ANA urges HHS to declare nurse staffing shortage a national crisis

Editor's Note

The American Nurses Association (ANA) on September 1 wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging the agency to declare the ongoing shortage of nurses in the US a national crisis, citing the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant as a factor.

In the letter, the ANA said it is deeply concerned that the severe shortage of nurses, especially in areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, will have long-term repercussions on the nursing profession, the healthcare delivery system, and, ultimately, the health of the nation.

The initial response to COVID-19 focused on shortages of personal protective and other equipment needed to appropriately care for patients, the ANA said. “Now, it is imperative that the administration acknowledge and take concrete steps to address a more dire shortage: a crisis-level human resource shortage of nurses that puts our ability to care for patients in jeopardy.”