When it comes to the subject of health care in the United States, most Americans readily agree that our country is in crisis. However, this agreement usually ends with the question of whether or not we can find a solution that works given our limited resources. While some are convinced that the answer lies in government legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, others argue that the only way to fix our country's broken medical system is to take a closer look close the problem itself and focus on preventing chronic diseases. disease (Winkfield, 2013). My own view is that while I strongly believe that everyone should have equal access to quality health care, I also believe that we need a system that works before the government can render care healthcare accessible to millions of people still without insurance. Furthermore, although I agree that prevention is essential, it is not enough to only consider the health of the general population. Prevention must also include measures to ensure the well-being of our healthcare providers in the workplace. That being said, according to the American Nursing Association (2011), there are more than 3.1 million registered nurses nationwide, making them the largest segment of the workforce. healthcare workplace. Common sense seems to dictate that policymakers would do well to address any issue that threatens the health or safety of those responsible for providing care to our loved ones. As Cynthia Haney, JD, senior policy fellow in the American Nursing Association's Department of Nursing Practice and Policy, explains: “Registered nurses are essential to the success of patient-centered care…education, the skills and professional breadth of nurses make them... ... middle of article ......f-healthcare-why-nurses-are-in-high-demand/254934/ Roche, M., Diers, D., Duffield, C., & Catling-Paull, C. (2010). Violence against nurses, the work environment, and patient outcomes. Scholarship Journal Of Nursing, 42 (1), 13-22. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01321.xVessey, J., Demarco, R., & DiFazio, R. (2010). Bullying, harassment and horizontal violence among nursing staff: state of the science. Weinand, M.R. (2010). Horizontal violence in nursing: history, impact and solution. JOCEPS: The Journal of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, 54(1), 23-26.Winkfield, EL (2013). America's health care crisis: Is there a solution? The real truth. Retrieved from http://realtruth.org/articles/090203-005-health.htmlWorld Health Organization (2002). Global report on violence and health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/violenceprevention/approach/definition/en/