Working RNs and the CNA are to blame for new graduate RN program shortages .

Nurses New Nurse

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I am a new grad. A chief of staff of a major northern California health system told me, "RNs and their high salaries made new graduate programs cost prohibitive." I work in a hospital . And work with a few people who could retire. but they've opted to continue working, buying property, cars, while i work every day, rent a room in a house , wishing i had the same opportunities they were given as a new grad. The high paid bay area RN just isnt sustainable to the future of nursing.

Specializes in Oncology.
Dear original poster with gigantic sense of entitlement,

A. Once you've worked hard and gained experience in your field, you have earned every right to work as long as you please, for whatever reasons you want.

B. Judging by your posts, maybe the reason you can't find a job isn't "old nurses who won't retire and make room for you" but rather your 7th grade level writing and communication skills.

C. With a big sense of entitlement, nursing may not even be for you. I suggest you try to marry a guy with a trust fund instead.

I personally don't think it's necessary to be mean and callus. I wasn't under the impression that this is what this forum is all about?

Do I think that olders nurses should retire? No. I think it's just the way the world works. When I'm finished nursing school and land my first job- rest assured I'm taking nursing for all that it's got. I have thousands of loans to pay, a house to buy, cars to pay off, vacations to take, children to provide for. So please don't count on me departing anytime soon. Heck, my husband found out he won't be finished paying off his 57,000 student loan until he's 53. Most of the time people can't retire!! Heck, our kids could be 27 years old before we pay off our student loans. And God forbid we have to pay for them to go to school.

I will be working until my wheels fall off. At which point, I can hire me a new grad nurse to take care of me. Sadly it probably wont count for their "golden experience" to land a spot on NICU.

It's unfortunate. But what are you going to do?

OP, I don't think the management-person you talked to was being quite fair. It's always easy for administration to blame nurses, RRTs, etc for their "high salaries". Those admins make 100k a year, but no one is talking about their contribution to out of control health costs! Also, it doesn't make sense to pit "old" and "young" nurses against one another. Try to look at it from their point of view (which also happens to be an essential quality in a good nurse!) Yes, people who can't afford to retire (or who just don't want to) make it harder for new grads to find open positions. Nursing has always been like this - periods of shortages and periods of gluts. Most professions ebb and flow like this too. We WILL find jobs, it just might take longer in what is a horrible economy for everyone! Keep in mind, when we get jobs these "old" nurses will be the ones precepting us. Good luck in your Job Search. I have heard that the Bay Area is especially horrible.

Some day when you put in all the nights, weekends, holidays, cross training to different units etc....you will have the same benefits and pay as those well deserved senior nurses!!! STOP WHINING and put in your time.

Specializes in Med-surge, hospice, LTC, tele, rehab.

Teachers have virtually no risk of career-ending events such as tainted needle sticks, back injuries, or savage beatings from drug-addicted patients or abusive visitors.

I don't know about that. I would say that teachers have a good risk of career-ending events such as false accusations of sexual/ physical/ emotional abuse from students. I'm sure they deal with abuse from kids and their families a lot. I wouldn't even know how you would go about disciplining a child these days without outrage from the kid's family. I would not want to be a teacher today.

And work with a few people who could retire. but they've opted to continue working, buying property, cars, while i work every day, rent a room in a house , wishing i had the same opportunities they were given as a new grad.

Or paying bills, maintaining health insurance, rebuilding retirement funds, supporting underemployed partners, etc.....and why shouldn't they be?

I'm a recent grad. I get the frustration about the job market. It was my number #1 source of anxiety while in school. But they don't owe you their jobs.

And FYI, those old fogies who should retire likely graduated back in the dinosaur ages when new grads got the training they needed in nursing school to hit the ground running and were less expensive to train.

What I don't understand is that why they won't let us help offset this so called "cost" of hiring new grads. I'm a new grad about to pay over $15K for RN-BSN program. I rather pay that much money to the hospital for their "training". Plus I don't need to get paid during the training because I'm not getting paid right now anyway! And I can sign contract stating I will work for them for 3-5 years.

I also think there is something wrong with the picture when some nurses regularly clock in overtime or hospitals hiring temps via travel agencies when there are lots of local talent ready to work..

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
What I don't understand is that why they won't let us help offset this so called "cost" of hiring new grads. I'm a new grad about to pay over $15K for RN-BSN program. I rather pay that much money to the hospital for their "training". Plus I don't need to get paid during the training because I'm not getting paid right now anyway! And I can sign contract stating I will work for them for 3-5 years.

I also think there is something wrong with the picture when some nurses regularly clock in overtime or hospitals hiring temps via travel agencies when there are lots of local talent ready to work..

This is such a complex issue. Technically....dollar and cents wise. It's actually cheaper to pay the OT than train a new nurse and pay for those benefits as well. A high percentage of New grads historically leave within the first year of training leaving the hospital in a financial negative. Temps/Agencies while cost more per hour...the hospital doesn't foot the bill for benefits, insurance and unemployment contributions.

Working for free is exactly what hospitals are hoping for by not hiring the new grads and taking advantage of them once they are desperate.

It's frustration and sad.

Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

Just another way to pit young against old and split 'the team'.

I say, 'don't fall for it'.

The reasons for the 'nursing shortage' are pretty varied and have more to do with field being unable to retain it's existing workforce than anything else. There's a reason as to why nurses are always picketing for safer staffing and such.

Throwing a bunch of newbs at the matter won't make it go away. Won't solve the underlying issues either.

It just creates saturation at the point of entry.

The guy is a Chief of Staff?

How about we skim from the checks of those like himself to pay for the training of new nurses? He earns over and beyond what any senior nurse would, I'm sure.

Personally, I have old nurses in my family who came off retirement and went back to work when housing tanked.

I don't begrudge them this.

If I spent 40 years up running up and down the floor with leg problems? You'd better believe that I'd be feeling mighty entitled.

"Yes...I make $35 or $45 an hour! What OF IT?"

Nurses that I know are paid well and are, yes, entitled to earn what they have.

I feel entitled now...and I'm just a GVN. LOL Not a real nurse, yet. But hey...the way they throw you out there and work you like an animal? Taking abuse, getting hit and kicked, screwing your back and legs up...

I mean, at my facility? They were going to give me 3 days of orientation. Then, throw me to the wolves. 30-40 pts on my own.

But...gotta start somewhere.

I'm just not going to be doing it for pennis.

So, I'm studying and not just for NCLEX but to ensure that I:

A. Don't make an a-- of myself in front of my peers. Yes, even an atheist can pray. I do. "Dear God...please - don't let me be The Dumba- New Nurse'.

LOL

You think he listens?

Seriously. No one wants to be The Dumba-- New Nurse....

B. I don't want to kill anyone.The reality of having a number of lives in my very hands is hitting home. Ever since nurses began letting me shadow them a bit? I've been silently wigging out.

Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

Talk about nurses "eating their young".

Well, Original Post is an example of "eating their old'.

It ALL needs to stop.

Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

This is like the time I was walking into work and some family member at the LTC place I was working at said loudly, "God there are too many nice cars in this parking lot." And then something about "overpaid nurses." Really? You think smart people would be willing to bust their butts in school to do a dirty job for peanuts?? There weren't exactly Mercedes or Porshes in the parking lot.

I think at least some of this is the notion that nurses are "angels" and that we are self sacrificing. The idea that we would dare to want to be fairly compensated with safe working conditions is shocking to some people.

Lots of the problems lie with schools too. If they really care how many new graduate nurses graduated and no jobs the states should regulate acceptance number of students for the program. When I was in school no one instructor informed us of how cut throat it is finding your first RN job after passed your board. Everyone is responsible and you cannot blame those nurses who do not want to retired. It's not their fault if they continue to work and buying nice things. It's purely my personal opinion!

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