Nursing Wages Rise, Shortage Continues (The Morning News)

Higher wages is great, but they need to look at the huge waiting lines at nursing schools. I know many people waiting to get into clincials, sometimes they can no longer wait and change their majors.

With so many opportunities available to the nurse with just one year of hospital experience, hospitals need to focus on retention. That sign on bonus that looked so attractive doesn't look so wonderful in the light of staffing issues, token raises in salary and the threat of being written up for anything short of calling off dead.

It's called sucker bait.

Alot of hospitals only hire new grads 2xs a year so you end up waiting 6 months just to get an interview. This has been my experience. Then I wonder humm nursing shortage? The reason why is because they train new grads in groups. Wish there was some other way. I'm going nuts.

In my country, Philippines, there are many qualified nurses wanting to work in US.Many of us have the necessary requirementsassing NCLEX-RN and English Exams (IELTS /TOEFL) and of course clinical experiences... yet we cannot easily go to US because of retrogression problem...theres no available visa for us...our employer in US promised for an 18 months or more in processing our papers..
If US government will only allocate more nursing visas, then it might lessen the nursing shortage in US...hospital ratio on nurseatients will be more conducive to true nursing care...

My grad experience was much different. It seemed that anyone NCLEX eligible was in the door for an interview and orientation within a matter of a few short days. It was like they couldn't get us quick enough.

The Dude, that is so correct! I am an LPN with undergraduate studies (about 110 credits toward a BS in RN). I have been put on an alternate list twice for RN but did not get into an ALT program (that's 2 years gone), then got discouraged and dropped back to a community college LPN program)which was great learning by the way, and then I hav looked into LPN to RN bridge. Well now I have to wait another year and a summer (next LPN-RN cycle class starts summer 2008). That is if I get in! Who knows how many people will be applying to that!

My point is I have transferred all my undergraduate university credits to an oline psychology Bachelors because I cannot afford to wait any longer to finish my bachelors degree! I started college in Fall 2000, was plugging along right on time set to graduate in a timely manor, and because there is limited space in these nursing programs I have been put back an extra 3 or 4 years. I am 35 and I do not want to keep waiting and reapplying every year! I have nothing left to take except a new major! If I don't get in this next time I am done applying for RN and I am still going to work on my BA in psyche this next year while I wait just in case! After so many years most universities expect a person to re-take certain classes if they get too old. I am not getting into that sitation!

I really aggravates me that there has not been space for me in these RN programs and now I am behind, paying on student loans for a degree I have not even finished because I have nothing else left to take! GRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Have you considered going to another area to go to school or another state?

At the community college (ADN program) I just graduated from there were thousands of applicants and only 120 spots. They added an accelerated program, but they are still lacking in clinical instructors. It is such a shame!

Wow, I have never heard of hospitals only doing interviews twice a year! I got an interview with 4 weeks of school left in Labor & Delivery and I got an offer within a week and a half! Now I just have to take my NCLEX!