Got Nurses? Apparently Not Enough Of Them In Utah

A new study ranks Utah as the state with the worst nurse shortage in the country, with just over 1,300 nurses per 100,000 residents.

The national average is 2,057.

The report used data from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.  Utah was directly followed on the list by Washington, Georgia, Wyoming, and Maryland.

The Origin

The nursing field was already lagging behind, then Covid-19 hit five years ago and many nurses left the field for good, siting stress, pressure and difficult working conditions.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said "Insufficient staffing is raising the stress level of nurses, impacting job satisfaction, and driving many nurses to leave the profession."

Read More Here: Utah hospitals see rise in travel nurses

In addition, 60% of emergency care nurses report feeling burnt out, and 75% report feeling stressed, frustrated, and exhausted.

The Impact

While doctors are crucial and staff and support personnel are important as well, it's the nurses that are the heartbeat of the hospitals and various doctor's offices around the country.

With the extreme shortage of nurses in Utah, many places in need are turning to certified critical care medics, a potential new group of medical professionals who are trained emergency medical service workers -- they would perform tasks typically done by nurses, potentially easing the burden on registered nurses.

They could also allow other healthcare professionals, like licensed practical nurses and nurse assistants, to perform tasks that can be safely delegated, freeing up registered nurses for more complex duties.

Both these short-term solutions come with \down sides, not the least of which is a lower standard of care for patients.

These temporary solutions could also lead to the lesser need for RNs, which in the long run would be bad for the medical industry.

The Long-Term Solution

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the top three things that can be done to help alleviate the nursing shortage are:

1. Increase wages for current nursing positions -- More money means better, more-qualified candidates.
2. Invest in the future -- Scholarships and funding for both continuing education and new nurse education is critical. A lot of young people who want to be nurses migrate away from expensive programs.
3. Incentivize! -- Reward nurses, especially the good ones, with bonuses, awards, prizes, etc. Make being a good nurse a desired result.

Scientific studies clearly show that insufficient nurse staffing was related to higher patient mortality rates.

Researchers analyzed the records of nearly 200,000 admitted patients and 177,000 eight-hour nursing shifts across 43 patient-care units at large academic health centers.

The data shows that the mortality risk for patients was about six percent higher in units that were understaffed compared to fully staffed departments.

Having enough nurses really does matter. In fact, it's a matter of life-or-death.

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