Empowerment, not numbers, will end nursing shortage

Record-breaking nursing school enrollments cannot solve the nation's nursing shortage, but management strategies that give nurses greater say in patient care and nursing routines may offer solutions to the problem. Recognition of nursing as a key hospital service also requires appropriate compensation for nursing staff members and opportunities for career advancement. Because nurses work on a facility's clinical front lines, empowering them to make day-to-day decisions also can help achieve quality improvement goals.