Nursing situation disasterous

Kristyn Phillips
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20071108113657769C413447

The South African public health system has more than 60 percent of is nurses over the age of 50. There is already a shortage of nurses and the Democratic Alliance (DA) fears that when these nurses retire within the next few years it will cause an even greater shortage. Next year 2000 qualified nurses will be joining other healthcare professionals for compulsary community service. Margaret Ambler-Moore of the DA reported that the shortage of young nurses was caused by the closing of some of the nursing colleges. Some of the young nurses aretaking jobs overseas because of better wage offers. It is predicted that there will be a problem within the next five to six years. Noel Desfontaines of the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA said that the solution is to increase the number of student nurses and offer better pay to keep them in the country.

Its seems like there is always a shortage of nurses no matter what the country. It is obsurd that officials do not try to do something about the situation. I completely agree with Desfontaines, the number of student nurses needs to be increased so that more nurses will be trained and able to take nursing positions. I know here at UNCG they only take so many students into the nursing program. If they would allow more students into the program, in turn, North Carolina will have more nurses available for jobs.