The nursing care industry continues to face dangerous staffing shortages, says a new survey conducted by a nationwide healthcare organization. AFT Healthcare, a division of the American Federation of Teachers, sampled 601 hospital nurses, half of whom said the nursing industry's serious staffing problem was getting worse and causing a negative impact on patients' quality of care. Nurses claim they oversee too many patients during a normal shift--most monitor six or more during an average workday. According to the poll, two-thirds of the surveyed nurses believe looking after five or fewer patients during a single shift would decrease medical errors significantly.

The nursing shortage has been a concern in the medical community for months. In October 2002, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed the severity of the situation. According to the report, when admitted to a facility with a shortage of nurses, patients' chances of dying increased by 31 percent. Nurses caring for more than four patients at one time were more prone to make a lethal mistake, such as failing to diagnose a fatal complication. Overworked nurses were also found to suffer from burnout, a condition that increases the risk of misdiagnosis.

According to the American Hospital Association, hospitals currently have 150,000 vacant available nursing positions. Various nursing associations contend hospitals have reduced nursing staffs in an attempt to save money. Hospital advocates, however, insist facility managers have had a difficult time in recent years filling vacancies left when nurses retire.