Current Employment Trend in Healthcare: Shortages
The healthcare industry has been experiencing great employee shortages in the nearest past and present. This trend’s main consequence is a downfall in performance of hospitals and insufficient healthcare services for the uninsured, homeless, and migrating individuals (Medical Staffing Shortages). Also, because of the shortage, the need for medical service becomes partially unmet and thus the prices for healthcare services increase every day. This tendency forces some people to reject sufficient medical service because it becomes too expensive for them to afford.
There are many factors which contribute to the increasing shortages in the field of healthcare. One of the reasons for shortage in the number of nurses willing and able to work is the fact that women today have more career opportunities and choices, and often choose more prestigious and better paid jobs (Nevidjon). If a woman has many options for self-development and realization, it becomes important which careers are mostly appreciated and compensated in the society. Some healthcare positions do not give enough return for an employee, which discourages many people from taking up healthcare careers.
Several trends in the society contribute to increasing shortages in healthcare, as well as in other fields. Today employees tend to prefer personal time over monetary compensation. It is no longer enough for employees to just receive payments. More and more people want personal time and may prefer it to additional labor hours (Nevidjon).
Employees tend to balance personal and professional life, and not prefer one to another. Employees are no longer willing to work all time possible if they are getting paid for it, thus, available labor hours decrease. Employees tend for better, more interesting and prestigious jobs that include traveling and relocation. More and more people look for jobs that would allow them to travel and develop in different places, rather than simply serving their economy where it needs them (Nevidjon).
Also, many people today look for jobs which offer them more autonomy and freedom of expression. As B. Nevidjon said, employees “are ‘loyal’ to work versus the employer.” This moves workers from hospitals to temporary health agencies. Flattening of hierarchies is another trend providing good context for shortages in healthcare (Nevidjon).
B. Nevidjon also states, that the primary reason for nurse shortages is that the image of the profession of a nurse in the eyes of the public is no longer prestigious and positive. People view the job of a nurse as stressful and difficult. Newspapers are filled with reports about nurse shortages in hospitals. This does not at all contribute to a good image (Nevidjon).
In general, healthcare shortages are often caused by the lack of government funding in healthcare departments and institutions (Medical Staffing Shortages). Highest levels of shortages are experienced in rural areas, and the most wanted workers are needed on positions of family physicians. The number of doctors qualified for these positions is a lot lower than the need for them, and every year the percentage of students in medical schools, who specialize in family medicine, decreases. A similar situation is that of obstetricians, psychiatrists, and dentists (Medical Staffing Shortages).
Increasing shortages in healthcare impose very significant consequences on the society. Insufficient amount of employees results in insufficient medical services provided to individuals. According to the “Nurse Shortage a Health Hazard?” article, “too few nurses can cost patients their health and sometimes their lives.” Too few doctors could also result in unfortunate consequences. If a person is ill and urgently needs medical help, and there is no doctor available to help, that’s when the society experiences the most vivid consequence.
According to the “Nurse Shortage a Health Hazard?” article, about one-fourth of patient injuries or deaths in hospitals happen because of nurse shortages. Many nurses are forced to take care of such a big number of patients that they overwork, get tired and have no opportunity to provide enough services to all.
Among the economic consequences of healthcare employee shortages are the increasing prices for medical services. As in any business industry, a medical employee shortage would imply a decrease in the supply of medical care. People in the society, other things being equal, would still periodically experience some health problems and may be in need of medical care, thus the demand for medical services, would not alter. According to the basic law of supply and demand, the prices would increase.
Relatively wealthy parts of the society would feel it discomforting on their budget having to pay more for healthcare. Also, more people with insufficient funds for healthcare would be unable to get medical advice. The homeless, the lower income people would be limited in healthcare. These factors would in turn cause a negative effect upon the well-being of the nation. Increasing medical care costs would increase insurance costs as well.
Another consequence of healthcare shortages is the increasing government spending for the social help to the needy and invalid. This category of people would need medical advice in the same amount as before, but the increasing service costs would increase the level of expenditures.
Lastly, a part of the active labor force is lacking sufficient medical care, and some people are not working for the economy at their maximum due to health problems. This would reduce employment in the society and production in the economy.
The government plays an active role in the increases and decreases of the labor force in healthcare fields. More active workers are anticipated when more scholarships and government funding in the universities is spent (Nevidjon). As it is said in the article “Medical Staffing Shortages,” Health centers are highly dependent on the government funding and other federal programs. These federal programs are in great danger of being cut (Medical Staffing Shortages). The government’s funding in the field of healthcare is insufficient, which results in shortage of active workforce in healthcare.
Business also plays an important role in the healthcare industry. Many employees in business organizations are medically insured by the companies. Increasing medical costs are therefore very unfavorable for the companies. Health problems among employees are of great concern as well, since they affect the labor force employed and the performance of the companies.
On the other hand, higher prices for medical services in the economy, and shortages of employees would encourage more medical workers to open privately managed healthcare agencies and clinics. In the short run, more medical services would be offered, but in the long run, other things remaining equal, medical services would not become more affordable to ordinary citizens.
The society in general is also responsible in such economic changes caused by shortages. Healthcare workers should be appreciated in the society. People are not encouraged by the society to become medical workers in the areas and fields where they are most highly demanded. Nurses, family doctors, obstetricians, dentists, and especially healthcare workers in rural areas should be motivated and appreciated.
In the nearest future, it is very likely that the shortages will keep increasing, since no important and effective actions fro increasing healthcare funding has not yet been taken. Nurse shortages will most probably go up unless the government starts implementing some serious programs to deal with the issue.
Increasing amount of employee shortages in the field of healthcare is a significant problem in the economy and the society as a whole. Unfavorable economic consequences, such as increasing costs of medical care and increasing insufficiency of medical care for the unable and the needy, impose unfavorable results on the well-being of the nation, and the prosperity of the economy.
Bibliography:
Nevidjon, B., Erickson, J. (January 31, 2001) The Nursing Shortage: Solutions for the Short and Long Term, from Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Web site: http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic14/tpc14_4.htm 
University of Washington Health (February 28, 2006), Medical Staffing Shortages Threaten Planned Expansion of Community Health Centers, from Sciences and UW Medicine. Web site: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/518387/
Nurse Shortage A Health Hazard? (March 29, 2004) from CBS News. Web Site: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/29/health/main609218.shtml