Home

Senate Hearing Held on Nursing Shortages

Wed, 05/23/2001 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held hearings on the subject of the nursing shortage in the United States, and asked witnesses to discuss the source and possible solutions to the problem. Witnesses talked about the problems created when nurses work 12 and 16 hour shifts because there is no one available to relieve them. This burns them out, and leads to unnecessary medical errors and oversights. The committee was told that one third of nurses report that patients under their care received delayed medications or treatments at least once a week due to staffing shortages, and that 90% of nurses say they have witnessed a serious medical error. They said some nurses are leaving the profession because they don't feel good about the quality of care they can provide under these conditions.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held hearings on the subject of the nursing shortage in the United States, and asked witnesses to discuss the source and possible solutions to the problem. Witnesses talked about the problems created when nurses work 12 and 16 hour shifts because there is no one available to relieve them. This burns them out, and leads to unnecessary medical errors and oversights. The committee was told that one third of nurses report that patients under their care received delayed medications or treatments at least once a week due to staffing shortages, and that 90% of nurses say they have witnessed a serious medical error. They said some nurses are leaving the profession because they don't feel good about the quality of care they can provide under these conditions.