More Healthcare Nursing Jobs and Work Opportunities in the US Because of Nursing Shortage
Healthcare nursing job opportunities in the US is now, more than ever, real than projected years ago. The expected nursing shortage as far back as early 2000 which the the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have predicted has now compounded to unexpected scale. Hospitals and healtcare institution are now feeling the bite of the shortage in their facilities.
Several causes of nursing shortage have been accurately pinpointed (as predicted long ago).
1. Small enrollees for nursing profession can fill seats of aging nurses - Despite the fact that enrollment numbers for nursing programs in schools have increased slightly recently, experts believe that such an increase is not even enough to fill the projected demand for nurses over the new few years. Fact is, some experts estimate that the enrollment numbers for younger people entering nursing programs would have to increase exponentially, by at least 40 percent annually, to meet the increasing demand for nurses as older registered nurses, or RNs, retire from the work force.
2. Lack of faculty to educate and train nurses - The sad fact however is that enrollment cannot increase in the desired numbers simply because of limiting factors placed on nursing programs. It has been estimated that about two-thirds of nursing schools turned aspiring and qualified applicants away because of lack of staff and facilities to teach them. Without the institution and the faculty to educate and train the nurses, more and more youth will divert their attention to other profession. Nursing programs in the country are not well funded and cannot afford the staff, laboratories, and clinical facilities required to fulfill the needs of more nursing students.
3. Aging American population - Of course, as more and more baby boomers retire and age, the need for more nurses to care for them also increases. However, because of the shortage of facilities and lack of funding to train new nurses as discussed above, hospitals, healthcare and other medical facilities are experiencing a scary shortage that can hamper the American health care system if not addressed soonest.
4. Inability to Import Nurses - Each year thousands and thousands of qualified nurses abroad wants to work in the States and help care their population in exchange for work and money. However, the visa retrogression is preventing the inflow of new nurses to the United States until a law will ease up the US Visa issue. This nursing shortage will just be compounded by the lack of new nurses entering the work force as older RNs choose to retire.
There are many other reasons why more and more nurses are going out of the system but the above are major ones. Others include attractive pay from other profession, nursing burnouts (due to shortage), lack of funding for nurses development and inadequate attention to nurses needs.
We are hoping that the Filipino nurses will benefit later on this huge demand and nursing job opportunities in the US.
Filipino Nurses are Needed in Kuwait to Help Improve Kuwait’s Health Services
Filipino Secretary of Labor and Employment, Marianito D. Roque, met with Visiting Kuwaiti Minister of Health Ali Al-Barrak met this week to discuss cooperation in the providing to Kuwait the nursing and technical medical staff it needs for its health care services.
After the meeting, Al-Barrak made a statement to the Kuwait News Agency KUNA that he is very pleased with the high level of expertise in medical and nursing fields in Philippines.
The Minister said that the meeting with the Filipino Secretary of Labor focused on boosting bilateral relations and employing Filipino nurses and other medical staff in Kuwait. The Filipino official showed great interest and understanding of the Kuwaiti ministry’s needs and assured that his country was prepared to help in this issue, Barrak said.
On the other hand, Assistant Undersecretary for medical services support affairs in the Ministry of Health Dr Yousif Al-Nusif, stressed the importance of boosting health services cooperation with Philippines, to benefit from specialized human resources of high professional standards.
Al-Nusif told KUNA, “The minister of health and his accompanying delegation’s meetings with the Filipino Secretary of Labor, included discussions on bringing specialized Filipino nursing staff to Kuwait.” He asserted that the Philippines is one of the leading countries in field of nursing, as it has 450 nursing and medical care institutes.
He clarified that the lack of nursing staff in Kuwait is due to the major expansion in medical services and facilities, in conformity with His Highness the Amir’s wishes to increase hospital capabilities in the country.