pERSONAL SHORTAGES IN HEALTH CARE

It is no surprise that majority of healthcare facilities are experiencing crucial personnel shortages. No matter if you’re that patient who’s been waiting in the emergency room for over thirty minutes, or a healthcare professional waiting for a medical record. These personnel shortages in the healthcare workforce are a major challenge for patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare policy-makers. Especially with the various kinds of clinical and non-clinical staff who engage in patient satisfaction and patient care on a day to day basis. And are considered to be the front line in the healthcare systems. (World Health Report, 2000).The healthcare profession is considered to be one of the most in demand occupations today. But if the health care field is in such high demand, why are so many health care facilities dealing with personnel shortages. Well one reason could be due to the lack of education and low certification. Another reason for the shortage in personnel is low wages. And finally our continuously high growing population may play a role in these shortages as well. Let take a further look into the three issues stated above.First, one of the many causes of these shortages is the lack of education and certification. This meaning that many health care professionals do not have the required levels of education and certification it takes, to get or keep their jobs. This is because under the new affordable care act, healthcare facilities are to have at least eighty percent of their employees earn a college degree by the year 2020. Hospitals and healthcare facilities refer to this as the 20/20 initiative. Many hospitals and other healthcare facilities are requiring clinical and some non-clinical personnel to go back to school as well. Due to this healthcare facilities are having employees sign waivers, stating that employees will obtain their degree within a specific time period. If these employees do not meet the time limit, they risk termination. Nurses are required to go back to school and obtain at least a bachelor’s degree. Studies show that nurses with higher degrees exhibit a higher level of patient care. Because of a more advanced level of training and higher risk factor of losing their license. Secondly, because of this change, healthcare professionals are demanding higher pay wages. As stated above employees have been returning back to school and earing degrees, but at what cost. They’re investing in their education, but are not yielding the financial return. And they’re over worked and underpaid. Which is causing healthcare professionals to seek employment in other fields outside of the healthcare industry. Also some hospitals are losing staff due to competitive pay. Meaning that one facility is offering higher wages than another. With these qualified and seasoned health care professionals leaving their current work place and starting anew somewhere else it is causing healthcare management staff to bring in new employees. The training of new staff can be time consuming and may sometime take a toll on the entire healthcare system especially if the majority of the staff is new. Finally, the continuously high growing population shows the shortage in healthcare personnel. Due to the fact that the health care facilities do not have the require amount of personnel to adequately meet the patient’s needs. Whether it’s a dire shortage of physicians, nurses, and other non-clinical staff shortage’s being reported in hospitals in the United States of America as early as 1915 (J Health Polit Policy Law 1994,). With groups such as the millennials, baby boomers, and senior seeking health care at alarming rates. Health care institutions are finding it difficult to accommodate these growing populations, with the proper medica