Impact of nursing shortage: Where are all the nurses?

“We’re working short-staff today.”

Perhaps the most hated phrase in nursing—a sentiment shared by both bedside nurses and management alike. Although working short used to be a situational occurrence, anyone working in nursing today can attest to the everyday commonality of this situation now. And while it may be tempting to wholly blame it on poor working conditions (not altogether untrue), the actual reasons behind our depleted workforce are a bit more nuanced.