Nurses in acute care hospitals report that situations in their work setting and profession are in dire need of repair. Although they waiver on their intention to remain in their institution and nursing, they do not waiver on their selected resolution to nursing's shortage. A total of 787 staff nurses in eight geographically and demographically diverse states responded and were asked to select the “Top 5” actions they thought would improve nursing and decrease the shortage. Creating career ladders was endorsed by most respondents (85%) with increasing pay endorsed by the fewest (33%). When selecting the single most important action, they reversed the order—increased pay was the most endorsed (26%), and creating career ladders and increased educational opportunities were endorsed by less than 1%. Nurses appeared to be concerned about the profession in general; however, when asked the “most important” thing to do, an age-old action was selected—increase pay.
Aiken, L. H., Buchan, J., Sochalski, J., Nichols, B., & Powell, M. (2004). Trends in international nurse migration. Health Affairs, 23(3), 69-77.
2.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. (n.d.). Is there really a nursing shortage? The critical need to bring nurses back to the hospital industry. Retrieved January 25, 2005, from www.afscme.org/una/sns02.htm
Buerhaus, P. I., Staiger, D. O., & Auerbach, D. I. (2003). Is the current shortage of hospital nurses ending?Health Affairs, 22(6), 191-198.
5.
By the numbers. (2004). Modern Healthcare, 34(4), 9-9.
6.
Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
7.
General Accounting Office. (2001). Nursing workforce: Emerging nurse shortages due to multiple factors. Washington, DC: Author.
8.
Goode, C. J., & Williams, C. A. (2004). Post-baccalaureate nurse residency program. Journal of Nursing Administration, 34(2), 71-77.
9.
Health Resources and Services Administration. (2002). The registered nurse population: Findings from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. Washington, DC: Author.
10.
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work (2nd ed) New York: John Wiley.
11.
HSM Group. (2002). Acute care hospital survey of RN vacancy and turnover rates in 2000. Retrieved January 25, 2004, from www.wha.org/workforce/pdf/aone-surveyrnvacancy.pdf
12.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (2002). Health care at the crossroads. Strategies for addressing the evolving nursing crisis. Washington, DC: Author.
13.
Jones, C. B. (1990). Staff nurse turnover costs: Part II, measurements and results. Journal of Nursing Administration, 20(5), 27-32.
14.
Kimball, E., & O'Nell, E. (2002). Health care's human crisis: The American nursing shortage. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
15.
Krosnick, J. (2000). The threat of sacrificing in surveys: The shortcuts respondents take in answering questions. Survey Methods Newsletter, 20(1), 4-8.
16.
Lacey, L., & Shaver, K. H. (2003). Nursing vacancy rates in North Carolina hospitals. Retrieved January 25, 2005, from www.nursenc.org/research/empsurv2003/vachosp.pdf
17.
Lynn, M. R. (1986). Determination and quantification of content validity. Nursing Research, 35, 382-385.
18.
Lynn, M. R., Morgan, J. C., & Moore, K. A. (2002, February). The context within which nurses work: Work satisfaction in the 21st century. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Nursing Research Society, San Antonio, TX.
19.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.) New York: Harper & Row.
20.
McCue, M., Mark, B., & Harless, D. W. (2003). Nurse staffing, quality, and financial performance. Journal of Health Care Finance, 29(4), 54-76.
21.
Page, A. (Ed.). (2004). Keeping patients safe: Transforming the work environment of nurses. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
22.
Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1981a). A causal model of turnover for nurses. Academy of Management Journal, 24, 543-565.
23.
Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1981b). Professional turnover: The case of nurses. Jamaica, NY: Spectrum.
24.
Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1986). Absenteeism and turnover of hospital employees. Greenwich, CT: JAI.
25.
RN turnover rate outpaces other health care professions.(2004). RN, 67(4), 12-12.
26.
Sochalski, J. (2002). Trends: Nursing shortage redux: Turning the corner on an enduring problem. Health Affairs, 21(5), 157-163.
27.
Spetz, J., & Given, R. (2003). The future of the nurse shortage: Will wages close the gap?Health Affairs, 22(6), 199-206.
28.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2002). Projected supply, demand and shortages of registered nurses, 2000-2020. Washington, DC: Author.
29.
Whittman-Price, R., & Kuplen, C. (2003). A recruitment and retention program that works! (Success stories). Nursing Economics, 21, 35-39.
30.
Wise, L. C. (1990). Tracking turnover. Nursing Economics, 8(1), 45-51.
