Critical Reasoning

Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants than they currently do unless the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are solved. If the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level, either the profession will have to lower its entrance standards, or there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses. It is not certain, however, that lowering entrance standards will avert a shortage. It is clear that with either a shortage of nurses or lowered entrance standards of the profession, the current high quality of health care cannot be maintained.

Which one of the following can be property inferred from the passage?

(A) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, it will attract able applicants in greater numbers than it currently does.
(B) The nursing profession will have to lower its entrance standards if the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level.
(C) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, high quality health care will be maintained.
(D) If the nursing profession fails to solve the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses.
(E) The current high quality of health care will not be maintained if the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are no solved.

OA: E

Why not A?

I eliminated E because it says that the current quality of health care will not be maintained. However, the argument says the current quality of health care cannot be maintained

neeti2711 wrote:Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants than they currently do unless the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are solved. If the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level, either the profession will have to lower its entrance standards, or there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses. It is not certain, however, that lowering entrance standards will avert a shortage. It is clear that with either a shortage of nurses or lowered entrance standards of the profession, the current high quality of health care cannot be maintained.

Which one of the following can be property inferred from the passage?

(A) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, it will attract able applicants in greater numbers than it currently does.
(B) The nursing profession will have to lower its entrance standards if the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level.
(C) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, high quality health care will be maintained.
(D) If the nursing profession fails to solve the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses.
(E) The current high quality of health care will not be maintained if the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are no solved.

OA: E

Why not A?

I eliminated E because it says that the current quality of health care will not be maintained. However, the argument says the current quality of health care cannot be maintained

Think about the logic of the following assertion: If I wish to get a new job, I need to put together a resume. Now ask yourself, does it necessarily entail the following proposition: If I put together a resume, I will get a new job? Of course, it doesn't. You may have a resume and a no job. This is a classic logical flaw. If A then B does not entail if B then A. In this instance, having a resume is a necessary condition to be considered for a job, but it is hardly a sufficient condition that would guarantee one.

Same thing here. If we wish to attract new applicants, we must address the problems of low-wages/poor conditions does not mean that if we address the problems of low-wages/poor conditions, we will attract new applicants. Addressing the conditions is necessary to have any shot of attracting the new candidates, but we don't know for certain that it will work, just as you have to have a resume to have a chance of getting a job, but no one hands you a job the moment you've put together a resume.