The national nursing shortage has reached levels that some medical experts say is "deadly." Pandemic burnout, better wages and benefits with other opportunities, and other factors have fueled the gaps. In January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 500,000 registered nurses will retire by the end of this year. The shortage is projected to continue through 2030 unless significant changes are made.
This hour, we talk with local nurses and nursing students about the state of their profession, how it impacts health care at the patient level, and what they anticipate for the months and years ahead. Our guests:
- Kathleen Peterson, Ph.D., registered nurse, and chair and professor in the Department of Nursing at the College at Brockport
- Shirley Stenabaugh, nurse manager for the MedSurg Flex team at Strong Memorial Hospital
- Tara Rizzo, senior level III registered nurse in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital
- Hannah Brugger, second semester student in the accelerated nursing program at SUNY Brockport
- Nicole Edwards-Reynolds, second semester student in the accelerated nursing program at SUNY Brockport
