Fed Up With People Saying There Is a Shortage

While there may not be a shortage in your local area, there certainly is in other parts of the country. I am consistently working shifts with not only sick calls not covered, but not enough people scheduled in the first place. By contract and necessity, at 1900 there should be 13 nurses in the ER. We are usually at 11, and often down to 9 or 10. If the floors are short, I can't send out the admissions, which backs up the ER even more.

My ER accepts new grads! Come on out to New Mexico!

First, let me say that I am so frustrated because I keep hearing the same old stuff about how there is a nursing shortage and I'm starting to believe that there is no shortage. I live on the east coast and I'm graduating in a few months. Right now my classmates and myself are in a panic because the jobs out here are so competitive and hospitals are closing left and right in NJ. Also, New York is another story. There are so many people who wants to work in the city. Also, hospitals want experienced nurses. It's so frustrating. People need to know that THERE IS NO NURSING shortage in certain parts of the country. I got into this profession thinking that finding a job would be fairly easy and now I'm thinking that I might have made a mistake.

I hear your frustration. I've been a nurse for 35 years come this August and I can remember about 5 separate shortages, but none this bad. It's mind boggling that I am now a "senior citizen" eligible for Medicare etc. and the health industry has gotten so crafty that the people who want care might not be able to afford it. When I started a hospital room was $14 a night, now it's near $1000 or more. Our instructors were the best, most were diploma nurses, now it's the MSN at the minimum and the schools are paying them right at or even less than a new graduate. I am NOT saying that the higher degree is not necessary.
For example my physiology book in '1963 was 3/4 of an inch thick and read like a first grade primer. Compare that to what you need to know just to pass nowdays.
I just pray there are Nurses there when I do need them.

While there may not be a shortage in your local area, there certainly is in other parts of the country. I am consistently working shifts with not only sick calls not covered, but not enough people scheduled in the first place. By contract and necessity, at 1900 there should be 13 nurses in the ER. We are usually at 11, and often down to 9 or 10. If the floors are short, I can't send out the admissions, which backs up the ER even more.

My ER accepts new grads! Come on out to New Mexico!