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Previous Volume 346:1757-1766 May 30, 2002 Number 22

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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What is exceptional in nursing is the nature of the work: the continuous and intimate association with pain and not infrequent contact with death. . . . Not every man or woman would feel themselves able to undertake the duties of a nurse.

Brian Abel-Smith, A History of the Nursing Profession, 1960.¹

Nursing is an embattled profession. Many nurses who work in hospitals feel that they are overworked and often unable to provide good patient care. The young people who traditionally have embarked on careers in nursing are increasingly choosing other fields, such as medicine or business, in which the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Background

Dissatisfaction among Nurses

Financial Issues

Organizing Nurses

Shortages of Nurses

Measuring the Shortages

The Current Shortage

The Long-Term Shortage

Minimal Nurse-Staffing Ratios

Complying with the Ratios

Reaction to the Ratios

Mandatory Overtime

Potential Solutions

The Future

References

Related Letters:

The Nursing Shortage and the Quality of Care
Ulrich C. M., Wallen G., Grady C., Foley M. E., Rosenstein A. H., Rabetoy C. A. P., Miller B. H.
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2002; 347:1118-1119, Oct 3, 2002. Correspondence

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