This special report focused on the national shortage of hospital nurses and the financial ramifications across the health care industry. The four story report addressed the problem at the national policy level, the local hospital level and at the level of outlier health organizations. Advocacy groups, nurses, nursing managers, physicians, hospital executives, and health care researchers provided insight to the shortage with specific regard to health care finance. The special report maintains the conclusion that the shortage has reached a critical stage, with compensation levels dropping, demand higher than ever, lower numbers of people entering the profession, retention increasingly challenging, and a large population of working nurses poised to retire.
