Nursing shortage or transition? Three perspectives

Three professionals--a hospital chief executive officer, nursing administrator, and nursing educator--present their differing perspectives on the nursing shortage. The first two believe that the problem is really one of an inability to match changing patient needs with the human resources available. The educator, on the other hand, believes that a shortage does exist, particularly in acute care settings. Many factors contribute to the perceived nursing shortage, including the change from a need-driven to a resource-driven environment, enlarged opportunities for women, the increased intensity of patient needs in acute care facilities, and the expansion of service delivery to alternative settings. The challenge for health care facilities and nursing educators is to match the training of nurses to changing patient needs and patterns of health care delivery.