Supply and Demand Market Equilibrium the Current

Supply and Demand

Market Equilibrium

The current supply and demand curve for nurses in the healthcare profession are and interesting example of a somewhat skewed market equilibrium. Although the market is currently in equilibrium, it is projected that demand will exceed supply in the near future. The United States is projected to have a nursing shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to expand enrollment levels to meet the rising demand for nursing care (Rosseter, 2012). "It's a double whammy -- we can't get enough nurses, or the faculty to train them," says Sarah Keating, a nursing professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, "It's so tough when you see these folks coming through and they do so well on the interviews and we have to turn away one in four," adds Keating (Fox, 2013).

Figure 1 - Nursing Market Equilibrium (McLaughlin, 2012)

Four main areas were identified as the major contributors to the nursing shortage in the U.S.A.: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; the changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing. Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; exploring retainment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage (Goodin, 2003). However, there are many constraints that make it difficult to provide incentives for the market to be in a more suitable equilibrium.

Figure 2 - Supply and Demand Movements (HRSA, 2002)