North Dakota Nursing and Healthcare Schools

Like any other State in the United States, health care is one of the major industries that the government is watching keenly. However, it is a fact that there is an acute shortage of nurses and health care providers in the country and North Dakota is fighting against this shortage. The problem is made complex by baby boomers, a mass exodus of nurses into other professions and the fact that there are few nurses entering the field as older nurses retire. The shortage is also critical in North Dakota bearing in mind that the population of the people there is older than the national average.

Other potential reasons for the decline of nurses in North Dakota are:

Aging of the nursing workforce with a non-equivalent replacement rate
Unequal distribution of demand of health care providers by employment setting

Concrete steps are needed from various stake holders and agencies to see to it that the issue is tackled. Those included are the government, the entire nursing fraternity, academic programs, health care institutions and policy makers. Together, they are now working together to ensure an adequate and reliable nursing workforce.

For instance, many institutions are working towards upgrading their instructional technology to those of the 21st century. These include electronic training robots that will provide an alternative for a real human teacher. The robot is aimed to offer fundamental reality training in that it can go into respiratory arrest, record the actions of the student and then the teacher together with the students can review the tapes and discuss.

The number of students admitted at nursing education programs is being increased as a way of ensuring the shortage is minimal. Similarly, distance learning and alternative programs are being offered at very affordable rates. Another way that the agencies and stakeholders are working towards the nursing shortage is improving the working environment. They do this by increasing the representation of nurses in decision making. The participation contributes to an increased retention and job satisfaction.

On the same note, staffing levels have been adjusted to pave way for a more direct patient care and a less stressful working environment. The State of North Dakota has also increased the recruitment efforts to create an interest in the nursing profession. Increased recruitment includes such things as: nursing camps for young kids, high school certified nursing assistant programs, aptitude testing in high schools, etc.

Thanks to the realization by many that the salaries were too low, it is now a mandate that education programs and individual organizations compare their wages and benefits to those of the State and national averages.