HJAR Sep/Oct 2023

Cody Waits Deputy Director of the Department of Career Education and Director of the Office of Skills Development at the Arkansas Department of Commerce Sue Tedford, MNSc, APRN Executive Director of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing Senator Kim Hammer Arkansas State Senator Ashley Davis, PhD, RN Executive Director of the Arkansas Center for Nursing Sarah Bemis, DNP, BA, RN Assistant Director of Nursing at the University of Arkansas and President-Elect of the Arkansas Center for Nursing Angela Keith, PhD, RN Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University NURSING WORKFORCE CRISIS BACKGROUND The United States is in a long-predicted, but never-before-seen, nursing workforce crisis. 1,2 Workforce issues were exposed dur- ing the pandemic when the world watched as healthcare personnel confronted hercu- lean workloads, grueling hours, mental and physical stress, trauma, and unspeakable patient care situations. Burnout ensued, and massive resignations followed. 3 This was especially true for frontline nurses who were routinely asked to do more with less while caring for the sick and the dying. Staffing shortages soon became the norm, resulting in negative impacts to patient care, and perhaps for the first time, the public became aware of just how bad the nursing workforce crisis had become. 4 Poor retention rates, voluntary turnovers, and inadequate staffing, however, are not new phenomena to nursing. Healthcare organizations all over the U.S. (including Arkansas) have battled these issues for decades; the pandemic simply exacerbated existing problems. 5,6 In fact, before 2020, the average hospital had nursing turnover rates as high as 15%. 5 Today, the state of Arkansas, like most other states in the union, is struggling with an alarming deficit of experienced nurses. 3,4,7,8 Healthcare facilities in this state are still reporting high nursing turn- over rates, severe recruitment difficulties, and vacancies lasting for six months or longer. 8 Experts assert that the magnitude of the current nursing workforce crisis is greater than the U.S. andArkansas have ever faced. 1,2,3,8 Leaders in healthcare postulate that the two biggest challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system will be the recruit- ment and retention of nurses and nurs- ing faculty for nearly every state, includ- ing Arkansas. 5,8,9 The International Council of Nurses notes that the nursing work- force crisis is one of the greatest threats to global health and adds that governments should urgently prioritize investments into the nursing workforce to sustain a healthy society. 10