On Nursing

To the Editor: The Health Policy Report on nursing in the September 3 issue 1 accurately outlined the issues surrounding the current shortage of hospital nurses. There is consensus that the outlook for talented recruits is bleak, that federal reimbursement policies do influence staffing patterns and salaries, and that there is great diversity in nursing education. The challenge is to acknowledge that the root cause of the cycle of nurse shortages is the lack of two things — a link between education and licensure and a competitive pay system. The greatest need is for key medical and hospital leaders, as well . . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.