Explanations for Persistent Nursing Shortages

摘要

This paper contributes to the economics literature on nursing market shortages by putting forwardntwo new models that suggest three new explanations for perceived nursing shortages. Thenfirst model focuses on hospitals hiring both permanent staff nurses and temporary contract nurses.nIt shows that hiring both classes of nurses can represent optimizing behavior, and that an interestingnkind of perceived nursing shortage results from this dual hiring. The second model posits twonclasses of hospitals, “premier” and “funds-constrained,” and generates two distinct kinds of nursingnshortages: economic shortages, involving unfilled, budgeted positions, and “noneconomic”nprofessional standards shortages. We believe that the perceived existence of professional standardsnshortages may be a significant explanation for the widespread impression of persistent shortages.