New York City's Council Addresses Nursing Shortage

Another questionable media source perpetuating a myth despite the large number of unemployed nurses looking for jobs in NYC and elsewhere.

But then the Nude Pork Compost/New York Post is notorious for it's sensationalism, not to mention one sided stories, some of which have been against traveler nurses.

Are the local politicians in NYC completely disconnected from the real world? I would suggest to my colleagues in NYC that you should have a small "tea party" at the next council meeting to educate them on the fact that RNs are unable to actually find jobs in their precincts, perhaps they should encourage the hospitals to quite blaming a shortage for their choices NOT to hire.

Such crap.....so why are all these people here searching for jobs and cannot find one! I have seen people who have been job searching from 6 months to year to no avail..... THERE IS NO SHORTAGE...the recession ended it! The alternative is to move out of state.....you will find other states that are willing to hire you.....NY is not the place to be right now especially as a new grad.! Most hospitals prefer to hire experience nurses but what about the new grads...what becomes of them...and what happen when experience nurses retire.....what will they do then...scramble to hire stale new grads.... This is ridic...can't begin to tell you how frustrated this is for me!

The situation is the same in Ohio. I keep trying to spread the word that THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE...it is the hospitals'/facilities' reluctance to hire the adequate number of nurses to appropriately care for patients/residents, or whatever!

Obama is pushing for new nursing programs, and incentives to continue education from RN to MSN, so there will be more instructors. I think they are so behind the times...that was about 5 years ago. Now, here we are with educational debt, with no job or increase in salary (based on education) to pay the debt back...dropping us further and further into debt. If there is such a shortage, shouldn't the government be paying for all of us to become nurses? How about a tax-credit for any nurse with a resultant educational debt?

I just don't get it. How can we spread the word that there is no shortage. I have been looking all across the U.S., and don't see any place that is in dire need of nurses....no huge sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, tuition reimbursement, etc.

Wish we could all band together somehow to get the word out to the government officials...probably have to start at the bottom and work our way up. No nursing shortage here in Ohio, and no nursing jobs either!

Frustrated!

what nursing shortage? My class in NYC ALONE has graduated 120 students, not to mention all the other nursing schools that just graduated nurses the same time as me add in the seasoned nurses -- nobody is getting anything. If there is a shortage, then its a shortage of hiring.

There really never has been a true "nursing shortage"... just a shortage of nurses who do not want to put up with the crap that hospitals dough out on a daily basis. Its just with the economy now...hospitals are putting profits before patients!

Oh, there is a shortage alright. Just not the way the news and congress think there is. Hospitals, clinics, LTC facilities and all the rest just do not want to hire nurses. Especially experienced ones. It costs them too much. A few years ago, a hospital administrator here in Chicago actually did a newspaper interview where he came out and said that he will hire new grads whenever possible over an experienced nurse to keep costs down. I read that article and just said that it was about time someone admitted it. The shortage is in the short-sightedness of administrators of healthcare facilities who most definitely put money over patient care and safety. The nurses are there, experienced, great work ethic, but not getting jobs because no place will hire them. I once was told that the nursing shortage we hear about is really just a shortage of new RN grads in the system. That could be. Not very many new grads will put up with the garbage that we have (experienced RNs). They must be a smarter breed that I ever was.

Last time Hiliary Clinton talked of national health insurance or a single payer system hospital bed use dropped and we all lost our jobs, then many had to reapply. So there is the possibility hospital bed use is dropping also.

Looks like we're all in the same boat here. I got my license in September and since then I have gotten certifications in ACLS and PALS in hopes to increase my marketability. All this was to no avail...the "shortage" these hospitals are complaining about is definitely self-induced. I find it absolutely astounding that a field that encourages its RNs to continue their education and support the quality of the profession, does not expect its hospitals to do the same. They have a responsibility to help expand the nursing force if they expect to relieve their perceived shortage. It does nothing to keep recycling only the nurses with experience. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe this situation...impossible feels more like it, which really is a sad thing for us intelligent new grads who have so much to offer.