Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition

Guest Editorial by:  Charles Baumann

“It is no secret among my friends, clients and colleagues that I have a peculiarly inquiring mind and a relentless focus on accuracy and accountability — professional side effects from 40-plus years as a CPA and business adviser in the community.

But my analytical nature is not what has compelled me to donate my time and skills to the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC). It was the vulnerability I felt waking up in a hospital room and searching for the reassuring eyes of my nurse that has motivated me to stand up for a profession so vital to our individual and community health.

That there is a shortage of nurses in the United States should not surprise anyone. Deficits in our nursing workforce have impacted our nation in varying degrees for decades.

But today’s crisis is uniquely serious: Researchers predict this one will more than double any previous nurse shortage we have experienced since the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in the mid-1960s. It is being fueled by a perfect storm — a population that is not only growing but growing older, with an increasing incidence of chronic disease, an aging nursing workforce and limited capacity of nursing schools to replace those who are retiring.

While nurses with all levels of training are needed to provide a continuum of care to our communities, the need for baccalaureateprepared nurses in our region, and the doctorateprepared nursing faculty to train them, is most acute.

As an accountant, I measured and assessed the financial health of countless organizations and provided insights that influenced business decisions and direction. Failure to plan and prepare could result in huge financial risks for an organization …” Continue Reading from the Herald Tribune: http://sarasotaheraldtribune.fl.app.newsmemory.com/?publink=34eaac7c3