No Nursing Shortage At The Present Time

Despite rampant claims of a critical nursing shortage, many cities and states in the US are actually suffering from the opposite problem: a surplus of nurses. The intended purpose of this article is to challenge the widespread belief that a current nursing shortage exists. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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Burlshoe114

69 Posts

There is no shortage of licensed nurses, to be sure. I will point out, however, that there is a substantial number of licensed nurses, both new and otherwise, who have little business being in the acute-care business.

I would prefer to see both the entry requirements and the licensure requirements raised... with the presumed result that the number of new licenses granted would drop.

While I work with some fabulous nurses, I also work with some that I wouldn't let within ten feet of any but the most stable of patients... and sometimes not even then.

It appears, however, that even separating the wheat from the chaff, that there are still far too many new grads pumped out of the system each semester.

Good idea in theory (if a little judgemental!), but I am going to quote another poster from a different thread, who also made a good point...

"No educated professional with a hard-won BSN or MSN is going to want to wipe butt."

koi310

70 Posts

Where I live, I noticed that the new grad RNs being hired are internal hires.

trace002

4 Posts

This is depressing news as I prepare to enter nursing school.

same here...lets hope things change by the time we graduate.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD

2,315 Posts

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Okay, I'll add another theory (though it is not mine originally by any means)

There never was a shortage, not in the last couple of decades anyway. There was at one time a shortage of nurses willing to work in the conditions that were available. Many of them changed their minds quickly when their spouses suddenly didn't have good jobs. "Heck, I can always go full-time at my hospital!"

What changed a few years ago was that we stopped the natural out-flow of nurses from the job market, the disillusioned, the now well-married, the new moms. All these nurses didn't leave like the usually do. Also the previously mentioned ready-to-retire nurses that are putting it off due to the financial situation.

I'm pretty sure that in 2020 we will be in a world of hurt for nurses. We will continue to have these crazy fluctuations as long as nursing has this huge population of nurses that sit on the sidelines. In 2020, when the shortage hits, (I'm pretty sure it will) the powers that be will have to find ways to coax the nurses that are choosing not to work back into the work force.

But the real problem is that we never did have a real nursing shortage.

Okay, I'll add another theory (though it is not mine originally by any means)

There never was a shortage, not in the last couple of decades anyway. There was at one time a shortage of nurses willing to work in the conditions that were available. Many of them changed their minds quickly when their spouses suddenly didn't have good jobs. "Heck, I can always go full-time at my hospital!"

What changed a few years ago was that we stopped the natural out-flow of nurses from the job market, the disillusioned, the now well-married, the new moms. All these nurses didn't leave like the usually do. Also the previously mentioned ready-to-retire nurses that are putting it off due to the financial situation.

I'm pretty sure that in 2020 we will be in a world of hurt for nurses. We will continue to have these crazy fluctuations as long as nursing has this huge population of nurses that sit on the sidelines. In 2020, when the shortage hits, (I'm pretty sure it will) the powers that be will have to find ways to coax the nurses that are choosing not to work back into the work force.

But the real problem is that we never did have a real nursing shortage.

Tiffany, you make a really good and interesting point. Different way of looking at the issue and - for my sake (nursing student) - I HOPE you're right!!

Music in My Heart

1 Article; 4,109 Posts

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
"No educated professional with a hard-won BSN or MSN is going to want to wipe butt."
After two baccalaureate degrees, I chose an MSN as my entry into nursing. While wiping butts is far from my favorite chore, it's all part of the job.

I guess I challenge your fundamental assertion... though the truth is, it'd be a pretty inefficient system that would have nurses spending much time with basic ADLs, given how much other work cannot be delegated.

DoGoodThenGo

4,129 Posts

So what is the ultimate fate of those 36% (or 43% in CA) of RN's who have been unable to find nursing jobs for a year or more? Conventional nursing wisdom says that new nurses have a "golden year" after graduation in which to find jobs or risk being unemployable as RN's. Could it be that more than one-third (or apparently more than 40% in some areas) of nursing students are essentially out of luck in terms of their career choice? If so, given that the actual cost to train a new RN generally significantly exceeds the tuition and fees paid by the student, we are are squandering a huge amount of money. That however pales in comparison to the staggering waste of human potential such a scenario represents.

What will these "non-practicing" RN's do in the long run if a career in nursing is no longer open to them? Can it truly be the case with such large - and growing - numbers of trained but unemployed RN's out there, that there is truly a nursing shortage looming? Are we as a country willing to accept a "lost generation" of unemployable nurses?

Not trying to stir the pot but would like to add that merely holding a nice crisp new nursing license does not automatically equal employment.

More and more facilities are moving away from the warm body approach regardless of local supply of nurses. Landing a gig today regardless if one has nil to decades of experience often requires running a gauntlet of interviews and exams.

Just as with most other businesses facilities are looking for the proper "fit" in potential new hires. So as there are those with say teaching degrees that never will see full or any employment in education, law degrees that never will land a top or middle tier legal position, and so forth there probably are going to be newly licensed nurses that never reach full or even part time facility employment.

allnurses Guide

nursel56

7,078 Posts

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
So what is the ultimate fate of those 36% (or 43% in CA) of RN's who have been unable to find nursing jobs for a year or more? Conventional nursing wisdom says that new nurses have a "golden year" after graduation in which to find jobs or risk being unemployable as RN's. Could it be that more than one-third (or apparently more than 40% in some areas) of nursing students are essentially out of luck in terms of their career choice? If so, given that the actual cost to train a new RN generally significantly exceeds the tuition and fees paid by the student, we are are squandering a huge amount of money. That however pales in comparison to the staggering waste of human potential such a scenario represents.

What will these "non-practicing" RN's do in the long run if a career in nursing is no longer open to them? Can it truly be the case with such large - and growing - numbers of trained but unemployed RN's out there, that there is truly a nursing shortage looming? Are we as a country willing to accept a "lost generation" of unemployable nurses?

This worries me, too. It's already a waste to have so many talented and educated people not be able to use and hone their skills - but the business of healthcare being what it is, there will be little desire to hire these "stale new grads" if the mass exodus of baby boomer nurses occurs. I'm sure that if the experts made it a goal to help these people through a low/no cost supplementary refresher course or some form of loan repayment deferrals, or a government sponsored public service corps or . . .(just brainstorming a bit there) it could help avert a crisis that is personal for them and a waste of public funding if they took out a lot of student loans.

The only viable advice at this point is to use the time to go back to school for an advanced degree - but that is not possible for a lot of people who stretched things to the breaking point to get that "recession-proof" job in the first place. It's like the perfect storm of awful for them.

CNA1991, CNA

170 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics/home health care.
Now...with the passing of "obamacare" does one think the demand for nurses to increase?

i "was" a nursing student, but i switched for cardiac sonograpgher ...i hope im doing right thing

Hell, I have considered the same thing. Even though nursing is my top choice, us nursing hopefuls might have to except there is nothing left for us and move on. I am sure the next shortage will get filled even quicker than the last, and you have to consider that the surplus of nursing students looking for jobs will surely snap those up before all the people in nursing school even graduate that year. It's almost like you have to be at the exactly right place at the exact right time or atleast have an "in". A lot of people forget why they are going to college in the first place: To get a degree that intern will get them a job. I myself leave my major open to include "physician assistant" because it has the benefit of having a lot of similarities to advance practice nursing without having to worry about obtaining experience before you get to that point. It makes me sad too, because nursing was my motivation to go to college in the first place.

morte, LPN, LVN

7,015 Posts

yup, no shortage of nurses, just those that would accept the crap conditions. So employers got the government to allow importing nurses, which caused schools to be set up for exactly that purpose in other countries. this depressed the wage here. It is my personal opinion that EVERY single nursing school should stop teaching for a year. then alternate semesters for a couple more. that would sort out some of this mess.

Okay, I'll add another theory (though it is not mine originally by any means)

There never was a shortage, not in the last couple of decades anyway. There was at one time a shortage of nurses willing to work in the conditions that were available. Many of them changed their minds quickly when their spouses suddenly didn't have good jobs. "Heck, I can always go full-time at my hospital!"

What changed a few years ago was that we stopped the natural out-flow of nurses from the job market, the disillusioned, the now well-married, the new moms. All these nurses didn't leave like the usually do. Also the previously mentioned ready-to-retire nurses that are putting it off due to the financial situation.

I'm pretty sure that in 2020 we will be in a world of hurt for nurses. We will continue to have these crazy fluctuations as long as nursing has this huge population of nurses that sit on the sidelines. In 2020, when the shortage hits, (I'm pretty sure it will) the powers that be will have to find ways to coax the nurses that are choosing not to work back into the work force.

But the real problem is that we never did have a real nursing shortage.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I think in the end this will all play out a little more optimistically that stated however I do agree that a nursing degree or license should never ever be considered a guaranteed ticket to a job more like a lottery ticket and your luck is going to depend on the payout and how many people are playing.

A new grad is an expense that no one is going to want to pay until the supply of "ready to go" nurses drops below the demand level.

DoGoodThenGo

4,129 Posts

I think in the end this will all play out a little more optimistically that stated however I do agree that a nursing degree or license should never ever be considered a guaranteed ticket to a job more like a lottery ticket and your luck is going to depend on the payout and how many people are playing.

A new grad is an expense that no one is going to want to pay until the supply of "ready to go" nurses drops below the demand level.

Yeabut my biggest fear is by that time facilities will be well on their way to finding ways to staff with less nurses by using more (and cheaper) UAPs.

Then there is the very real push to get as much of healthcare out of hospitals and into community based settings such as ambulatory and home care. Obamacare pushes things more in this direction (hence all that funding for AP nurses), but it does not bode well for those seeking hospital gigs.