Nursing shortages and Obamacare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing shortages and Obamacare - Research Paper Example In addition, if the health care reform is adopted, it may enhance the number of people who need health care assistance to the number of those requiring health care services. One of the largest worries for health care directors is whether the nursing institutions in the United States can provide sufficient graduates to swap nurses who will consequently be departing from the nursing profession, and to meet the enhanced need in the imminent years. The Obama health care reform demands that all American citizens to be insured. It is presumed that there will be an enhanced need for workers in the nursing profession. There is a concern for nurses trained in American soil because it is assumed that the recruitment program proposed by the Obama health care reform will hinder their capacity to acquire positions in the nursing field after the completion of their nursing program. In the future, there will be an amplified nurse shortage. This is because the present nursing shortage will not lead to the creation of new nursing opportunities. An increase in nurses’ demand will probably amplify the ratio of nurses to patient and endanger the safety of patients. The National Healthcare Organization predicts that the whole of United States’ Health care system will collapse because nurses are perceived to be the foremost basis of all health care (Feldman, 2011). There will be not sufficient nurses to meet the large ratio of patients to nurses. Currently, the nursing profession faces a number of challenges. First, the safety of patients is compromised due to the shortage of nurses. The few nurses are forced to carryout additional duties so as to compensate for their inadequate numbers. There is a risk of errors being made by the few nurses due to extreme work load, fatigue and burn out. The dangers are enhanced when these nurses work for extra numbers of hours than they are required. When a nurse is overworked, perceptions become insufficient as the nurses’ pe rceptions start to extricate during phases of microsleep. Second, nurses experience burn out. Currently, the emergency units of different hospitals are being over crowded because of blood tests and additional processes that slow down the flow of patients. This makes the few nurses to become fatigued and experience burn out. Finally, the nursing profession is filled with aging nurses. This is because a large number of hospitals are concentrating on developing medical technology and neglecting the maintenance of sufficient nursing staff (Mitchell, 2003). Nursing problems will augment in the future. Obamacare permits every citizen to access health care (Barr, 2011). This means there will be an increase in patient number but not an increase in the number of nurses. Therefore, nurses will be compelled to work for longer hours than before. The long hours of work and the exhaustion that occurs pose a tremendous hazard to the safety of patients. This may lead to unplanned mistakes, for exam ple, taking the incorrect dose or form of medication, or identifying the improper patient. Also, nurses will experience high levels of burn out. Meeting the expectations of the enlarged number of patients will be extra demanding. The nurses will be too much stretched and may fail to realize the demands and needs of patients. Balancing long working hours and individual life will cause stress and, consequently, burn out. Moreover, there will be an increase in aging nursing staff. This is because numerous nurses have delayed retirement due to