Nursing shortage refers to a situation where the demand for nursing professionals, such as Registered Nurses (RN), exceeds

the supply, either locally (e.g. within a given health care facility), nationally or globally. It can be measured, for instance, when the nurseto-patient ratio, the nurse-to-population ratio, or the number of job openings necessitates a higher number of nurses working in health care than currently available. This situation is observed in developed and developing nations around the world.

 Nursing

shortage is not necessarily due to a lack of supply of trained nurses in a jurisdiction. In some cases, perceived shortages occur simultaneously with increased admission rates of students into nursing schools. Potential factors include: lack of adequate staffing ratios in hospitals and other health care facilities, lack of placement programs for newly trained nurses, and inadequate worker retention incentives

 Globally, the World Health

Organization (WHO) estimates a shortage of almost 4.3 million nurses, physicians and other health human resources worldwide reported to be the result of decades of underinvestment in health worker education, training, wages, working environment and management

Increased nurses patient workloads Increased risk for error, thereby compromising patient safety Increased risk of spreading infection to patients and staffs Increased risk for occupational injury Increase in nursing turnover, thereby leading to greater costs for the employer and the health care system Increase in nurses' perception of unsafe working conditions, contributing to increased shortage and hindering local or national recruitment efforts

To ensure quality nursing care within the contemporary health care system, mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating care are under scrutiny. As the level of knowledge increases for a profession, the demand for accountability for its services likewise increases. Individuals within the profession must assume responsibility for their professional actions and be answerable to the recipients for their care. As profession become more interdependent, it appears that the power base will become more balanced, allowing individual practitioners to demonstrate their competence and expertise. Quality assurance program will helps to improve the quality of nursing care and professional development.