Louisiana has yet to shake off the after-affects of Hurricane Katrina. Even before the natural disaster, Louisiana was started to face a nursing problem. A large number of healthcare practitioners in Louisiana are nearing the age of retirement. That added to the fact that many baby boomers in the state are starting to near an age in which they will require more healthcare support is squeezing the healthcare system on Louisiana from two sides.
Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in recent history. On top of that, due to government mismanagement the issue was worsened. Though ever since the hurricane much has been done to solve the problems, there still remain many issues that have yet to be dealt with. One of the major issues is a healthcare workers shortage. There is a shortage of nearly every type of healthcare worker in Louisiana. At the forefront is the nursing shortage. Without nurses it is not possible to run a hospital or clinic.
Currently, the temporary solution has been to hire traveling nurses. Travel nursing is a program that was created by the government in response to the nursing shortage in the country. In this program nurses sign up to be transferred to wherever they are needed the most. This is a good solution but it is only for a short while, because sooner or later the nurses will be sent somewhere else. There needs to be a more permanent solution.
The state of Louisiana is already burdened heavily with the recovery process of the affected areas. However, they have started to enact policies and programs to help lessen the problem. They have created initiatives to help educate potential students of the benefits of entering the healthcare field and encourage and guide them.
Overall, a nursing career in Louisiana is a great chance. The salary is better than most other places, the opportunities to move up are good, job security is high, and on top of everything else it is a job that actually makes a difference.
