Tri-Council Warns of Workforce Crisis, Urges Use of Public Health Measures

The Tri-Council for Nursing issued a statement this week, warning that the spread of COVID-19 has created critical staffing shortages among health care workers, especially in hard hit rural areas. "Over the next several weeks, the need for nurses and other health professionals across the U.S. is projected to greatly exceed the supply,” the statement read. The Tri-Council for Nursing is focused on addressing staffing shortages, disrupted clinical education, nurse training/retraining and behavioral health support for the front-line workers necessitated by the pandemic. The organization urged Americans to follow public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials, including wearing masks, social distancing and refraining from large gatherings. The Tri-Council for Nursing will continue to “assess the situation, share information, and determine ways we can help mitigate the current burden on the nursing profession and provide constructive recommendations for the future.” The Tri-Council for Nursing is comprised of AONL, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the National League for Nursing. (Tri-Council for Nursing statement, 12/3/20)