The Army and Civilian Nursing Crisis at the Dawn of the 21st Century

Abstract

Abstract : President Bush has declared that ending the nursing shortage is a national priority. The shortage of Army nurses jeopardizes military beneficiaries' health care. An insufficient supply of nurses threatens force protection and emergency preparedness of our public health system, which must prepare to respond effectively to attacks by weapons of mass destruction. Factors contributing to the registered nurse shortage are impacting recruitment of Army nurses. Further, the low retention rates among junior active duty Army nurses exacerbate the problem. Departing nurses cite several concerns and desires to begin a family, not to work fulltime, and to remain in the same duty location. Implementation of preemptive strategies will ensure an adequate supply of active duty Army nurses in the pipeline to provide quality health care to retirees and military family members in the homeland, and especially to troops operating in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. Corrective strategies should include policy and regulation changes, more economic incentives, and establishment of an undergraduate School of Nursing within the United States Uniform Health Services for all services. This Strategy Research Paper (SRP) describes the global nursing shortage. It analyzes the reasons for the shortage of non-Department of Defense civilian nurses, comparing them with the reasons for the shortage of nurses in the Army. It outlines the implications of the nurse shortage for health care beneficiaries. It reviews findings from Army Nurse Corps exit surveys. It discusses current strategic initiatives. It provides recommendations to achieve and sustain sufficient numbers of Army nurses to continue supporting the Army Medical Department goals and transformation initiatives in the face of a nationwide health care crisis. It raises critical questions for further examination: What impact will the availability of onsite child care services for shift workers have on AMEDD retention7