Health & Fitness

A Look at the Nursing Shortage in California

Nursing shortage in California
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If you’re looking to earn your online doctor of nursing degree from Duquesne University, you could well benefit from the current nursing shortage in California. The state of California is currently crying out for healthcare professionals to help with the overflow of patients seeking medical care – so it could be the career opportunity that opens many job offers.

Demand for Nurses Is Growing Further

According to the U.S. Nurse Workforce Report Card, problems aren’t going to be provided with a solution anytime soon. This is because the requirement of nurses is outpacing the supply of qualified nurses. The nurse to population ratio has dropped to an all-time low in California in the last decade and the state is now ranked a miserable 48th. Fortunately, current professionals can study for a DNP online so they can further their education without contributing further to the shortage in the short term.

193,000 Nurses Short By 2030

It’s apparent that the crisis in California is set to continue as, according to the U.S. Nurse Workforce Report Card, a shortage of 193,000 nurses is expected by 2030. The national average is 874 RNs per 100,000 people, so to have only a measly 657 RNs per 100,000 is poor. California was given a grade “D” for its nursing efforts and it’s not looking like it’s going to change anytime soon.

Nursing shortage in California

What Is Causing the Shortage?

According to research, the older generation of nurses just isn’t being replaced quick enough, which has led to the huge shortage of nurses. This shortage can only get worse as time goes on. As the population of California increases by the minute, the older generation also requires more care – so the problem is continuing to worsen and it’s looking very worrying for the people of California, particularly those who are approaching retirement age.

Nursing Population Was Expected to Grow

Between 2001 and 2010, thousands more nursing students set their hearts on becoming qualified RNs and it was looking like the state was going to be well looked after for the next 20 years. However, because the grades of students have been much lower than that of previously qualified nurses, the growth rate has been extremely slow and the state has been relying more on unprepared nurses to try to counter the issue.

Inexperienced Staff Are Causing Further Delays

The problem now is that California has unprepared nurses that shouldn’t be doing all the work they are currently doing. They aren’t necessarily gaining the experience they should from their superiors because of the work staff are required to carry out to try and eat into the backlog of patients in need of care.

It’s evidently clear that the state of California has growing issues in the healthcare industry that’s related to the shortage of qualified RNs. Will changes come to light soon or will California be stretched for resources for another decade? It’s currently looking like the latter, but with the right nursing facilities and increased pay packets to promote nursing in a better light, more and more students may grow an interest in becoming a nurse to better serve their communities.

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