Nurses play a key role in assuring quality, cost-effective
health care. They work to diagnose and treat responses to health
or illness. Nurses are employed in all sectors of
health care and business and have considerable impact in promoting health. The health of the population is at risk when there is an inadequate supply of nurses or if they are inappropriately prepared to meet the present and future demands for health care. Women, who make up about 95 percent of the
nursing profession, today have far more career options than did their mothers, many of whom became nurses because other jobs were inaccessible. The strong economy has lured bright young people into other professions. The need for nurses is often depicted as cyclical in nature. Throughout history, the USA has experienced a series of nursing surpluses and shortages. However, the current shortage has been characterized as being unlike those experienced in the past. Trends of an ageing Registered Nurse (RN) workforce and limited supply to fill the impending vacancies are some of the unique aspects that bring a new dimension to an old problem. Today''s nursing shortage will not be resolved by simply returning to the solutions of yesteryear, and strategies to reduce its impact will have to be more creative and focus on the long-term. Four main areas were identified as the major contributors to the nursing shortage in the USA: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; the changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing. Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage. There is an urgent need to take steps to improve the situation like inducement to youngsters to join this profession, increase in their social status, better salaries and fringe benefits and job satisfaction and future training opportunities to polish their career and after retirement better status guaranteed. There is firm evidence that the USA amidst a nursing shortage. Much is known about the many contributing factors but now nurses need to become proactive to help secure the future of their workforce. By forming partnerships within the profession and with other influential parties, nurses can be in the forefront of resolving their workforce issues.