Nursing shortage in Jordan: what is the solution?

The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to analyze the forces behind the nursing shortage in Jordan and (2) to propose strategies and policy directions to deal with the nursing shortage in Jordan. Nursing shortage is one of the challenges that the nursing profession faces in general. There should be an adequate number of nurses if quality care is to be maintained. Patient care provided by nurses is the commodity that hospitals provide; therefore, if hospitals worry about the satisfaction of their consumers, they need to learn how to retain an adequate number of nurses. In Jordan, the decline in the number of nurses is a result of slow salary increases for nurses, the fact that fewer women are selecting nursing careers, a decrease in the number of nursing faculty, and unattractive work conditions. Nurse researchers, educators, clinicians, and administrators need to work together to actively deal with the issue of nursing shortage. The "hog cycle" needs to be broken and work conditions need to be improved so that nurses can feel more satisfied and more committed to their profession. Strategies and recommendations to tackle nursing shortage are proposed.