While there is no universal definition of a nursing shortage, there is increasing evidence of nurse supply/demand imbalances in many countries.
Supply of nurses in many low-income and high-income countries is failing to keep pace with increasing demand.
There is a link between adequate nurse staffing levels and positive care outcome.
Gender-based discrimination continues in many countries and cultures, with nursing being undervalued or downgraded as 'women's work'.
Violence against health workers persists in many countries, with nurses often taking the brunt because they are in the forefront of the direct delivery of care.
Pan-American Health Organisation - Nursing shortage threatens health care
Nursing shortage in Latin America and the Caribbean is in part a result of deteriorating working conditions.
In the United States the availability of professional nurses is declining as health services are becoming increasingly specialised.
The impact of patient overloading is highlighted in a study published by the American Medical Association. It found that if a nurse's patient load is increased from four to five (during a single shift), the
risk of patient death increases by seven per cent. The risk of death further increases proportionally to additional patient load.
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