Limiting nurses’ education threat to health care system

A few months ago, I was visiting a friend in the hospital. As I observed the staff attending to him, I was immediately impressed by the quality of care he received. It was clear that he was their priority, and that he was in very good hands.

As I considered this, another thought struck me: while a wide variety of professionals were involved in my friend’s care, the one true constant was the nursing staff. They were his lifeline. They were most responsible for his satisfaction at their facility — and more importantly, most responsible for his likelihood of making a complete recovery after he was sent home.

My personal experience reflects a national reality: Nurses are the backbone of our nation’s health care system. And as our population ages, the continued growth of our nursing workforce will be more critical than ever before.

This story appears in the print edition of Daily Journal. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.