The nursing shortage and Catman Cohen: What do these two have to do with each other? The answer is this: The nursing shortage in America has been memorialized in song and video by an unlikely hero named Catman Cohen whose body of work has struck a raw nerve in this country. The seriousness of the nursing shortage and aging workforce are recognized by this artist who prefers not to call attention to himself but instead wants Americans to address the dire future that awaits this country if the nursing shortage crisis in our healthcare system is not addressed soon.

Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. In terms of the nursing shortage, this is certainly the case. Catman Cohen's stark depiction of society's role with regard to the nursing shortage is spot on. Licensed vocational nurses, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses are American heroes who are underpaid, under appreciated and in large part unrecognized for their selfless service, dedication, and commitment. Catman Cohen doesn't pull any punches: Instead of glorifying the nurses who are the true heroes, he shows us that Americans tend to focus on and glamorize people who live public lives and receive so much media exposure that they unwittingly are raised to the status of bonified American heroes. They may be success stories, expertly marketed and sold to the public, but are they heroes? Idols, yes; heroes, no.

Baby boomers are reaching retirement age in droves, massive numbers that can break the backs of the CNAs, nurses, nurse educators, doctors, allied health care workers, and caregivers who are in the trenches dealing with this crisis on a day-to-day basis. The nursing shortage in this country should be dealt with as seriously as an epidemic that could strike us at any time. This is the message that we need to hear and take to heart. This is the message that Catman Cohen is telling us.

The nursing shortage and Catman Cohen's ability to expose what is wrong with priorities in America is done with surgical precision. He cuts right to the heart of the problem and correctly identifies that this country needs to focus and work on important issues and resources. He correctly identified that nurses are walking away from this noble profession due to dangerous workloads that are negatively impacting patient care. Nurses and nurse educators need to be praised and recognized for doing their job well.

With regard to the nursing shortage and Catman Cohen, the message is clear: Priorities in this country need to be changed right now so we can deal with important issues, especially the nursing shortage in this country.