Will there be a nurse to care for you?

This week, nurses around the country will celebrate National Nurses Week.

As an RN working in a local Emergency Room, I‘ve seen firsthand the increasing number of patients who are seeking care. I'm glad that more Iowans are accessing care under the Affordable Care Act. As an Iowan, I want to make sure that when my loved ones and yours seek treatment, they get the best care possible.

Iowa is struggling to find enough nurses to care for the increasing number of patients. For the past decade, national predictions have been that the U.S. will suffer from a severe and prolonged nursing shortage. Such predictions range from 250,000 to 1 million nurses short by 2024. However, Iowa is suffering from a nursing shortage now due to a simultaneous increase in demand and constraints on the supply of nurses.

Hospitals around the state have been hosting 'hiring fairs”, offering sign- on bonuses and extra 'perks” to attract nurses to fill vacancies. And certain factors have created this near-perfect storm including the fact that:

' Iowa ranks dead last in the nation for RN pay for the most experienced nurses according to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Employment Statistics.

' 46 percent of nurses in Iowa are 50 years or older according to a story on nursing shortage and education published in the Des Moines Register in May 2015.

' Understaffing and stressful work environments lead to high turnover, a phenomenon that is well documented by Linda Aiken in the Journal of the American Medical Association. National Public Radio recently aired a piece that noted that nurses say stress interferes with caring for their patients.

This is a serious wake-up call for all Iowan's who will need health care services now and in the future. It's time hospitals raise wages, improve staffing and listen to what nurses need. I love being a nurse, and firmly believe Iowan's deserve the highest quality care possible. This Nurse's Week support your nurses. Contact your hospital and demand they fix the shortage, so we can deliver the care you deserve.

' Lynnette Halstead of Marion has been a nurse in this community for 20 years.