Here's a summary of the coverage we've had recently on the nursing shortage:

The media loves this story - in the matter of 2 weeks, I found individual articles from 5 states lamenting the problem. In IL, the governor just signed a bill that will allow nurses in Puerto Rico to work in IL.

Just this past week, I posted on the unique challenges that male nurses face.

Will this nursing reality TV show help or hurt the nursing profession? Answer: it won't.

Here are some good examples of how communities are dealing with the nursing shortage. Also, let's not ignore the growing trend of using traveling nurses.

With all this media coverage, let's also not forget: it's not a nursing shortage, it's a nursing faculty shortage.

At the end of the day, let's not forgot the influence one nurse can have on a patient's life.

UPDATE: here's the best article I've read on how to retain nurses. (1/30/2006)