Opinion: Solutions to Alaska’s Nursing Shortage

Has been updated: 16 few minutes ago release date: 16 few minutes ago

Recent columns by the Anchorage Daily News Editorial Board about the nursing shortage, rising health care costs, and issues with the Nurses Licensing Compact (NLC) have raised deep concerns from the Alaska Nurses Association.

For more than 70 years, the Alaska Nursing Association has led the way for Alaska’s nurses, shaping nursing practice and setting high professional standards. The Association is surprised and disappointed that, given the well-established understanding of the challenges facing Alaska’s nurses and health care system, ADN did not reach out to them on these important issues. Did.

Alaska, like the rest of the country, is facing a severe nursing shortage exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The causes of this shortage are many and complex. Decades of understaffing, deteriorating working conditions, and the unprecedented strain placed on nurses during the pandemic have led to a significant exodus from the profession. Compounding this is the inadequate capacity of nursing schools to produce graduates due to a lack of qualified educators and insufficient investment in nursing workforce development. Even when they do enter the workforce, they are often unprepared for the harsh realities of bedside care.

Nurses endure overwhelming workloads, often sacrifice breaks, and face increased stress levels. Patients faced with long hospital stays and complex medical needs experience dissatisfaction, which very often manifests as frustration and violence against nurses. These challenges have been extensively documented, and it is clear that NLC is not a viable solution to the nursing shortage. Downsizing did not alleviate the nursing shortage in other states. From January 2020 to August 2023, compact states had a higher rate of critical staffing shortage days than non-compact states, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health.

Instead, we need to significantly improve working conditions, ensure high professional standards, and focus on retention and workforce development strategies. The nurse staffing crisis requires strong mentoring and education programs to build a supportive work environment, foster collaboration between nurses and hospitals, and increase nurses’ professional growth and job satisfaction. This can be solved by prioritizing. By working together to address the root causes of shortages, we can sustain and strengthen Alaska’s nursing workforce and provide the quality care Alaskans deserve.About the author

Shannon Davenport She is the president of the Alaska State Nursing Association. Jane Erickson Serves as former president. Together, they have more than 50 years of experience working as nurses in Alaska and are passionate advocates for their profession.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a wide range of viewpoints.To submit your work for consideration, please send an email Commentary(at)adn.com. Submissions of less than 200 words should be sent to: Letters@adn.com or Click here to submit from any web browser.Read all guidelines for letters and comments here.