Nursing Shortage/Level Three
Reports from the Frontlines
By Ben Achtenberg
with the Center for Independent Documentary

This film along with a companion film is available on one DVD here.

The AIDS epidemic, our aging population, hospital cost-cutting, and other factors are producing more and sicker patients, at the same time that there are fewer nurses to care for them. Experts predict the crisis will be both more severe and longer-lasting than cyclical shortages of the past.

Produced by Ben Achtenberg, who received an Oscar nomination for Code Gray this award-winning video follows nurses in one hospital as they respond to the daily challenges of providing quality care despite severe staffing shortages. It confronts patients, families, and the public with the reality that the nursing crisis is already affecting the way they are cared for in hospitals. Produced with the Center for Independent Documentary

28 minutes
© 1990
Purchase $99 VHS
Order No. QA-049
ISBN (VHS) 1-57295-049-8

Reviews
"Especially valuable in clarifying the roles and problems of nurse managers." Journal of Nursing Staff Development

"Accurately portrays the scope of what is happening in healthcare today as a result of the nursing shortage. A valuable addition to any college or hospital nursing department library." ALA Choice

Awards & Conference Screenings
Silver Apple, National Educational Film Festival
John Muir Medical Film Festival
Columbus International Film Festival
Medikinale Parma

Related Films
Handmaidens: Examines the roots and present-day realities of the nursing profession, and encourages nurses to stand up for their rights as professionals.

Hello in There: Captures the rewards and challenges of "person-centered care" in nursing: relating to patients as whole people, with histories and values that go beyond their current medical needs.

Bodies and Souls: Sister Manette, a nurse practitioner, and a white Catholic nun, runs the only health clinic in Jonestown, a largely African-American town in the heart of the Mississippi delta, where many people haven't seen a doctor more than once or twice in their lives.

Emergency! A Critical Situation: The filmmakers take us inside the emergency room for a look at the working lives of the women and men who deal every single day with the fallout of the financial crisis in healthcare. In French with English subtitles.

Nurses: The Web of Denial: Celebrates the strength and tenacity of nurses who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, while emphasizing the need for supports within the profession.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

HOME  ||  TITLE INDEX  ||  SUBJECT AREAS  ||  RESOURCES  ||  RETURN TO TOP
CONTACT FANLIGHT  ||  FAQ