State of the Healthcare Workforce 2007
Despite the increasing strain on America’s healthcare system—due to the rising number of uninsured and the rising cost of quality care—the system still functions, largely because of the frontline caregivers. The “State of the Healthcare Workforce 2007” was produced by AFT Healthcare to educate the public about the real situation for healthcare workers. Copies of the almanac are available through your local.

School Nurse Contract Language (pdf, 371k)This booklet highlights contract language specific to school nurses and contains collective bargaining language representative of what has actually been negotiated by AFT locals. Topics covered include who may perform nursing duties in schools; wages and benefits; professional development; administration of medication; funding for medical supplies and the employer's duty to defend the healthcare professional in the event of legal action.

Safe Patient Handling: A Report AFT (pdf, 374k) AFT Healthcare released a survey March 23 which shows that more than half of registered nurses and X-ray techs have suffered from injuries related to patient lifting, chronic pain or both. The report found that nearly half the RNs and one-third of the techs were considering leaving the healthcare industry because of chronic pain due to patient lifting and handling."

AFT Nurse Faculty Shortage Task Force Report (pdf, 88k) The report of the AFT Nurse Faculty Shortage Task Force was approved by the AFT healthcare and higher education program and policy councils at their October 2005 meetings. The report recommends four major policy and workplace initiatives to help recruit and retain nurse faculty in the nation's schools of nursing.

JCAHO Update (pdf, 557k) This booklet, newly updated for 2005, contains information on the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO) new triennial accreditation process, periodic performance reviews, unannounced surveys and more. This publication is essential for understanding the new accreditation process and for any local whose hospital will need its accreditation renewed in the near future.

The Diabetes Dilemma. (pdf, 387k) About one in every 400 school-age child has diabetes. Several state legislatures are being asked to consider legislation that would train nonmedical staff (teachers, paraprofessionals and others) to provide routine and emergency care to students with diabetes. This publication explains why a better solution would be to ensure that school nurses provide this care.

Empty Hallways. (pdf, 2 MB) A national workforce shortage exists in almost all technical occupations in healthcare. This publication contains the results of a 2002 AFT Healthcare survey of CNAs, rad techs and respiratory therapists, examines the roots of the tech shortage and what workload changes might encourage more workers to enter these fields.

2003 AFT Healthcare survey shows nurses support staffing ratios by an overwhelming margin. (pdf, 67 K) This nationwide survey, released in May 2003 by AFT Healthcare, found that, on average, med-surg nurses care for eight patients during a shift; more than two-thirds of these nurses care for six or more patients. Med-surg nurses say, however, that they should be responsible for only five patients during a typical shift. Hospital nurses also believe that understaffing is a serious problem that affects the quality of patient care. Understaffing is so severe, the survey shows, that more than half of all hospital nurses have considered leaving the profession in the past two years.

The Vanishing Nurse. (pdf, 540 K) Employers are scrambling to fill vacancies in all healthcare professions, and little is being done to address the long-term workforce shortage. This publication examines the roots of the shortage, why workers are leaving and what might bring them back.

2002 AFT Healthcare survey of radiology technologists, respiratory therapists and certified nursing assistants is now available. (pdf, 64 K) This nationwide survey, released in April 2002 by AFT Healthcare, found severe shortages of all three healthcare professionals. As the survey indicates, mandatory maximum professional-to-patient ratios, higher pay, improved health coverage, more support staff, opportunities for continuing education, and a stronger voice on the job could help alleviate the shortages.

2001 AFT Healthcare nursing shortage and retention survey is now online. (pdf, 73 K) This nationwide survey, released April 19, 2001, by AFT Healthcare, found that one in five nurses plans to leave the profession within the next five years because of poor working conditions.