The following opinion column by Chris Wolf appeared in the Owatonna People's Press on Aug. 2, 2023. Chris is the academic dean of nursing, health and wellness.

We’re all cautiously optimistic that the pandemic of the past few years is in the rear-view mirror. For the most part, lives have returned to what we all might consider normal. There is an emerging vibrance in the air, and many used the pandemic to take stock of our lives and obligations – what are our true priorities? How can we make work fit our lives – not the other way around. It isn’t hard to look around and see many people who have committed themselves to work and careers in different ways.  

Employers are feeling the effects of employees’ different attitudes and approaches to how and when they work. Couple that with an aging workforce, and it’s easy to understand why Help Wanted signs are more common than road construction traffic cones during our summer months. The healthcare sector has been hit particularly hard. The shortage of workers filling health care jobs, especially nursing, directly impacts the health of our communities. Not only are we facing an aging population – approximately 20% of the population is over 65 years old--and as we age we often require more healthcare. Job Fatigue is also a factor, with about 50% of healthcare workers reporting some level of burnout, which in turn is causing many to leave health care careers. Finally, in Nursing education, a lack of qualified faculty also contributes. Nursing in particular has been hit hard. A faculty shortage contributed to nearly 80,000 potential nurses being turned away from nursing programs in 2019-20. In addition, the United States is projected to be lacking almost 500,000 nursing assistants. All of this leads to increased delays in our public receiving health care, increased adverse events for patients, changing workplace cultures and staffing consistency due to increased use of temp workers. Ultimately, the health of our communities suffers.  

On a positive note – there are steps we can all take to help face these challenges. The first relates to personal accountability. Each of us has it within ourselves to promote self-care. Little things add up – better nutrition, exercise, addressing mental health concerns – resources are readily available within communities; finding and accessing resources can be challenging at times. Another step to consider – we live in a gig-, or side hustle, period of time. Consider side hustles in a different way – instead of ridesharing, consider a side hustle at a local nursing home. More than ever, healthcare organizations are offering on-the-job training and extremely flexible hours. If more training is needed, courses and certifications can often be completed in as little as a few weeks or months, depending on the job.

Finally, consider volunteering. Many health care facilities have some sort of program that gets volunteers involved. Helping others provides another avenue to not only help those who may be experiencing a decline in health but promotes the health of our communities. 

Whether due to burnout, illness, retirements, or simply general turnover, the long-term ramifications of current health care workforce shortages are likely to be felt in our communities for several years.