In chapter 60 of “Policy and Politics: In Nursing and Health Care,” Mason et al. (2016) discuss the persisting issues in today’s workforce culture. One reason why these challenges persist is the need for comprehensive plans to address them successfully. Firstly, the characteristics of the workforce have changed over time due to an increased demand for healthcare. This has resulted in a need for more qualified nurses, which prevails due to the need for coordinated efforts to bring them into the profession. This issue can be dealt with by developing mechanisms that make the nurses feel that they are very significant members of society by providing them with competitive salaries and a working environment that does not overwork them.
The second issue that Mason et al. discuss that currently exists in the nursing field is the expansion of the labor force. Practically, health services are getting busier because an increasing number of people are now seeking healthcare services. This, therefore, means that the number of adequately trained health professionals must also step in and match the growing labor force demand. Limited finance and reward systems for nursing education programs are the dominant factors that influence the nursing shortage. To address this issue, lawmakers and healthcare institutions can expand funding for nursing education programs while offering incentives such as scholarships.
Increasing diversity in the nursing industry is also an ongoing issue that is of concern. Although healthcare stakeholders have attempted to encourage diversity in healthcare, minority groups are still significantly underrepresented in the field of nursing. According to research, a variety of reasons contribute to this, including minorities’ limited access to education and career possibilities (Mason et al., 2016).To address this issue, healthcare companies can create targeted recruitment and retention strategies, as well as mentoring programs for underrepresented groups.
Moreover, the issue of retaining workers is another challenge that persists in today’s workforce culture. Today, many nurses experience job discontent, which can lead to turnover and vacancies in the nursing workforce. This is often associated with work overload and a need for appropriate management (Mason et al., 2016). To address this issue, healthcare companies can prioritize nurses’ psychological health and job happiness through initiatives such as work-life balance programs, flexible scheduling, and leadership support.
Lastly, the nursing workforce issues can only be adequately addressed through a holistic approach that involves all the key stakeholders. This is a prevalent issue since addressing these difficulties requires more coordination, with each stakeholder focused only on their interests and priorities (Loveridge & Zurmehly, 2023). In this regard, all parties should recognize the problem and the need to grow the nursing workforce and adopt evidence-based, pragmatic, and long-term policies and initiatives.
In conclusion, the issues presented in chapter 60 of “Policy and Politics: In Nursing and Health Care” persist in today’s workforce culture due to a lack of comprehensive policies to address them effectively. These issues can be tackled comprehensively through the joint efforts of policymakers, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and professional nursing associations that put more money into nursing education, promote diversity, and focus on the well-being of nurses, forming comprehensive policies and strategies together. Only through such collective efforts can the persisting issues in the nursing workforce culture be effectively addressed.
References
Loversidge, J. M., & Zurmehly, J. (2023). Evidence-informed health policy: using EBP to transform policy in nursing and healthcare. Sigma Theta Tau.
Mason, D. J., Gardner, B. D., Outlaw, H. F., & O’Grady, T. E. (2016). Policy and Politics: In Nursing and Health Care. (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders. ISBN: 978-0-323-24144-1
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