We must fix the nursing shortage

Tom Purcell on Apr 4, 2022

Can’t our universities restructure and ramp up their nursing programs to bring many new talented nurses into the field?

And can’t hospitals and long-term care facilities pony up better salaries and offer flexible, non-burnout schedules that allow nurses - who generally get into this field because they want to care for people – to do their best work?

How about retention bonuses and longer vacations to sunny climates where nurses can recharge?

Hey, employers, can’t you create grants to fund nursing education? You, too, federal government.

The fact is, the more overworked the nurses are at your facility, the more medical mistakes will be made — how many massive lawsuits do you want to pay for when you can get ahead of the problem and produce a pipeline of new nursing talent?

Get creative for goodness sake.

I'm seeing firsthand how a severe and chronic nursing shortage – and a total lack of problem solving - is having a negative impact on my beloved family member.

Come on, America. We’ve got work to do.

Tom Purcell is an author and humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.