The Economics of Nursing - Reducing the Shortage

Nurses throughout history have been underpaid and overworked. According to an article by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, we find that if we increase nurse's hospital salary, we increase the number of nurses who will work in these hospitals. Now we can eliminate what our predecessors have gone through - being underpaid.

Three out of five nurses work in hospitals. According to the article, nurse hospital wages increased in 2001 by 2.4 percent above inflation and hospital staff increased by 9.2 percent in 2002. This continued. In 2002, wages increased 7.6 percent and in 2003 hospital staff increased by 9.4 percent. These numbers clearly emphasize a solution to the nursing shortage.

These numbers don't represent the full picture. The nurses are not graduating at a higher rate at this point; we don't have more nurses in the market. The nurses who seek higher wages from hospitals are coming from other areas - doctor's offices, home health care clinics, etc. Our goal is not to shift the nursing market, moving nurses from place to place but to increase the overall number of nurses by graduating qualified and dedicated nurses out of top programs across the country.

Raising salaries is the beginning to a solution that will enhance the number of individuals who will be enticed to become nurses. It is economics. Many nurses love to help their patients, but compensation is important, both personal and financial.

Michael V. Gruber, MPH is a contributing author to My Nursing Degree Online, providing articles and resources for nurses looking for continuing education online

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