“Health care professionals are the U.S. health care system. They’re at the heart of every life saved and every patient cared for, in return facing challenges and strain unimaginable to most of us. “Yet, despite alarming levels of burnout and untreated mental health conditions exacerbated by the weaknesses of the system in which they serve,…
In a statement, Patty Jeffrey, president of the American Association of International Healthcare, said freezing visa applications is exacerbating staffing shortages across the U.S. health care system. She said part of the problem is not enough U.S.-educated nurses. “Until we can correct capacity issues that force [U.S.] nursing schools to reject thousands of qualified applicants…
A new federal report underscores the need to protect the nation’s healthcare workforce. In newly released data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the number of nonfatal injuries in the healthcare and social services sector increased by 27,800 cases to 471,600 cases in 2023, which is higher than any other sector. Moreover, the…
“As many of us scroll through our favorite news app, we are greeted by reports of workplace violence, from verbal and physical confrontations to fatal shootings. What is often missing from the headlines are stories of the increasingly high frequency of workplace assaults suffered by health care professionals across the country.” To read the full…
Lorna Breen, MD, Matt Gall, MD, Mo Brown, MD, Scott Jolley, MD, William West Jr., MD, and Tristin Smith, RN, are tragic examples of an unacceptably high level of suicide among U.S. healthcare workers. Unfortunately, this list could extend to encompass my entire article, and chances are, each of you reading this have your own…
Faculty recruitment and retention is a top concern for nursing education leaders as institutions work to strengthen the pipeline of nurses entering the workforce. And a new survey from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) quantifies those concerns, finding that the percentage of open nursing faculty positions currently unfilled, known as the faculty vacancy rate, increased to…
I (Doehring) remember his denim overalls and the sound of muddy boots hitting the emergency department (ED) floor as he suddenly lunged out of the gurney with his big hands stretched toward my neck. He was intoxicated, which made him slower, thankfully. His words were profane and offensive. I was a young, slightly built, new…
America stands on the brink of a health care workforce crisis. Within just four years, the nation will face a severe shortage of critical health care workers needed to support our aging population. For example, the number of nursing assistants — a critical role for elder care — is increasing at a rate of only…
Today, we celebrate National Rural Health Day – a time to reflect on the incredible contributions America’s healthcare workforce makes to patients in rural communities every day. Providing high quality care to rural Americans continues to be a major priority for our nation’s healthcare system and the Healthcare Workforce Coalition thanks all doctors, nurses, allied…
On November 6, the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University published a new report titled “Reduce Health Care Labor Shortages by Recruiting Skilled Immigrants.” The report put a spotlight on the impact of workforce shortages throughout the healthcare sector, as demand for nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers continues to outpace supply. In…