Nursing 2023

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been blamed for multiple health system problems. Many of the current issues, including staffing shortages, while exacerbated by the epidemic, have plagued us for decades. Various reactionary solutions to nursing shortages have been implemented during periods of crises, only to be abandoned when shortages have become less acute. Root causes for the resulting chronic shortages of nursing care team members have not been widely addressed. Nurse leaders have a responsibility to current and future patients, communities, and caregivers to mitigate these while implementing solutions to the current acute crisis in staffing. This requires an organization's nursing enterprise to define a vision for a preferred future, a strategic plan, and specific tactics to address the current crisis while ensuring sustainability of solutions. This article shares a high-level example from one of the country's largest health care systems.