A 1,000,000 National RN shortage by 2010?

U.S.A. Arizona

Published

Thats what I read in a book that was in the medical reference section at barns and noble today, but i cant for the LIFE of me recall the name of that book ( the cover had a RN sitting on a bench with her hands in her face) All i know it was a pretty depressing book to read about how understaffed the facilities around the nation are now and just a variety of other pressure :chair: . Anyway I just wanted to know if anyone else has heard of a number like that recently? That almost seems impossible I would conclude our health system scattering to bits if that ended up happing, in fact, we would have no health care period . I at one point I had a fear about when i get out of the program (2007) that i would have problems finding work. How wrong i was apparently.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Thats what I read in a book that was in the medical reference section at barns and noble today, but i cant for the LIFE of me recall the name of that book ( the cover had a RN sitting on a bench with her hands in her face) All i know it was a pretty depressing book to read about how understaffed the facilities around the nation are now and just a variety of other pressure :chair: . Anyway I just wanted to know if anyone else has heard of a number like that recently? That almost seems impossible I would conclude our health system scattering to bits if that ended up happing, in fact, we would have no health care period . I at one point I had a fear about when i get out of the program (2007) that i would have problems finding work. How wrong i was apparently.

The cover sounds like "Nursing Against the Odds" by Suzanne Gordon, although I don't remember that stat in the book. But buy this book anyway - it's an enlightening and engrossing, if depressing, read. I couldn't put it down.

MY take - gov't will react, however slowly and clear the way for more teachers (the real problem) and provide goodies to draw nurses back in to the fold (a close 2nd problem).

In the meantime, until Uncle Sam sweetens my life with incentives, my employer will have to bite the bullet and just keep on paying me more.

You won't find me complaining too much about a shortage. As little as 5 yrs ago, I would have been lucky to be offered 20 dollars an hour as a seasoned Critical Care RN. Now, an employer would be lucky to find a CCRN that commands less than 30. I literally make twice as much an hour as I did when I started in 1993, and a third more than I made in 2000.

At that rate, nursing will be a six figure income job before 2015 - before overtime is considered.

What's not to like?

~faith,

Timothy.

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AND WE SHOULD...command a six figure income. With evrything I have experienced in nursing over the years we can't have enough. $$$superseeds everything unless I can find an employer that treats me right. Sorry, I didn't read the book but I'm very opinionated without the added info. Can't read anymore because my brain is full and on hiatus.

The cover sounds like "Nursing Against the Odds" by Suzanne Gordon, although I don't remember that stat in the book. But buy this book anyway - it's an enlightening and engrossing, if depressing, read. I couldn't put it down.

MY take - gov't will react, however slowly and clear the way for more teachers (the real problem) and provide goodies to draw nurses back in to the fold (a close 2nd problem).

In the meantime, until Uncle Sam sweetens my life with incentives, my employer will have to bite the bullet and just keep on paying me more.

You won't find me complaining too much about a shortage. As little as 5 yrs ago, I would have been lucky to be offered 20 dollars an hour as a seasoned Critical Care RN. Now, an employer would be lucky to find a CCRN that commands less than 30. I literally make twice as much an hour as I did when I started in 1993, and a third more than I made in 2000.

At that rate, nursing will be a six figure income job before 2015 - before overtime is considered.

What's not to like?

~faith,

Timothy.

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CNN yesterday said that the shortage would be at least 800,000 by 2010. There are 2.2 million nurses now, and they will need 3 million by then. Sorry that I don't have a link, was listening to CNN in the car.

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MSNBC had a good report on the nursing shortage over noc. It's not the job for me...I can do it...It's how I am treated by the employer and the financial risk of taking care of humans when we are human.

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
CNN yesterday said that the shortage would be at least 800,000 by 2010. There are 2.2 million nurses now, and they will need 3 million by then. Sorry that I don't have a link, was listening to CNN in the car.

I saw the same report on CNN yesterday. Looked for a link to this story online, but couldn't find one. Hardly a day goes by as I walk to my office in the E.D., when I am not reminded of the ramifications of this shortage. Every treatment room is filled with sick men, women and children, with more lined up on stretchers at the entrance to the department waiting to be admitted. In the meantime, the nursing vacancies in this hospital keep getting longer AND longer, with no end in sight. God help us. :o

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

The nursing shortage is sure to continue since the fastest growing segment of our population is those over the age of 65 years. Money talks and Uncle Sam is going to have to provide more money so that instructors are compensated appropriately. I've said it before - while I have an MSN, I can't afford to work as an instructor because I would take a pay cut! Fix the system.

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I remember back in 1999 I had a severe case of the flu, and the closest hospital to my house was thunderbird medical center (it was not banner then), anyways it was about 8pm at so I had to use the ER entrance, and I couldn't believe what I saw when I got in there. I bet you there were 60-75 people STACKED UP in the ER waiting room. It was so over crowded that there were people laying on the floor for god sakes, and the triage nurse looked like she wanted to jump of off the hospitals roof. Needless to say, I didn't even get to triage I just left. (even though myself I felt so sick I thought I was about to die) I was not even interested in healthcare back then and even at 17 i knew this looked like a huge problem. I know T-bird has gotten a face lift sense banner took them over, but has anyone ever seen something that crazy in the ER waiting room to where people were literary laying on the floor all over? :selfbonk:

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I remember back in 1999 I had a severe case of the flu, and the closest hospital to my house was thunderbird medical center (it was not banner then), anyways it was about 8pm at so I had to use the ER entrance, and I couldn't believe what I saw when I got in there. I bet you there were 60-75 people STACKED UP in the ER waiting room. It was so over crowded that there were people laying on the floor for god sakes, and the triage nurse looked like she wanted to jump of off the hospitals roof. Needless to say, I didn't even get to triage I just left. (even though myself I felt so sick I thought I was about to die) I was not even interested in healthcare back then and even at 17 i knew this looked like a huge problem. I know T-bird has gotten a face lift sense banner took them over, but has anyone ever seen something that crazy in the ER waiting room to where people were literary laying on the floor all over? :selfbonk:

That's crazy. I'm glad I don't live there.

Z

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
I remember back in 1999 I had a severe case of the flu, and the closest hospital to my house was thunderbird medical center (it was not banner then), anyways it was about 8pm at so I had to use the ER entrance, and I couldn't believe what I saw when I got in there. I bet you there were 60-75 people STACKED UP in the ER waiting room. It was so over crowded that there were people laying on the floor for god sakes, and the triage nurse looked like she wanted to jump of off the hospitals roof. Needless to say, I didn't even get to triage I just left. (even though myself I felt so sick I thought I was about to die) I was not even interested in healthcare back then and even at 17 i knew this looked like a huge problem. I know T-bird has gotten a face lift sense banner took them over, but has anyone ever seen something that crazy in the ER waiting room to where people were literary laying on the floor all over? :selfbonk:

The ER at St Joe's is horrendous. Sometimes the wait is OVER 24 HOURS! Of course if you present with chest pain or are vomiting blood they take you right away though. All the ERs are like this in Phoenix.......one of the major problems is people use them for primary care. Banner Thunderbird is acutally not that bad now - but the wait is still HOURS. I have learned the hard way (with both my parents) that the quickest ticket into the ER is with an ambulance. But that's gonna cost you - bill from Phoenix fire department and ambulance to take my mom to arrowhead for ruptured bowel w/peritonitis......$500, straight admission to ER........priceless.

Cheers,

Lu Ann

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

I waited less than an hour to get seen at JCL Deer Valley at 10:30 pm...for a cat bite....:)

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I waited less than an hour to get seen at JCL Deer Valley at 10:30 pm...for a cat bite....:)

was this a UofA student who bit you?

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