There IS a nursing shortage

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

my hours have been cut from about 55/60 a week to 36 (it's all I can get)

I am willing to work way more hours

laid off from one nursing job

can't get any agency shifts

no overtime at my core job right now

severe decrease in travel nurse jobs

There might be a shortage in some areas, but I bet working conditions are what led to that shortage and that will probably not change.

Non practicing nurses that are looking to come back now will have a hard time because places don't want you unless you have a years current experience in what ever area you are interested in

Jobs are being taken by travel nurses going staff to weather out the downturn in the economy and part-timers are going full time because their spouses have been laid off

And I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better

mariposabella · Feb 16, 2009

Yes, the WHY part should be explored.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Yes, the WHY part should be explored.

WE know why...it needs to be publicized...it is not "oops we did not plan ahead for the baby boomer generation".......

goodgrief · Feb 16, 2009

The majority of the hospitals in Utah have a current hiring freeze, seems like there isn't much of a nursing shortage here.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Nursing shortages are purely regional.

Nursing overages are also regional.

The reality is that some places have a profound glut of nurses and not enough jobs for everyone who would like to work, while other cities are desperate to hire nurses because a massive abundance of positions need to be filled.

I believe that nursing pay would be higher everywhere if a true nursing shortage existed. Some places, such as rural Arkansas, are still paying new RNs in the $17 to $19 per hour range. Some people will throw "cost of living" into our faces as an excuse, but this kind of money is not indicative of a shortage.

Here's an example, although I'm also cognizant of the differences in educational attainment between the two professions. Orthodontists are in very short supply across the country, so they command salaries of $300,000 per year whether or not they live in a low cost of living area. Nurses are a dime-a-dozen in many areas, so they command significantly lower pay. If a true nursing shortage existed, nurses would be paid awesome money, not an average salary of $50k to $70k annually.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Well, lets see:

1. Many travel nurses cant find work, going staff (thats me).

2. GNs cant get hired. Hospitals know there are people with experience who cost less to bring in and get up to speed are out there to be had.

3. RNs with experience are being pushed out by hospitals because of higher wages. A couple years ago, hospitals wouldnt dare.

4. Working conditions are worsening by the day, to the point where I have heard people state in public they are afraid to go to the hospitals anymore. Nurses are not being hired, just ratios and acuity are going up.

5. Hospitals are closeing down like mad. Those nurses go to other hospitals, hence giving the new hospital the power to not hire new grads and push out vets.

6. Hospitals are phasing out agency/travelers at a vindictive pace. Many are bailing out on contracts not even half way through or before they start. Used to be, once they committed, they had to pay off to terminate the contract. Now, things are so bad, they just do it and stick their nose up at the travel agency and say "Oh well, dont do business with us then. We dont need you.".

7. Nurses are returning to the profession because of spouses being laid off or simply because it takes two incomes to keep a home and eat these days.

8. A lot of hospitals have done a fine job of keeping its people. But even these hospitals have dropped incentives: Sign on bonuses, referel bonuses, loyalty bonuses, perks for not calling off.

9. Hospital administration has gone back to the old days.........show up with a speck of dirt on your shoe and you are GONE. Unheard of two years ago when there was a shortage.

I can go on. The baby boomers growing older will not correct this. Dont forget, they are the age of irresponsible spending. You think just cause they need healthcare they will be able to pay for it? Not likely with more than a few of them. So, say the day of baby boomers needing increased healthcare comes.........it means 200 people a year more to your hospital. But only 80 of them actually pay for it. Its a step backwards.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

50-70 k is a good middle class job. See epi.org for family budget figures. Nurses working for 20 bucks an hour are grossly underpaid for their skill level and the training costs to enter the profession. Personally I think that until we collectively organize health care to union membership of 30% nationwide there will always be nursing care gaps, and deficient pay structures.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Nursing shortages are purely regional.
Nursing overages are also regional.
The reality is that some places have a profound glut of nurses and not enough jobs for everyone who would like to work, while other cities are desperate to hire nurses because a massive abundance of positions need to be filled.
I believe that nursing pay would be higher everywhere if a true nursing shortage existed. Some places, such as rural Arkansas, are still paying new RNs in the $17 to $19 per hour range. Some people will throw "cost of living" into our faces as an excuse, but this kind of money is not indicative of a shortage.
Here's an example, although I'm also cognizant of the differences in educational attainment between the two professions. Orthodontists are in very short supply across the country, so they command salaries of $300,000 per year whether or not they live in a low cost of living area. Nurses are a dime-a-dozen in many areas, so they command significantly lower pay. If a true nursing shortage existed, nurses would be paid awesome money, not an average salary of $50k to $70k annually.

True, true, true.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

The other lesson is to keep adding personal value to yourself.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

50-70 k is a good middle class job.

$50k to $70k is good annual income for a nurse who has attained an associate's degree or diploma, and I can readily admit that.

However, many nurses are earning far less than the aforementioned pay range due to living in so-called "low cost of living" areas. This is simply an excuse to keep wages depressed in certain areas.

I was reading a study which concluded that doctors who live and work in rural, low "cost of living" places are actually paid more money on average than their colleagues who work in urban areas. This is because there's a shortage of doctors who are actually willing to live out in the boonies, so they must be paid more money to practice in these places. Also, a rural doctor is often the only choice for many patients in a wide geographic area who must travel long distances to receive care from him/her. Less competition for patients means more money for the doc.

Many nurses in rural hospitals located in "low cost of living" areas must contend with caring for 9, 10, 11, or 12 patients on a typical med/surg floor. These nurses should be paid more money than the pittances they typically receive in Podunk areas since they often work harder for less money than their better-paid counterparts in urban areas.

BigBoy75 · Feb 16, 2009

There is no nursing shortage in NYC area, myself and other new grads can't find a job anywhere