Is There Really A Shortage Of Nurses?

i originally posted this as a reply in another thread, but want to hear opinions from all so i started this topic. i want your opinion.....is the "nursing shortage image" created from under-staffed facilities, making it seem like there are not enough nurses cause they run with skeleton staffing to make more money? ....or, is there really a shortage of nurses in the work-force?

here is my reply from another topic...

here is my opinion on the nursing shortage.......i am sure some may disagree

THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE!
the "shortage" is facilities against hiring a nominal nurse-to-patient/resident-staff. most facilities operate under-staffed to save money, the employed nurses are forced to "cut corners" lessening the quality of care because of high numbers of patients/residents they are assigned. many nurses are well-underpaid, but take a position to make "ends-meet", than as soon as a higher paying position becomes available, they quit and take the new position that opens because a nurse left do to finding another higher paying job or being over-worked from high patient assignments and opened his/her eyes and said "i better quit this place before an accident happens and i lose my license".....the new nurse will follow suit over time.
so now u see a high turn-around of hiring and nurses leaving their jobs. look in your local paper for nursing jobs everyday for a few months.....how many times do u see openings at the the same facility? why do u think that is?
step back and take a good look at this real scenario...the whole picture, i am curious to hear replies.
(and i didn't even mention telling facilities what days and hours u are available to work and what days and hours u cannot work, they agree to terms and hire u, u leave your current job for the new one, 30 days later they change your hours and days to ones u are not available to work, so now you must quit this job and look for another one.....while being mad as hell u left your old job for this one.).
so all this high-turn-around of nursing positions.....is there really a nursing shortage? i wonder how many nurses apply for one single nursing position listed in the job-classifieds.....none, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50?....think about it.

yes, the big picture may make things look like a nursing shortage (the understaffing ect.), but is there really a shortage of nurses??