Haiti's Nursing Shortage is Brought to Light

Nurses may be at the frontline of healthcare, but their numbers are still dwindling each year. Fewer students than in the past choose this profession. It's when disaster hits, that this shortage is devastatingly highlighted; Haiti is in dire need.

With the damage and destruction that took place due to the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake, there are thousands of injured people who require medical treatment in an area where demand far exceeds supply. Sadly, nurses are the most in demand where there is the biggest shortage. Many countries not directly affected by the earthquake are attempting to do their part to help with the nursing shortage in Haiti. Organizations in the United States have chartered jets to ferry nurses and doctors to Haiti to help with relief efforts. An unfortunate fact is that there just doesn't seem to be as many nurses on these jets as there are doctors.

The earthquake crushed the nursing school that was on the same grounds as the general hospital. Even more devastating is the many nursing students that were killed medical personnel that would otherwise be around to give medical relief. Nursing students pursuing their nursing degree are unable, at the current time, to continue their education.

However, the Haiti Nursing Foundation and the FSIL School of Nursing are being used to help the injured, to store medical supplies and provide a work area for visiting medical personnel. When all this is finished and the volunteers have returned to their own countries, the nursing students will be able to come back to the school and resume their studies.

Many doctors have come to the area to volunteer their services. As appreciated as their generosity is, a new problem has developed: what to do with the doctors? Disorganization is a real problem in Haiti, particularly in the largest hospital in Port-au-Prince, where so many of the volunteer doctors are working.

The area surrounding the site of the earthquake is filled with injured and displaced people. You can imagine the kind of medical treatment needed for victims of such a severe earthquake; it's almost limitless. What do they all have in common? They are in dire need of medical care. While the doctors are taking care of the most critically ill patients, many others could benefit from the care given by nurses, if there were enough to go around