The U.S. nursing shortage had been a serious issue for quite sometime now and continues to escalate. As the nursing workforce continues to age, nurses leave the profession faster than they can be replaced and the crisis continues to grow. Nurses are leaving for different reasons. What is being done to solve the nursing shortage here in the United States? Nursing recruitment and retention is one of many solutions that can alleviate this problem. "Nurses are privileged to belong to a profession that commands a level of credibility and respect that few others in health care or any other field can claim. According to the Gallup Organization's 2005 annual poll on professional honesty and ethical standards ranked nurses number one. With one
"The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health defines job stress as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker". (2006). There are ethical issues that we as nurses have to deal with because of the nursing shortage. We have our moral principles to follow and use as foundation of professional judgment and moral decision making so we will be able to provide high quality nursing care. At the same time, we maintain professional and moral integrity while we manage risks in the healthcare environment. Burnout is one of the biggest forces in the nursing shortage crisis. Nurses burn out and leave the profession. Finding ways to prevent burnout is important to retain nurses in the workforce as long as possible. "The American Nurse's Association Staffing Survey further found that nurses are putting their patients and their patients' safety ahead of their own personal and professional needs. When asked about what they have been experiencing in their workplace, a significant number of respondents indicated they are "skipping meals and breaks to care for patients" (5,711); feel "an increased pressure to accomplish work" (5,340); are "pressured to work voluntary overtime" (4,258); are not able to "attend continuing