Nursing Shortage Lingers as Problem for U.S. Health Care
Experts say an escalating nationwide shortage of nurses is one of the biggest threats to the U.S. health care system, NBC's "Nightly News" reports.
Several factors contribute to the shortage, including:
- A lack of qualified teachers at nursing schools;
- A growing population;
- High turnover due to job stress; and
- Higher salaries for nurses who work as executives instead of as care providers.
The segment includes comments from Bernadette Melnyk, dean of the College of Nursing at Arizona State University (Bazell, "Nightly News," NBC, 7/6).
Full video of the segment is available online. This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
