In Macon County, Ill., there are 1,059 job openings for registered nurses. Currently there are just 54 RNs in the county on the job hunt, according to the Herald & Review.
Denise Smith, director of people services at Hospital Sisters Health System St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur, Ill., told the Review, "The demand is going to be there; it's only going to increase. You're seeing growth in preventative care, but you're also seeing more obesity and diabetes, health problems that are going to require attention. The baby boomers are also living longer, and there's more access to care under the Affordable Care Act."
Linda Fahey, DNP, CNO of Decatur Memorial Hospital, told the Review her organization may need to add 50 nurses a year to keep up with the annual attrition rate. Dr. Fahey also said that even if the amount of nursing students increased there would still be the problem of would-be nurses on waiting lists for nursing programs.
"Training a nurse is expensive — it takes one faculty member per eight students," Dr. Fahey said. "The requirements for teachers are an advanced practice or doctorate degree, but that faculty isn't readily available. Schools are having trouble expanding because it's expensive and there's a faculty shortage."
The most significant shortages occur in medical units and emergency rooms. Dr. Fahey also reported trouble staffing night and weekend shifts.
Laurie Brown, regional director of operations for Christian Homes Inc., headquartered in Creve Coeur, Mo., consisting of 13 senior living communities, including Hickory Point Christian Village in Decatur, told the Review, "We need to come together and figure out what to do about this, because what we're doing isn't enough. I don't think there's anyone out there providing poor care because they don't have enough staff. I think we're all just figuring out how we're going to survive it. We're managing it."
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