March 11, 2003

Population tips need for Ariz. nurses
By Stephanie Mckee
Mesa Legend

Arizona is one of the states most affected by a growing nationwide nursing shortage.

“Arizona doesn’t produce the number of nurses needed to accommodate its growing population and the aging population of baby boomers,” said Sue Doutaz, head of Nurse Recruitment for Human Resources at Desert Samaritan Medical Center, who went on to point out “a number of people come to Arizona to retire, which is the group that needs medical attention the most.”

The results of the 2000 census reported that Arizona’s population grew by 30 percent from 1990–2000; however, the number of graduating registered nurses has remained the same.

There are 1.9 nurses for every 1,000 people in the state of Arizona, whereas nationally there are 3.3 nurses for every 1,000 people.

Enrollment in MCC’s nursing program has remained at full occupancy, but it is not producing enough licensed nurses to help end the crisis.

The local community colleges’ nursing programs only have a limited amount of space available, MCC graduates about 40 new students from the nursing program each semester.

Because of the nursing crisis some hospitals are only operating at half their capacity and the patients’ hospital stays are also decreased.

“If patients are not acutely ill, they may not need to stay in the hospital, especially if there is capability for the patient to stay at home,” stated Doutaz who also said, “We have case managers who work with families to determine what will best suit the patients’ needs.”

According to a survey reported in the Dec.12, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers discovered that 53 percent of physicians and 65 percent of the public cited the nursing shortage as the leading cause of medical errors.

Another study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in the Oct. 23/30, 2002 issue stated that more nurses at the bedside of patients could save thousands of patient lives each year.

“Because of the nursing shortage, patients with severe illnesses may now only stay in the hospital for a day, and then they are sent to rehabilitation facilities,” said Myrna Eshelman, MCC’s Nursing Department Chair.

Additional reasons for the nursing shortage are the high turnover rate and the rapid amount of retiring nurses.

According to a William M. Mercer study in 1999, Arizona has about a 27 percent annual nurse turnover rate.

This can be accredited partially to the higher patient to nurse ratio, which means added responsibilities.

Another study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in Oct. 2002 reported that nurses are more dissatisfied and emotionally exhausted when held responsible for more patients than they can safely handle.

A lack of interest in the nursing field is another reason for the shortage.

“Occupations used to be culturally set,” Eshelman explained, “Women used to only have the option to be teachers, secretaries or nurses, now their options are more open.”

Once finished with prerequisites, future nurses can apply to be put into a district-wide database, which will then refer them to a school that has availability.

After a two year program, the student can become a nurse and must take the State Boards Exam to receive his/her license as a registered nurse.

“Some students are put on a waiting list until the following semester, since there is a finite number available in the program,” said Eshelman.

“There is no classroom space and not enough teachers,” explained Eshelman.

“Nursing has to improve its image,” Doutaz said, “We need to entice more young people and more men. We also need to act professional. If we can’t accomplish these goals, we will see a decline in growth.”

The problem is estimated to reach its worst in the year 2020.