ESTHER MURIUKI
WEST COAST UNIVERSITY
ISSUES AND TRENDS: NURS 44O CURRENT ISSUES
TITLE: How old is too old for elderly cardiac surgery? Are we pushing the limits?
The purpose of this paper is to analyze if there is any improvement, post-operative complications, mortality and related factors of elderly undergoing cardiac surgery. The debate whether or not we are pushing the limits is still questionable because of the complications associated with these invasive surgeries and whether or not if it’s a money game. The growing numbers of the elderly patients enjoy a prescription drug benefit, access to artificial knee and hip surgery, and life-saving cardiovascular interventions that were undreamed of a half-century ago. The growing number of the elderly patient has a direct impact on nursing practice. The issue of” baby boomers” having an increased life expectancy may have jobs security for the nurses in future as evidenced by multiple improvements in cardiac surgery in older population. The aging of the baby boomers is expected to produce a plethora of new nursing jobs, which could lead to higher wages, greater job security, and greater variety in types of work (Page, 2015).
The massive baby boomer generation, making up almost one-third of the population, began to turn age 65 in 2011. By the same token, this deluge of new patients could put new strains on the nursing workforce, possibly leading to higher patient-to-nurse ratios. (Page, 2015).
Although the proportion
As the general population continues to age and grow, the nursing workforce is aging alongside. Approximately half of the current nursing workforce is apart of the baby boomer generation (Mion). RNs are eligible to retire at age 55, which will affect the majority of “baby boomer” nurses between 2005 and 2010 (Mion). According to the Nursing Management Aging Workforce Survey in 2006, “55% of surveyed nurses reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020” (Nursing Shortage). The demand for skilled nurses is growing at an exponential rate. According to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the supply of nurses has been
In 2000, it was estimated that there were 110,000 open nursing positions, by 2025, it is projected that the open nursing positions will grow to 260,000. The shortage is due to many aspects including, rising population, decreasing of new students in nursing school, decline in nursing earnings compared to other growing occupational fields, aging of nursing workforce and the aging population that will need health care services in the near future. A survey found that 55% of registered nurses intend to retire between 2011 and 2015. This is primarily the
Registered nurses are an integral part of the healthcare system, and make up the largest number of healthcare professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015) “The employment rate for registered nurses is expected to grow by 16% between 2014 and 2024”. This is more than double the average rate of growth for a profession. The rapid growth rate can be attributed in part to better management of chronic diseases and the baby boomer generation. The growth in the nursing profession is paramount, however the demographics of the nursing population does not mirror the demographics of the population served.
The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must
Historically, the nursing field is one that has consistent positive job outlooks, as there is typically a continued shortage. Healthcare is the backbone of most communities, not just for its services, but also for the jobs it provides and the economy stimulation. Jill Bernstein, author for “Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization” states, “The health care industry is a critical component of the national, and most regional and local economies of the United States” (4). The nursing field has suffered challenges due to the economic, social, and the political downturn of the U.S. Nevertheless, there is still some noticeable growth taking place and opportunities available. This shows encouraging signs for new nursing graduates.
The national nursing shortage is an ever-growing concern, and it is essential for healthcare organizations to confront the looming issue. Possible solutions to the nursing shortage include retaining older nurses who are looking to retire, increasing the amount of students graduating from nursing schools, and drawing nurses back to the bedside who have left the nursing workforce (Hatcher, 2006). Leaders must assess the nursing turnover in their organization, and they must strategize on ways to retain those nurses. Organizations must implement techniques to retain older nurses to help combat the national nursing shortage and prevent a national healthcare disaster (Keller & Burns, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to identify the demographic breakdown of an organization, explain how the organization’s environment is conducive and non-conducive for older workers, and describe tactics to retain older workers.
The nursing shortage is not a new problem to hit the medical field. It continues to burden the nursing profession across the globe. As the baby boomers reach an age of retirement, nursing is going to see a large portion of currently employed nurses retiring from positions in the upcoming years. As expressed by Jewell (2013), 57% of nurses in Canada are between the ages of 40 and 60 (p. 325). In other words, more than half of employed nurses are nearing retirement, and there is a lack of nurses coming into the profession to replace them. Jewell (2013) furthermore expresses the strain the nursing shortage places on both new nurses and the veterans who train them. New nurses are constantly battling to fit in with their peers. Veterans are often focused on patient care, often forgetting to aid new nurses as they try to fit in. As the nursing shortage becomes more prominent, both new nurses and veteran nurses are faced with an increase in work hours and workload, placing additional stresses and burdens on an already overworked staff. Focus must be made on retaining new nurses in order to replace the veterans when they retire. Unfortunately, the majority of new nurses end up leaving the profession within the first year (p. 324-5).
nursing workforce and retirement (Oulton, 2006). As more aging nurses retire a decrease in the
Funny, but often when surgery &/or a lesser procedure is offered to a surgeon i.e. Dr. John Peters' situation, surgeons tend to go for the noninvasive route, even though they make their money by cutting into other people to get things done and usually done better and so be like Dr. Peters and who has had 2 angioplasties and no bypass(es), at least not yet. There was a cardiac surgeon on the west coast who actually went one step further than Peters, in that not only did he have angioplasties and not coronary bypass surgery done twice and both times the cardiologists and the cardiac surgeons had strongly recommended the bypass for a better fix for him, but he also continued to
By 2010, unless many more young people become nurses, about 40 percent of the nursing work force will be over age 50, according to the General Accounting Office (“Nursing Workforce”, 2001).
As the population begins to age in Ontario so does the age of our nurses. The objective of this report is to outline the job prospects for nurses as a result of our ageing population, and the challenges that are presented with these opportunities. With an ever increasing number of nurses retiring, there are fewer graduates to replace them. There was a time in the 1990's when jobs were hard to come by for nurses. Almost 25 years later we are heading towards a shortage that is pointing towards a strain on our healthcare system, with an ageing population and an increase in chronic disease. A large percentage of the population is both ageing and falling ill with fewer nurses by the decade to care for them. According to Statistics Canada the number of seniors will jump to 9.8 million by 2036. There was a time when the number of nursing grads would out number the nurses who were retiring. We are now looking at the pendulum swinging in opposite direction, the number of nurses retiring is projected to outnumber new graduates. If this trend continues “Canada will be short almost 60,000 full-time equivalent RN's by 2022.” (CN-aii.ca).
Many nurses, like me, do not want to be caught at 6o years old, and have no way out of working 12-hour shifts on the floor. Those nurses will want to have the higher level of education that will allow them the ability to job search when the aging process begins so they can move to a less physically taxing position and have a behind the scenes nursing related job. These jobs will allow the nurse to still feel as if he/she is impacting patient care, but on a different level. By being behind the scenes one frequently gets involved with the process improvement, patient safety, etc. and the nurse is still very much involved with the care the patients are receiving by being part of the solutions, (i.e. inceptions of new & updated policies and evidenced based protocols & procedural changes).
It is important to recognize the severity of heart disease in both the generic and acquired forms. A typical adult heart has approximately five billion heart cells, all pulsing in sync with every heartbeat. These cells can be de destroyed with many different health conditions like; high blood pressure, blood clots, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular disease. As we age it is evident that out heart is also aging, which age in mind after the first half of our lives cells which have been damaged are unable to replace them selves. Heart failure occurs when the myocardium is unable to meet the body’s metabolic demands. Unlike some organs, the heart has limited, if any, capacity for repair after injury. Heart transplantation remains
The medical field is already experiencing an upsurge in baby boomer patients, which encompass individuals born between 1946 and 1964, and has experiences a sharp demand for clinical and administrative talent. Demographers expect the retired population to increase by 73-percent by 2029, surging from 41 to 71 million people. During this transition, many individuals will forfeit their work-sponsored insurance and enter the Medicaid provider network, an occurrence
Rachel Gotbaum did an interview on nursing shortage in 2007. There were multiple interviews with health care professionals through her interviews she found that “In the next decade 80 million people will retire. She has stated that since health care changes constantly that nurses need to continue their education no matter how old or how many years they have been in the medical field. When medicine is involved you should always be up-to-date on the latest technology and diagnosis. Nurses may become suddenly ill or injured were they are no longer able to give care anymore. You can never plan if an