A recent Canadian article looks at changes to health care facility and government spending in order to solve two serious issues facing them:
- A shortage of registered nurses (RNs)
- A health care budget deficit over $15.1 million
The solution proposed by a research and consulting firm is to hire more registered practical nurses (RPNs – similar to LPNs in the U.S.) along with brining in more personal support workers (PSWs), unlicensed but trained health care support assistants like CNAs and techs in the U.S.
Some nurses are not happy with the changes but the government is able to save significant money since the replacement workers cost 1/2 or less the salary of RNs and save the RNs for specific positions and jobs in the facilities.
What do you think? Will a system like this work in the U.S. where there are shortages of LPNs as well as RNs?
Filed under nurse career guide by on Dec 23rd, 2008. Comment. 
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Filed under nursing show podcasts by on Nov 14th, 2008. 2 Comments.
Listener Eric sent this tidbit in from a California newspaper. It examines the trends in geriatric health care. It discusses some alarming statistics brought up in a report from a professor at the University of California San Francisco. In this report, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, the following points are made:
- One Geriatric Doctor per 2500 elderly patients
- Fewer than 1% of nurses are trained in geriatric care
- Nursing aide job turnover at 71%
- 90% of home health aides leave within two years
- National average pay for home health aides is $8.50 per hour
The gist of the article is that major change needs to occur in the training and pay for healthcare workers involved in care for the elderly or the system will continue to collapse under the increasing weight of the aging population. Registered nurse specialists in geriatric care need to be trained. Additional training and financial resources need to be arranged for the aides that assist nurses in the facilities and home environments.
Filed under geriatrics for nurses by on Apr 15th, 2008. Comment.
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