Are nursing jobs going to get any better?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

I'm optimistic that the job situation will someday improve. Perhaps not now, but maybe five years from now things will be better. There's no nursing shortage in most parts of the U.S. There's even a surplus of too many nurses in some cities and states. Contrary to popular belief, nursing is certainly NOT the recession-proof career that people make it out to be.

Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements are lower than ever. This has affected areas of nursing such as acute care hospitals, hospice, home health, long term care facilities, rehab, clinics, doctors' offices, and so forth. These low reimbursement rates mean less money available to pay nursing staff.

During hard economic times, patients avoid having elective surgeries because they are fearful of taking the time off work that is needed for full recovery, which results in low hospital census on the units that depend on postoperative cases (ortho, med/surg, PACU, SICU, acute rehab, etc.). When hospital census is low, less nurses are needed to keep the floor running.

More people are unemployed during recessions, and as a result, have lost medical insurance. Uninsured people are not likely to get healthcare unless it is an absolute emergency. In addition, medical bills incurred by uninsured patients go unpaid, which means less money for healthcare facilities. The hospitals must absorb the losses.

Part-time nurses, PRN/per diem nurses, and semi-retired nurses accept full-time positions during recessions to keep their households afloat when the breadwinner spouse suddenly loses his/her job. Retired nurses are reactivating their nursing licenses and returning to the nursing workforce due to the high costs of food and fuel, and the effects of depleted retirement funds. Since all of these experienced nurses are returning to the nursing employment market, this means less jobs available for all of the new graduate nurses that are being funneled into local job markets every few months.

While these developments might not apply to the town, city, or state in which you live, it is certainly happening in many places across the U.S. The jobs tend to be in places where most people do not desire to live (read: North Dakota), more rural areas, and towns that do not have any nursing schools located within a 100 mile radius. The pay is probably going to be very low due to regional differences in the cost of living, and the working conditions might be very, very crappy.

kabooski · May 30, 2011

good reply nailed it. ^

As I'm walking into my College and I see the dozens of ADN nursing students in there uniforms. I'm wondering where will all these people gets Jobs at? Then there are same if not more going to straight to BSN like myself.

Within 50 Miles radius there are at least 12 Colleges that Crank Out RN's

With only 2 competing Hospital chains to chose from. That is 600+ students each year looking for Jobs

How many openings do you think there are for non experienced RN's each year for all these graduates?

That is 600 to 800 New Graduates competing with Hundreds of experianced Nurses from the South East, if not the whole USA and Beyond. The past 10 years there has been an EXPLOSION of Nursing schools brought on by the "for profit chain colleges" Like Keiser University,Herzing, Brown, etc

Colleges are reporting the highest enrollments rates in decades. Our parking lots are busting at the seems.

People who got laid off "tens of millions" are chasing after jobs that can offer security. Turns out, "Nursing" is one of those.

The "critical nursing shortage"

The Nursing shortage is so bad. Even the President had a press conference to address this critical shortage

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/resources/video/recommended/pres-obama-addresses-nursing-shortage.html

ktliz · May 30, 2011

The economy is going to get better. It may never get back to pre-recession levels, but it is improving. Additionally, the baby boomers will have to retire at some point. Some may work until they physically can't anymore, and some may feel comfortable retiring as the economy improves. So, there will be job openings.

As far as the number of nurses hoping to land those job openings, I can see it going either way. We may wind up in a nursing shortage, or it may remain somewhat difficult to get a job. However, I think the last few years were the low point.

danh3190 · May 30, 2011

A lot of the middle aged and older RNs are going to be retiring and turning into patients themselves in the next decade, so I'm hopeful that my young friends in nursing school may someday have good jobs.

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

I'm not sure if it is getting better or maybe just better for experienced RN's.

I am NOT comparing myself to new nurses - folks, I know it is a tough world out there and jobs (any - not just the pick) are very competitive and sometimes just impossible to find locally. It does seem that certain regions are better than others for finding work.

I used to get calls every week from recruiters - travel and perm placement. This was from 05/06/07 - then the economy soured and the calls STOPPED. Of course I was working and not looking so no big deal (at least for me at that time).

Then in late 09 through 2010 - the calls picked up to maybe one a month or so.

In the last 3 months they have really started calling, email, texting (at least 1 week) and I just saw a 20K sign-on for experienced ICU RN's for a hospital where my dad lives in eastern KY. (I will refrain from sharing my position on this hospital - except, for me, 20K would not even make me want to interview!)

This month I have been contacted by 7 different placement companies (travel and perm - perm alone has sent me 11 positions) & 4 hospitals directly (email, mail and phone). They seem well balanced - though the Northeast and Midwest seem to have an edge.

I am not looking for work - but, if I was I could see this as a very positive sign.

Maybe we can find this increase in recruiting as a sign that things are improving - a bit of cautious optimism may be on the horizon.

:angel: