NEW GRAD letter to Chuck Schumer

[SunshineRN79]

A letter I wrote to Senator Schumer. I am a new grad like many of you who CANNOT find a job.

I am writing to you today to raise awareness of the "nursing shortage" that has been reported by the media for some time. I am sure you are well aware that this is a problem that needs solving. If you visit a hospital, you will find that there are not enough nurses. Patients are being neglected. Yet this year alone, there will be 10,000 new graduate nurses.

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a love for medicine. It was not my first career choice when I graduated from high school. However, as time went on, I realized that the need for health care professionals was growing. There was one time in particular when I was in the hospital for surgery. It was 3 am and the pain medication had worn off. I called for a nurse three times, finally getting a call back on a loud speaker. I tried to raise my voice telling the nurse I needed more medicine. It took about 15 minutes for the medication to be delivered, and that was the one and only time I saw that nurse for the entire night.

As a nursing student, I experienced this situation often. Nursing trainees are able to dispense medication and care for patients just like the R.N. on staff. I cannot recall how many times the patients stated they were so thankful we were there to help. The patients constantly said that they had seen their particular nurse once or twice in a twelve hour period, and it took a lot of persistence to get the assistance they needed.

I know this business well after devoting three years of my life to learning about it, and realize that not only are the patients suffering but so are the nurses. Of course on paper the job seems like a win-win situation. The starting base salary can be anywhere from 55,000-60,000 annually. Well, I urge anyone to go onto a medical surgical floor and try to have one conversation with an R.N. while they are doing their rounds, dispensing medication, and writing documentation (which is constant). You will soon understand that there is no time to chat. To further complicate this scenario, what if one of the eight patients under their care has an emergency? In many cases this means that the other patients will be neglected or the emergency will go unseen for quite some time.

You are probably asking yourself if 10,000 student nurses will graduate this year, why is there a nursing shortage? It has been my mission to understand this over the past four months. I graduated in December 2009, and received my license in February 2010. I have been searching for a position as a new graduate R.N. for this entire time. What I have been told by every nursing recruiter is that there is no funding for newly graduated nurses. Many have said that the hospitals are broke and cannot afford the staff they already have. How can this issue of a nursing shortage be rectified if no one is willing to hire and train new nurses?

Since you are a part of the "baby boom" generation, I am sure you are well aware that if there are not enough nurses now, what will happen in the next 10 - 20 years? As the clock ticks, only a small percentage of the nursing students who graduated with me in December 2009 will have a position. Those of us who don't find jobs will lose the skills we acquired in school. At one hospital in particular, I was told that a position would possibly open in September 2010. That would be nine months after I graduated from my last clinical rotation. I have tried to gain employment in home care, nursing homes, outpatient facilities, doctor's offices, and any other place a nurse would be hirable. For every position I've applied for, the recruiter says the same thing, "We cannot hire new grads." Forty nurses from my graduating class are at a loss for ideas. Some have moved to other states, only to find the same exact situation.

I urge you to please consider a New York State funded program for new graduates. Ask anyone of us to take a pay cut just to have an opportunity to work and learn, and we would gladly oblige. Some of us may only have an Associate's degree in nursing. However, we've received same education that B.S.N. graduates enjoy, but at an accelerated pace. The hospitals are denying us jobs because they say that they cannot afford to further finance our education. Does this mean that being accepted into one of the most difficult and demanding nursing programs in the country and graduating magna cum laude was all in vain? I certainly hope not.

My newly-licensed colleagues and I are the future face of healthcare. But without jobs and training, our skills will go unused. This would be truly shameful, not only for my nursing sisters and brothers, but for the future retiree generation that will someday include you and my parents.

Thank you for your time

Sincerely,

T.S.S. R.N.

[wanabenurse]

Very nice - did you ever get a response and have you sent a version of this letter to your local newspaper?

[SunshineRN79]

Good Idea I will send it now!

[wanabenurse]

sweet you go girl!!! Im so sick of ppl saying to me that nursing is recesion proof - Iv gotten to the point of just saying its about as recession proof as a degree in english (which wlda been a lot funner to get)

[NYSNOWBUNNY007]

Love it!...this is very true..i will be an RN grad April of 2010 and I have classmates who have graduated in November of 2009 and till this day they have not been able to obtain a position; and those that have ; have gotten positions where they were currently working while in school...i really hope something is done...and may i say... Thank you...Its individuals like you who make a difference...I hope to make a difference as well...As soon as i graduate I will also write a letter...I may write a letter to Obama!...if we get together and make a statement things will begin to look out for us...thank you very much...god bless :redbeathe:redbeathe

[SunshineRN79]

Oh you should send it to Obama and EVERYONE else in between. I have changed some wording around and sent it to everyone including the Pres.! I hope you don't have to write a letter, but if you do I can't wait to see it!

[WondeR.N.]

While you're at it, be sure to thank Schumer, Obama and your other Congressional representatives for shamefully ramming through a pork-filled "health care reform bill" that will make it even more difficult for us to find jobs, thanks to hospitals' increased fiscal uncertainty and reduced reimbursement rates. I graduated in May 2009, and I still don't have a job.

[elprup, BSN, RN]

i've written so many letters as well. i made a list (with emails/contact info) of all those i sent mine to. here goes my list...(i am in ca, so some obviously may not apply) if you want to send your letter on to them as well. sorry it's wicked long.

*abc contact anybody and everybody related to abc news and send your story at http://abcnews.go.com/site/page?id=3068843

*abc channel 7 news california copy & paste your story here http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/feature?section=news/videos_photos&id=5788268

*american academy of nursing. the aan serves the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, syntheses, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. washington, dc office, 888 17th street, nw, suite 800, washington, dc 20006. phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected]

*american association of colleges of nursing http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ aacn is the national voice for america's baccalaureate and higher-degree nursing education programs. its main goal is the establishment of quality standards for nursing students who are working to obtain their bachelor and graduate degrees by helping the nursing profession improve healthcare through its influence, and by promoting public support of nursing education, research, and best practices. director: jennifer butlin, email at [email protected]

[color=#404b55]* american nurses association/american nurses credentialing center

8515 georgia avenue, suite 400, silver spring, md 20910-3492

301-628-5000, 301-628-5001 (fax), 1-800-274-4ana (4262)

editor, the american nurse: [email protected]

ethics issues: [email protected]

federal and state lobbying: [email protected][color=#3366ff]

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*american nurses association california, 1121 l street suite #409, sacramento, ca 95814

916-447-0225, 916-442-4394 fax. send your story to [email protected]

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*american nurses foundation, the anf is a national philanthropic organization that promotes the continued growth and development of nurses and services to advance the work of the nursing profession. [color=#404b55]8515 georgia ave. suite 400, silver spring, md 20910

e-mail: [email protected][color=#404b55] phone: [phone] fax: [phone]

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**california institute for nursing & health care [phone] www.cinhc.org

to better understand the current scarcity of rn jobs, including those for new graduates, cinhc conducted a nursing employer survey from march through may 2009 and recently solicited response to the data at meetings throughout california entitled the graduate workforce study. it was really informative.

[color=#3366ff]send your story to deloras jones, executive director at [email protected]

[color=#3366ff]and nikki west, project coordinator at [email protected]

[color=#3366ff]and diane welch, project director at [email protected]

*cbs send your story at http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml?tag=ftr

*chicago tribune cut & paste your story at http://www.chicagotribune.com/about/chi-email-newstips,0,2569758.customform

*cnn, send your story to http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11b.html?1

*congress.org go to http://www.congress.org/ and type in your zip code and send your story to your rep.

*fox news, www.foxnews.com send your story to [email protected] especially in relation to anita vogel’s 1/25/2010 article entitled “recession proof jobs”, where she states, “according to a recent survey by forbes magazine, health care is the most solid industry offering careers with job security. registered nurses topped the list as the number one most recession proof job, in part because there is a nursing shortage across the country” (http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/01/25/recession-proof-jobs/).

*interagency collaborative on nursing statistics (icons) promotes the generation and utilization of data, information, and research about nurses, nursing education, and the nursing workforce. email your story to email: [email protected]

*international association for human care, http://www.humancaring.org/ president donna taliaferro, phd, rn phone: [phone] fax: [phone]. email: [email protected]

*international council of nurses icn is a federation of national nurses’ associations (nnas), representing nurses in more than 128 countries. founded in 1899, icn is the world’s first and widest reaching international organization for health professionals. operated by nurses for nurses, icn works to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, the advancement of nursing knowledge, and the presence worldwide of a respected nursing profession and a competent and satisfied nursing workforce. email your story to [email protected]

*los angeles times. send your story to editor at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-op-email-form,0,3054191.customform

*national federation of licensed practical nurses, [color=#3789ac]executive director

charlene barbour send your story to [email protected]

*national league for nursing, www.nln.org [color=#40403e]at the nln, we welcome your comments and queries. send your story to office of ceo [email protected] , general info [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]

*national public radio, www.npr.org cut & paste your idea for a story http://help.npr.org/ics/support/default.asp?deptid=5670&task=ticket

*nbc dateline, send your story to [email protected]

*nbc nightly news with brian williams, send your story to [email protected]

*newsweek. www.newsweek.com

letters to the editor for the u.s. print edition: send your story to [email protected]

mailing address: newsweek 395 hudson st., new york, ny 10014

**new york times, in regards to article by sarah tompkins (http://nwitimes.com/news/local/article_72575cfb-a853-57ab-ad63-179f857501dc.html) where , “carol schuster, chief nursing officer at st. anthony medical center in crown point, said clinical partnerships also help hospitals see if a student would be a good hire. but right now, hospitals do not have many openings, she said, because of the economy”. that is the only line that references the new grad nursing job shortage. tompkins reasoning for the so called nursing shortage was based on the lack of faculty – which is one dimension to this problem. send story to [email protected]

[phone] | posted: sunday, january 3, 2010 12:10 am

also, to send comments and suggestions (about news coverage only) or to report errors that call for correction, e-mail [email protected] . to contact a reporter, click on the byline of one of his or her articles to access the reader e-mail form. you can also find any reporter's archive here (alphabetized by last name; reporters' names are italicized): times topics: people

the editors [email protected] [email protected]

the newsroom [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

*nsna headquartersnational student nurses' association, 45 main street, suite 606, brooklyn, ny 11201

telephone: [phone], fax: [phone], web site: www.nsna.org

send your story to: [email protected]

*[color=#333333]nurse.com[color=#333333], home of nursing spectrum and nurseweek, a leading source of local and national nursing news, nursing jobs, nurse continuing education, and a thriving nurse community. leave your story at bottom of http://www.nurse.com/contact.cfm

**nurses for a healthier tomorrow (nht) is a coalition of 43 nursing and health care organizations working together to wage a communications campaign to attract people to the nursing profession. http://www.nursesource.org/mission.html the nation is facing a potentially dangerous nursing shortage. the risk of a major nursing shortage is both short and long-term, and is more serious in some geographic areas than others. rather than wait until the problem is severe and patients are at risk, nht is working now to heighten awareness about the looming nursing shortage and the excellent opportunities that await those who seek a career in nursing. send your story to [email protected]

*the nursing organizations alliance™ is a coalition of nursing organizations united to create a strong voice for nurses. http://www.nursing-alliance.org/ phone: [phone] fax: [phone]

send your story to: [email protected]

*oprah.com, contact directors to tell your story to oprah’s directors at http://www.oprah.com/ownshow/plug_form.html?plug_id=216

**propublica & the los angeles times. great journalists to send your story to [email protected], email: [email protected], these two authors have written great news stories like: when caregivers harm: problem nurses stay on the job as patients suffer, loose reins on nurses in drug abuse program, and tons more (view all at major stories at http://www.propublica.org/series/nurses ).

*san francisco chronicle, news tips, if you have a story idea or breaking news tips, e-mail [email protected].

*service employees international union (seiu.org). a labor union for nurses working to improve patient care, enhance the nursing profession, and build a better future for nurses and their families. tell us what's going on and what you'd like to see covered on the seiu blog by emailing us at [email protected]

* do you have an enormous medical bill/cobra monthly payment? send an electronic bill to washington at http://medbill.seiu.org/ just fill in the 7 blanks (name, zip, bill/info, amount) and off it’ll go.

*.sigma theta tau international

honor society of nursing providing leadership and scholarship in practice, education, and research to enhance the health of all people. send your story to [email protected]

*usa today. copy and paste your story at http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=12

news articles that did not tell the whole/real story about nursing shortage

*http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/442/

nurses needed from pbs

*http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/04/27/newscolumn3.html

friday, april 24, 2009, philanthropy journal, “nonprofit works to end nurse shortage” triangle business journal - by todd cohen

* story at http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/faq/nursing_shortage.html

“what is the nursing shortage and why does it exist?” contact the center for nursing advocacy

p.o. box 11197, takoma park, maryland (md) 20913 usa, phone [phone]

send comments to [email protected], alert us to a good/bad portrayal of nursing in media at

[email protected]

*kathleen a. ream, ansr alliance contact, 6534 marlo drive, falls church, virginia 20042.

tel. [phone]

send your story to [email protected] americans for nursing shortage relief, entitled testimony of the americans for nursing shortage relief (ansr) alliance

regarding fy 2010 appropriations for nursing workforce development programs

subcommittee on labor, health and human services, education and related agencies

committee on appropriations, united states house of representatives

may 1, 2009, located at http://www.aone.org/aone/advocacy/letters/fy2010housetestimony.pdf

[monlee]

Awesome!!! You guys are so proactive! We SO need jobs for new grads!

[SunshineRN79]

Cool!! Thanks! My letter will reinforce your letter!!

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

I graduate in 5 weeks, and hopefully the hospital Ive been employed with for 3 years will overlook the whole "we're attempting magnet status" to open a spot for little ol me (mind you, 3/5 nurses have their associates)

After reading your post, its brought a very ominous very real awareness to the situation. I really hope you find something soon.

[BigBoy75]

I graduate in 5 weeks, and hopefully the hospital Ive been employed with for 3 years will overlook the whole "we're attempting magnet status" to open a spot for little ol me (mind you, 3/5 nurses have their associates)

After reading your post, its brought a very ominous very real awareness to the situation. I really hope you find something soon.

I think they will bump you up to a RN. I just got hired at a hospital, everyone got in by knowing someone in management except me. There on person who was a CNA and now became a nurse. We"re in our 1st week of orientation, and every educator during our orientation praises him and encourage all of us to follow his example and continue to go to school. Also its 6 new grads, they creating a position for all of us. They still don't know where to put us, so I'm sure they'll create a position for you. Also everyone who graduated with me who has your circumstances were all bump up to RN at there hospital.