“…The nursing shortage is not expected to improve in the near future. By 2015, it is expected that our country will have a 22% shortfall of nurses (Roberts, 2002; Sinclair, 2003). In 2004, the average age of nurses was 46.8 years, more than a year older than it was in 2000; the largest number of nurses working today are in the age group of 45 to 49 year, thus many of the nurse providing care today will be retiring in the next two decades (Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA, 2004]).…”