Rising Costs of U.S Health Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rising Costs of U.S Health Care - Research Paper Example Central to this U.S health care issue is the nursing profession. Registered nurses in U.S health care facilities participate in all activities of the medical process, and they are the largest group of health care experts in U.S medical facilities. As the U.S government embarks on the quest of lowering medical costs through health care reforms, the nursing profession is greatly affected by pressure on health care centers to cut on spending on nurses. The American Hospital Association (2001) showed that hospitals in the U.S had a deficit of 126,000 nurses, statistics that show that a worrying 90% of medical facilities in the U.S do not have enough nursing staff to attend to patients. Left to stand, this deficit is estimated to rise to 400,000 fewer nurses in 2020 (National Health Program, 2008).The elderly and terminally ill are at greatest risk as their life expectancy is threatened with the limited access to nursing staff. Conversely, the nursing profession has become less popular wi th the younger Americans going into and coming out of medical training institutions. Majority of registered nurses in the U.S health care system are above 30 years, and the average age of working nurses is at 43 years in long term care facilities (National Health Program, 2008). This age statistic is expected to go up as the health care crisis makes the nursing profession a declining occupation as compared to other occupations among professional Americans. Fiscal challenges in the U.S health care system prompt organizations.... h care due to medical conditions that become worse when otherwise and with health care insurance easier and less expensive treatments could have been accessed in time. Worse still, advanced medical technology and better prescription drugs are more expensive which translates to more expenses for the Americans who are in need of health care. Central to this U.S health care issue is the nursing profession. Registered nurses in U.S health care facilities participate in all activities of the medical process, and they are the largest group of health care experts in U.S medical facilities. As the U.S government embarks on the quest of lowering medical costs through health care reforms, the nursing profession is greatly affected by pressure on health care centers to cut on spending on nurses. The American Hospital Association (2001) showed that hospitals in the U.S had a deficit of 126,000 nurses, statistics that show that a worrying 90% of medical facilities in the U.S do not have enough nu rsing staff to attend to patients. Left to stand, this deficit is estimated to rise to 400,000 fewer nurses in 2020 (National Health Program, 2008). The elderly and terminally ill are at greatest risk as their life expectancy is threatened with the limited access to nursing staff. Conversely, the nursing profession has become less popular with the younger Americans going into and coming out of medical training institutions. Majority of registered nurses in the U.S health care system are above 30 years, and the average age of working nurses is at 43 years in long term care facilities (National Health Program, 2008). This age statistic is expected to go up as the health care crisis makes the nursing profession a declining occupation as compared to other occupations among professional