Health Care's Human Crisis – Rx for an Evolving Profession

The impetus for, and a brief summary of, the resulting report, "Health Care's Human Crisis: The American Nursing Shortage," published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2002 is discussed.

Abstract

In 2001, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commissioned a study on the nursing shortage in the United States to gain a better understanding of the drivers and inform the Foundation's response. This article discusses the impetus for, and a brief summary of, the resulting report, "Health Care's Human Crisis: The American Nursing Shortage," published by the Foundation in 2002. It examines the historical, social, cultural, and economic factors that drive the nursing shortage. A new framework, namely a continuum of responses, is offered for understanding the myriad activities being undertaken in response to the problem, pointing the way to long-term, sustainable solutions. Recommendations and implications for nursing leaders are discussed.