Is There a Nursing Shortage in MN?

U.S.A. Minnesota

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Hi Everyone,

I'm fairly new to this whole nursing/allnurses.com thing, and I was wondering if someone could honestly tell me if there is a nursing shortage in Minnesota, specifically the Mpls/St. Paul metro area. I've been hearing conflicting stories, and I've also been hearing that it's really hard for new grads especially to find jobs in acute care. Some of my friends who've recently finished nursing school (having come to nursing as a second career) are taking jobs in LTC or TCUs...which is fine, but not what they wanted.

I, too, am planning on starting nursing as a second career, but I'm a little concerned to be making such a large investment if there won't be a job for me when I graduate in a few years.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Lola

Most new grads will have to accept a night position or hours that they do not prefer, and then watch for other open positions.

For many generations up until fairly recently, that is how every new graduate expected to begin her/his career; it is a fairly new phenomenon that new nursing grads expect to be able to select the schedule and specialty area that they prefer, and feel that there's something wrong with the system and they're being mistreated if they aren't able to.

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Specializes in Staff Dev--Critical Care & Trauma.

Well, on this point, I generally blame the schools. I don't know how many new grads I've met that state they have been told by their schools that they will be able to work shift-of-choice because the nursing shortage is making hospitals desparate.

Now, I don't know where the profs are getting their information, but it's not from any hospital I know.

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Well, on this point, I generally blame the schools. I don't know how many new grads I've met that state they have been told by their schools that they will be able to work shift-of-choice because the nursing shortage is making hospitals desparate.

Now, I don't know where the profs are getting their information, but it's not from any hospital I know.

Exactly. I'm one of those who maintains the "shortage" is largely a fiction maintained by people and organizations who stand to benefit from the perception of a shortage (like schools of nursing :), among others).

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Specializes in Staff Dev--Critical Care & Trauma.

I don't know about that. There definitely is a shortage. But the schools are passing on misleading information about the effect that shortage will have on post graduate jobs.

There are lots of positions that need to be filled, but you still need to be very good and you still need to start at the bottom of the ladder.

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Wow, thanks for the conversation and insight! MNC_RN, you raise a good point about all the open RN positions on a hospital's website. But what I've come to wonder if new grads are able to get those positions, or if hospitals are even *filling* those positions. Sure, the jobs are posted, but is Fairview, for example, actively hiring for them? Do all hospitals in the metro require new grads to go through a new grad orientation program? These are just some of the questions I'm asking myself...I don't necessarily believe that the abundance of open, posted positions is evidence of a shortage in the metro area. Hospitals have a bottom line, too, after all.

I agree that it seems like a lot of new nurses, especially second-career ones, have the impression that they can start working days in the ICU. I definitely understand that one has to start at the bottom of the ladder. But does that mean working nights in med-surg, or does that mean working nights in LTC facility? MNC_RN, again, you make a good point: "So while there is a nursing shortage, how it is being filled is more complicated than one might think."

I think this is important for every career-changer like myself to know. We need to know exactly what we're getting into before we make the investment to do this. Of course, all the schools are like "Yes! We need you! Go to nursing school and you'll get a fabulous job!" There doesn't seem to be a lot of honesty at the information sessions I've attended...

Thanks everyone for your information!

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Specializes in Staff Dev--Critical Care & Trauma.

I think it just depends what you expect from a "fabulous job".

Nursing is not a golden egg. Yes, there are several hospitals that hire new grads into critical care, PACU, L&D, etc. That is not a lie, but they don't hire just anyone.

Yes, you will make good money as an RN. But you won't start out at premium. According to my hospital's MNA contract, starting wage for RNs: ADN = $27.43 per hour and BSN = $28.42 per hour.

Yes, there are a lot of openings that need to be filled--and hospitals willing to fill the openings. But many openings require some level of experience first. Also, hospitals with an MNA contract require that positions be posted internally first for a certain amount of time and that internal hires get dibs.

I tell students: if you're a good student, get good grades, and stay on your instructors' good sides for references, you will get a job in a hospital. It may not be your ideal job, but for that you have to put in the time like the rest of us did.

Edited to add: Not that I'm questioning anyone in particular but I'm serious when I say you really need to work hard in school. I've been encountering angry grads to aren't getting hired. After further conversation, I discover that they did the bare minumum in school and now expect miracles because there's a shortage. Not. Gonna. Fly. Ever.

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

I tell students: if you're a good student, get good grades, and stay on your instructors' good sides for references, you will get a job in a hospital. It may not be your ideal job, but for that you have to put in the time like the rest of us did.

Edited to add: Not that I'm questioning anyone in particular but I'm serious when I say you really need to work hard in school. I've been encountering angry grads to aren't getting hired. After further conversation, I discover that they did the bare minumum in school and now expect miracles because there's a shortage. Not. Gonna. Fly. Ever.

Ohhh yes I agree....as a current Nursing school student, I am truly alarmed by the lack of work I see some of my classmates put into their classes.....sometimes I wonder if nursing schools are almost not too easy on students....I just wonder if a C average in classes is really good enough sometimes.

Granted, I tend to be a bit of an overachiever and hard on myself ( getting an A- rather then an A in my second semester of A&P upset me probably too much) but sometimes I look at some of my classmates who speak loudly and freely about barely passing this and that class and think "and you're gonna potentially be my colleague one day, hmmm?"

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Specializes in Telehealth, Hospice and Palliative Care.

-MNC RN- thanks for all the great comments! They're good for me to hear. I'm starting an accelerated BSN program in the fall and had planned to work hard; your comments make me want to work even harder! And when I get done I'm hoping for a night, float position; maybe I'll get lucky!

Waiting excitedly for August!

DK in MN

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

Good for you! dive in head first and work hard!! Best of luck to you.....just curious, where are you going for the acclerated BSN?

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Specializes in TCU.

I wanted to add that when I applied to the nursing program @ IHCC (I got in for Fall '08 !YEAH!:yeah:), I know a few people who just graduated and asked them a ton of ?'s about the program, and nursing in general. I was told that to make yourself more desirable to hospitals, (in my case I want to go into ER/Trauma/NICU/PedICU) to take the 6 credit EMT course offered.

Also, it doesn't hurt to be working in a hospital as a CNA while you are completing your RN, you could transition nicely into a position you may find more desirable.

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Specializes in Staff Dev--Critical Care & Trauma.

Mmmm...

Not so sure about that. An EMT course *may* help you if you would like an ER position, but probably not even that as a nurse. An EMT and an RN have two very different roles--even in the ER. Now *paramedics* frequently have an easier time getting into ICUs and ERs after graduating from nursing school because, even though the scopes of practice are different, many of the patients they deal with are similar. Granted, street stabilization is quite different from ICU care, but many experiences transfer from one to the other.

Frankly, the way to make yourself desirable to hospitals is working hard in school: good grades, solid research papers when the time comes, and some sort of internship/preceptorship prior to graduation.

Now a CNA position is always helpful. Many NAs are hired by managers that like and value them--even if their school record isn't quite as good as others. A solid work relationship helps a lot. Just be careful. Many nurses find it hard to let go of seeing their new colleagues as something other than aides. If your CNA position can get you a nursing job on another unit, much better.

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Specializes in TCU.

Thank you!

My specialty is research, I love doing research papers.

I did a powerpoint presentation on prion diseases for Micro last year, and received an A on it.

Yeah, I was thinking about where I will be doing clinicals, hoping that HCMC, or Regions is on the list somewhere (level 1 trauma centers) in the Twin Cities. Here's to hoping!!

Thanks for your input!

CHEERS!

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