Causes and Impacts of Healthcare Workers Shortages

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The COVID-19 pandemic has overstretched the capacity of healthcare facilities. The pandemic has increased the number of individuals needing healthcare services. As a result, healthcare facilities have struggled to accommodate the increasing number of patients. At the same time, the pandemic has led more a shortage of healthcare workers. Further, most individuals do not want to return to the constraints in the workplace (Weldon, 2022). Healthcare workers now require more flexible working environments. Some healthcare workers have shifted to other fields, searching for better opportunities, leading to more shortages.
Nursing and physician shortages were a problem before the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage of these healthcare workers has always been a major issue in the U.S. As the population increases and more people age, the number of individuals requiring medical attention has increased drastically. The aging population, in particular, has increased the burden on healthcare workers. Older adults are more vulnerable to chronic illnesses like hypertension, heart disease, diseases, and dementia. The group requires more attention, despite the limited number of healthcare providers. COVID-19 increased the strain on healthcare workers. As more patients flocked into healthcare facilities, the already understaffed healthcare workers were overwhelmed. Most healthcare workers were forced to undertake double shifts or work without days off (Weldon, 2022). In other words, COVID-19 overstretched the already understaffed workforce to the limit.
Healthcare shortages hurt the financial stability of healthcare organizations. Filling vacant positions is expensive for healthcare facilities. Becaus...