Nursing Shortages Causes
Nursing shortages are a persistent issue in health care that the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially exacerbated. The nursing staff shortages during the pandemic are attributed to physical and mental exhaustion and sickness (Danesh et al., 2021; Gohar et al., 2020). It should be noted that exposure to contaminants due to depletion of personal protective equipment (PPE) is considered to be one of the main reasons for the sickness absence of nurses as well as other medical staff (Gohar et al., 2020). In addition, a surge in the number of patients being admitted with COVID-19 showed the lack of nursing staff (Turale & Nantsupawat, 2021). Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the existent nursing shortage.
Impact of the Nursing Shortages
Nursing shortages had a meaningful impact on the work of all medical professionals, including physicians and nursing practitioners. The inability of hospitals to ensure the needed number of nurses is present during each shift creates an “undesirable and stressful environment within the profession” (Gohar et al., 2020, p. 339). Increased workload, specifically the increased number of patients per nurse, is another adverse impact of the shortage. In turn, the increased workload can lead to other professionals within the health care system performing the duties of the nurses (Buheji & Buhaid, 2020). Furthermore, it can translate into a stark rise in errors being made by the nurses and other staff (Buheji & Buhaid, 2020). It should be noted that such errors can lead to patient discomfort and death, affecting morbidity and mortality rates.
References
Buheji, M., & Buhaid, N. (2020). Nursing human factor during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Nursing Science, 10(1), 12- 24. Web.
Danesh, M. K., Garosi, E., & Golmohamadpour, H. (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic and nursing challenges: A review of the early literature. Work, 69(1), 23- 36. Web.
Gohar, B., Larivière, M., & Nowrouzi-Kia, B. (2020). Sickness absence in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Occupational Medicine, 70(5), 338- 342. Web.
Turale, S., & Nantsupawat, A. (2021). Clinician mental health, nursing shortages and the COVID‐19 pandemic: Crises within crises. International Nursing Review, 68(1), 12-14. Web.