Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Health policy - Essay Example As the Department Manager of Human Resource, I have noticed that there are various challenges that affect the hospital which need to be relayed to the administration. One such problem is shortage of nurses. Most nations across the globe face shortages of nursing professionals, including registered nurses, since their demand exceeds supply either locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. The World Health Organization approximates that there is a shortage of 3.2 million nurses on a global scale. According to the American National Council of State Board of Nursing, the annual nursing demand growth rate is 7.7% while the growth rate of registered nurses is 2.12% every year. This is a clear indication of nursing shortage. At the William Wishard Memorial Hospital there are only 312 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides. This is an insufficient workforce as compared to the population of Indianapolis estimated at 852,866 in 2013. The population also continues to grow. At the William N. Wishard Memorial Hospital the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:5. This is below the recommended ration of 1:3 by the World Health Organization. The ratio is unsafe and puts the patients at risk. The shortage of nursing practitioners may be as a result of years of underinvestment in health worker education, poor working environment, lack of training and career development, low wages, and ineffective management (Forsyth & McKenzie, 2006). In the hospital, the shortage of nursing personnel may be attributed to changing career options. Most of the women who were born in the 1950s and 60s were more likely to become nurses as compared to those born 70s and 80s. The other causes include underinvestment in nursing education and training, low wages, lack of career development, and lack of motivation. Additionally, there are also no placement programs for the newly trained nurses. The other cause of nursing shortage in William Wishard Memorial Hospital is