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Speaking out for nurses: the health human resource crisis
The world needs two million more nurses.
Many countries -- including Canada -- suffer from a shortage of nurses, especially in rural areas.
"There are very few countries that don't have a shortfall of nurses," said Professor Judith Oulton, the Frances Bloomberg International Visiting Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.
The world-renowned nursing leader delivered a provocative lecture Jan. 13 to 60 healthcare professionals and academics. The lecture -- entitled The Global Health Human Resource Crisis: What are the Answers? -- was the first official event celebrating the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing's 90th anniversary.
One answer to the crisis: nurses.
Oulton said nurses and nursing scholars will play a critical role in addressing the crisis.
"There is no option but to focus on nursing. We represent the largest, most critical workforce within the healthcare system," said Oulton.
"One of the plus sides of the crisis is that there is a greater recognition of the roles nurses can play and so we see things like legitimizing the prescribing role, program management and more recognition of the front-line roles through walk-in clinics and so on. We have much greater shared scopes of practice with physicians and other professions."
Overall, an estimated 4.2 million health workers are needed to fill the gap.
"Research that addresses patient outcomes and evaluates nurses' expanded roles is important, as is research into the broad range of workplace issues," she said, adding that a sharper focus on collaborative practice is also needed.
Oulton is also an advocate for an increase in the number of faculty positions in developed countries. "But, sadly, this is unlikely to happen in the near future," she said. "As a result, what we will no doubt see is another major recruitment campaign for foreign-trained nurses as western economies stabilize. The West should be more self-sustaining."
Oulton speaks from experience. As the outgoing chief executive officer of the Geneva-based International Council of Nurses (ICN) -- the oldest and largest international health profession group, representing millions of nurses in more than 130 countries -- she greatly contributed to building and maintaining a strong international community of nurses.
"We have benefited greatly from her incredible experience and wisdom as she's helped us shape our international agenda," said Professor Sioban Nelson, dean of the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. The faculty is currently engaged in partnerships with Ethiopia, India and Brazil and continues to be committed to work with nursing colleagues around the world in support of their efforts to strengthen their healthcare systems and alleviate their nursing shortages.
Oulton added that continued expansion of the advanced practice role for nurses with emphasis on community-based care, including primary health care, will be a crucial part of the solution, along with flexible models of education that permit nurses to work and study.
Improved working conditions and safety in the workplace is what she'd like to see immediately. "This requires better policy and planning, more staff, more managerial education, more resources, better benefits and leadership development for the profession," she said.
"Ultimately, this should give nurses more voice, visibility and value."
And, she added: "Pay nurses what they are worth."
Watch the full lecture here: http://hosting.epresence.tv/NURSING/1/watch/73.aspx. To read more about Judith Oulton's work in global health, watch for the spring Issue. No. 4 of Pulse
I>, the biannual research and alumni magazine of the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing