What Does The Registered Nurse Shortage Mean for Home Care?

Home care nursing: A trend of the future

What does the registered nurse shortage mean for home care? This is a legitimate question and must not be ignored. The population of the world is growing in leaps and bounds with increasing numbers of people needing to be cared for at home, for many different reasons.

The registered nurse shortage means that in some instances, people are not going to be able to receive professional nursing care from registered nurses, at home. They may be forced to seek other, non-professional levels of nursing care. Some may need to find family members or friends able to care for them. Others will have to learn how to do their own nursing care. Others may not receive any care, which could prove to be a frightening experience.

When people are able to employ registered nurses for home care, they generally thrive.

Registered nurses have the training and experience that enables them to nurse people, who need to be cared for, in their own homes. When people are not able to obtain appropriate professional nursing care by registered nurses, the scenario becomes difficult. It may prove to be a life-threatening situation, depending upon the circumstances and the level of nursing care they require. Currently, there is a serious shortage of registered nurses, in home care, everywhere. 

What does all of this mean for the future of home care?

More critical care hospitals are sending patients home, as quickly as possible, because of bed shortages. Nursing homes are overflowing and so are other nursing care facilities. There is no place for patients to go other than to their own homes, the homes of others, hospices or shelters. Upon discharge, many patients require high levels of professional nursing care only administered by registered nurses. What are they to do? This is an area of serious concern that needs to be addressed.

The majority of people are not qualified to nurse others on a professional level, although they may nurse them on a non-professional level or assist them, in other ways. Many people know how to do basic nursing care, but may not realize that they have that knowledge. Some people who need nursing care, try to take on the responsibility for their own care. Many people are not able to take care of themselves properly..

Registered nurses are in high demand for home care. Currently, that demand is not being met. Unless changes are made now, the demands for professional nursing care will not be met in the future, either. The shortage of registered nurses will continue to grow. Standards of home care and levels of home nursing care will decline.

Why is there such a shortage of registered nurses for home care? In reality, there is a shortage of registered nurses everywhere, not just in home care. One reason for the serious shortage of registered nurses involves the lack of government funding for registered nurse education. In many educational facilities, there is a lack of interest in training registered nurses, because non-health related, educational programs are taking precedence to nursing programs.

Educational needs can take priority over health care needs. The majority of nursing programs have been relegated to colleges and universities, in lieu of hospitals. While taking nursing programs, prospective, registered nurses are placed in various, hospital settings, nursing homes and agencies to gain hands-on nursing experience. In terms of the allotment of funding, the academic facilities may take precedence over the health care facilities.

Funding for training registered nurses, should be based upon actual, health care needs, not just education or health care. In many countries, there is a lack of educational facilities to train registered nurses and a shortage of health care facilities. Neither education nor health care are taken into consideration. This can prove to be a tragic scenario. It becomes increasingly obvious that it is not just patients in need of home care who suffer because of the shortage of registered nurses.

What can be done about the shortage of nurses for home care?

In terms of government funding, maintaining a healthy balance between education and health care is vital. If people are educated in other fields, but are not given proper health care education or health care because of a shortage of registered nurses, this could result in serious, long term, health problems or health related crisis situations, in various parts of the world.

Training more registered nurses, must be regarded as a priority in the realm of education, as well as in the health care field. Additional levels of non-professional, home care education may need to be introduced. More people should be trained to become non-professional home caregivers.

It may be possible to determine and establish a global, home care criterion that designates an appropriate ratio of registered nurses per capita, specifically for home care. There could be a percentage of registered nurses designated for home care, based upon the population of an area. If that number is not met in a certain area, requests or demands could be made for the training of more registered nurses.

Registered nurses are educators, able to teach and train others to do many nursing treatments and procedures. Additional courses in education and health care could be introduced, for that purpose. Registered nurses need to be encouraged to teach and train others for home care. Many of their tasks could be taken over by non-professional caregivers, including family members. This would help to reduce the current home care work load being carried by registered nurses. People everywhere should be encouraged to learn more basic, home care nursing skills. Community, school or high school programs could be established around the world, for this purpose.

In conclusion, there is a shortage of registered nurses and home care is adversely affected by that shortage. Advancing education and health care education is crucial, but a healthy balance must be maintained between the two. One cannot take precedence over the other. Home care by registered nurses should be evaluated and assessed on a per capita basis, based on health care needs.

Home care nursing is the trend of the future, so more people need to learn basic home care nursing, so that people everywhere are cared for properly, in their homes. It is everyone's responsibility, not just that of registered nurses.

The shortage of registered nurses will continue to affect home care, but the insistence on maintaining professional standards of nursing care in people's homes is vital. Where professional care cannot be obtained due to shortages of registered nurses, non-professionals should be trained, under the guidance of registered nurses. Registered nurses can educate more people to become non-professional home care givers on various levels. 

Increased home care nursing, should be welcomed as a new trend of the future.