursing shortage. I was lucky to be able to finish my practicum and program before the pandemic hits. But for my other classmates and friends who were in their senior rotation of the nursing program, have fewer clinical and practicum hours. I agree that senior nursing students are pretty much equipped in providing all the nursing care hospitals provide. They may not be 100% equipped but they can pretty much handle a good amount of nurses’ roles with the exception, of course to do their role safely and to ask questions or help when needed. Overall I found this topic and the article provided to be very insightful and relatable!