[Joe NightingMale]

It's produced by Boston's NPR station WBUR. In Chicago it will appear this Sunday at 9pm during the Sunday Specials segment. For other markets you'll have to check your local listings. You can find out more about it here:

<http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/nursingshortage/>

[PeachPie]

Once again, they fail to point out the fact that domestic policy is so shoddy that we have to import nurses, which is only a temporary fix.

[Freedom42]

This actually first aired in January 2007. It is posted in its entirety online for anyone who wants to listen to it.

[imenid37]

I did like Susan Gordon's input. Not perfect, but a good program as a whole.

[stopped]

I believe another reason for the nursing shortage is the NURSING SCHOOLs. There is so many requirements to get into the program and then the waiting list can be 2 to 3 years and once you get into the program you have to deal with some wicked teachers. I have met many people who were so excited to be nurses and gave up so much, like family, jobs and the like only to get discourage and not because they went to the hospital but with intensity of being so overwhelm with the teachers who put them down. Don't get me wrong, I do believe the Nursing program needs to have challenges but not to the point of discouraging you. The job of a Nurse is not as hard as Nursing school.
What have your experience been as a student?

[Cosper123]

Originally Posted by stopped

I believe another reason for the nursing shortage is the NURSING SCHOOLs. There is so many requirements to get into the program and then the waiting list can be 2 to 3 years and once you get into the program you have to deal with some wicked teachers. I have met many people who were so excited to be nurses and gave up so much, like family, jobs and the like only to get discourage and not because they went to the hospital but with intensity of being so overwhelm with the teachers who put them down. Don't get me wrong, I do believe the Nursing program needs to have challenges but not to the point of discouraging you. The job of a Nurse is not as hard as Nursing school.
What have your experience been as a student?

As a nursing student, I couldn't disagree more. The waiting list is not because of the schools themselves...it's from a lack of teachers and clinical sites.

And yeah the nursing program is tough...but hey if someone gets so discouraged that they can't get through the nursing program then they have no business being a nurse, IMO.

It is bad enough to have to rely on a lottery system, but then to cater to those who can't cut it....would make me sick. Some day when I'm taking my turn in a hospital bed, I don't want a nurse who won a freaking lottery...I want someone who earned it.

So yeah, the nursing program is tough, and the teachers have high expectations....but in nursing you are dealing with people lives and quality of life. This is a serious job, so the nursing program should be serious. If someone can't cut it and gets discouraged then that is fine...good riddance. I certainly wouldn't want that person as a nurse anyhow.

Not meaning to lecture or disrespect anyone here, but nursing is very serious and we are professionals.