For those of you as deep into nursing workforce solutions as I am, declaring 2022 the Year of the Nurse Educator is exciting, even thrilling news. For those of you who aren't, here's the quick breakdown:
The nursing shortage was severe pre-pandemic, but has become downright harsh post-pandemic. 500,000 nurses will leave the profession by the end of 2022.
About 1 in every 5 healthcare workers has left their job due to COVID. Why does this matter? Because nursing is a career with progressive skills. With each new credential the scope of practice expands. Healthcare workers fill the pipeline of new nurses - Certified Nursing Assistants or Licensed Practical Nurses, as an example, can continue to earn higher credentials to help employers meet the nursing demand.
Hospital leaders are sounding the alarm as health systems face an exodus of exhausted and demoralized doctors, nurses and other front-line workers. The critical shortage has reached an unprecedented level and there is growing concern for how this will all impact patient outcomes.
Here comes the Year of the Nurse Educator.
Speak with any nursing school and they will tell you one of the obstacles they face in educating greater numbers of nurses is the shortage of qualified nursing instructors. There are many reasons for this but the biggest is pay disparities. Most shift nurses earn more than faculty so there is therefore no incentive for a nurse to pay tuition to earn a Master's degree for a role where she earns less. This is a solvable problem and one of the main reasons I'm so optimistic about the future of work, and for all the exciting and innovative programs that are coming out of the Workforce Development space.
For more on the Year of the Nurse Educator, click here.
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