Georgia has a larger problem with nursing shortages than what is being seen in many other parts of the country. People are choosing to enter Georgia nursing careers and Georgia nursing programs but are unable to do so because there is a shortage of nurses in the teaching industry to go along with the nurse shortages seen in healthcare.
The overall nursing shortage problem is stemming from the fact that America’s largest age group, the baby boom generation, is beginning to reach retirement age. As this age group retires and needs more healthcare services, the need for nurse’s increases without available trained nurses willing to man the Georgia nursing programs that pay less than other areas of nursing opportunities.
The baby boom generation has just started to retire. Georgia nursing programs can not keep up with the need for Georgia nursing careers now so that as more people retire, the situation will worsen. Propositions, program changes, and incentives are being put into place by the government in Georgia in hopes of correcting their situation before it spins further out of control.
In recent years Georgia has been experiencing an increase of retired people moving into the state. The government in Georgia is reluctant to lower the educational standards necessary for a nursing license in this state as a way to cure the problem. Instead, Georgia is exploring the options of allowing some parts of the nursing programs to be taught online so that many people can attend classes all at the same time.
Nobody knows where the nursing shortages will end, or exactly how the problems that are being caused by baby boom generation retirements can be fixed quickly. Some experts believe that the nursing shortage situation in America might take up to ten years to correct itself after an overall solution to the problem has been found. While job openings exist, nurses will continue to change jobs often as better offers are received which helps to prevent the industry from stabilizing.