ANA petitions Feds (educ. funding) for 1.1 million more RN's within 8 yrs.

Nurses Activism

Published

AGAIN???

Sept. 4, 2014 report. Say it it ain't so.

Anyone read the ANA Smartbrief this morning?

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-308014/ANA-Calls-for-Federal-Funding-to-Bolster-RN-Training

They cite US BLS forecasts for a shortage of nurses, and recommend to spend more money (over $500 million more) to increase nursing school programs to meet the projected shortage. And, after all, "there are throngs of qualified nursing school candidates unable to obtain a seat in programs due to a lack of adequate space to accommodate them." (Loosely quoted from the article.)

I am most definitely not qualified to make rational, reasoned arguments for or against at this point, because I am at the moment...feeling rather emotional.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
Well, you could...gasp!!!...relocate to an area with more openings and fewer graduates. Just a thought.

That's not always a great option. My family is close to where I live and my Mom and in-laws are getting older so I expect it will be up to me and my husband to help them as we are the only adult children close by. I also have my kids close to here, and while I won't object if they move someday I would prefer to not be the one doing the leaving. Moving would also require not just me getting new employment, but my husband would have to find something too. Not to mention I own my house, and could never afford a comparable home in an area with high real estate costs.

Now for somebody without family responsibilities, moving might be a great option. For me though, not so much.

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Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.

Its ridiculous, instead of putting more money into nursing schools, put the money into new grad residency programs for nursing. That gives them the experience that they need to find a job.

It also addresses the current "nursing shortage" of experienced nurses. as it trains nurses to be experienced. And If there is an increase in new grad residency programs, nurses will be able to find jobs upon graduating and it becomes an incentive for people to become nurses due to the job stability, resulting in steadily providing labor for this supposed forecast of "nursing shortage due to retirement" nonsense that they spew.

investing in nursing schools only pumps out more new grads who arent gonna find any jobs, and when the experienced nurses retire, its going to mean an influx of non experienced nurses and no one to train them. throwing them to the sharks

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Specializes in Dialysis.

I wonder if ANA is also contributing to the advancements being made in robotics in Japan and South Korea. Japan is under great pressure due to the lack of young people to care for their old and think robots are the answer.

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Its ridiculous, instead of putting more money into nursing schools, put the money into new grad residency programs for nursing. That gives them the experience that they need to find a job.

No, it is ridiculous for the federal government to be putting $$$ to either.

People should invest (pay for) their own education. And healthcare institutions should invest in their own training of new nurses.

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Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.
No, it is ridiculous for the federal government to be putting $$$ to either.

People should invest (pay for) their own education. And healthcare institutions should invest in their own training of new nurses.

I don't find it ridiculous to fund new grad residency programs. It addresses the difficulty of finding a job for new grads due to experience, and satisfies the ana's supposed nursing shortage as it becomes an incentive to be a nurse.

Also we are talking about new grads, as in they graduated already so they already paid for their own education. Residency program is aimed to get them experience.

In the note about healthcare institutions investing in their own training of new nurses: if they were willing they would've hired new graduates nurses, but since they don't and the ana believes there's a nursing shortage despite the large amount of unemployed new graduates, I don't see a problem with the government subsidizing training by providing residency programs. Helps with unemployment levels and healthcare, sounds like a governmental interest to me.

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Specializes in corrections and LTC.

I am a nurse with 20 years' experience. If I wanted to go to nursing school now, I would look at the job market in the area I want to live. If the job market is saturated where you live, and you don't want to move, why on earth go to nursing school? If, however, there are a lot of openings; or you are willing to move, then by all means go to school. Please, some of you move to Wyoming, we really need nurses. LPNs, ADNs, no experience to management! Trust me, the market is not saturated here!

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
No, it is ridiculous for the federal government to be putting $$$ to either.

People should invest (pay for) their own education. And healthcare institutions should invest in their own training of new nurses.

I don't know your particular situation so I want to make a more general comment. I have noticed that many people, in particular the baby boomers, but not just them, who received heavily subsidized college educations, are often the most vocal "pay your own way!".

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Specializes in School nurse.

The best you say? New grads here have no choice but to work in LTC, rehab or home care to start. On average the "new grad" may get a PD hospital job about two years after graduating, if they are lucky. The other side of the coin is having connections and being male, not excellence. No offense intended, just reality from what I've seen.

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