Causes Of The Nursing Shortage

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Specializes in LTAC, home health, hospice, geriatric.

Just wondering.... We have all heard of the huge nursing shortage and that it is only going to get worse right???? Why is it then that pay and staffing conditions are not examined closer by the public or ourselves for that matter. It would stand to reason that if you needed someone to do a job that was in great demand pay would be higher. As for nurses, why is it that we have grown so accustom to taking the corporate crap? CONSTANT staffing shortages, low pay (hospitals in kansas pay less than home health, hospice, nursing homes -you name it) While pay n nursing homes and very limited acute care settings is slightly higher there is still no staff? Hmmm wonder why? Last as nurses we are thought of as caring people, but allow those we care for to be neglected by accepting assignments that are unsafe. ( 1 nurse to 57 pt? with 1 CNA maybe). We no longer seem to care for ourselves, our license, our profession or our patients when we allow these conditions to continue.....

SO, then it is what can we do? I'm not exactly sure but something. There is a blog site for bad tippers that waitresses can go to to let others know... We need to form one for facilities maybe? Or maybe it is as simple as standing up and saying NO. I mean really they might fire you but hey with the staffing being the way it is all the shifts to sign up for posted I don't see a long line of replacements. Eventually when there is no one there to clock in those famous administrative words " I'll do it myself" as they sneak out the back door. Corporations, the State Board of Nursing, And maybe even families will begin to care about the caring profession.

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Nothing is going to happen until the nurse's get their act together and say I've had enough! Management is not going to listen unless they see solidarity from the nursing staff. The ratios in nursing homes are ridiculous yet the nurses accept it. The workload for nurses in the hospital setting is also unreal. I don't have any answers but I do know that we as nurses are going to have the make the first move if we want our working conditions to improve.

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Nothing is going to happen until the nurse's get their act together and say I've had enough! Management is not going to listen unless they see solidarity from the nursing staff. The ratios in nursing homes are ridiculous yet the nurses accept it. The workload for nurses in the hospital setting is also unreal. I don't have any answers but I do know that we as nurses are going to have the make the first move if we want our working conditions to improve.

Nurses also can help their cause by finding ways to debunk the myth that nursing is a COST center for hospitals. Because competent nursing staff and safe staffing ratios help to prevent medical errors, increase patient safety and lead to better patient outcomes, nurses -- the backbone of any hospital -- actually SAVE their employers money.

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just wondering.... we have all heard of the huge nursing shortage and that it is only going to get worse right???? why is it then that pay and staffing conditions are not examined closer by the public or ourselves for that matter. it would stand to reason that if you needed someone to do a job that was in great demand pay would be higher. as for nurses, why is it that we have grown so accustom to taking the corporate crap? constant staffing shortages, low pay (hospitals in kansas pay less than home health, hospice, nursing homes -you name it) while pay n nursing homes and very limited acute care settings is slightly higher there is still no staff? hmmm wonder why? last as nurses we are thought of as caring people, but allow those we care for to be neglected by accepting assignments that are unsafe. ( 1 nurse to 57 pt? with 1 cna maybe). we no longer seem to care for ourselves, our license, our profession or our patients when we allow these conditions to continue.....

so, then it is what can we do? i'm not exactly sure but something. there is a blog site for bad tippers that waitresses can go to to let others know... we need to form one for facilities maybe? or maybe it is as simple as standing up and saying no. i mean really they might fire you but hey with the staffing being the way it is all the shifts to sign up for posted i don't see a long line of replacements. eventually when there is no one there to clock in those famous administrative words " i'll do it myself" as they sneak out the back door. corporations, the state board of nursing, and maybe even families will begin to care about the caring profession.

so, are you saying...not necessarily union (which i don't have a full understanding of how a union works), but something nationally that will make facilities accountable for payment, treatment and working conditions? something that would apply pressure, so that they would have to make changes..??..?? is there not anything out there like that yet?

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I don't know if anyone has already done this or not, but I think some research into why inactive nurses are inactive might be informative. I know that there will be some who don't have to work, some who have chronic illnesses, and so forth, but I've always suspected that there are a lot who just can't put up with working conditions any more.

I think this would be a great avenue for research for someone working on a doctorate with a management/administration focus.

I think it would be worthwhile to ask people who left, why, and what if anything would bring them back.

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

MiFliGirl,

I have wondered this very thing...and so often.

It's almost like those nurses who have "moved on" or "progressed" into management/admin. have become traitors or something. Or are they just spineless? Nah, I think they just really don't care. It's as though, they "did their time" on the front line and when they made that decision to "move on" and begin taking care of themselves, well, they could no longer relate to the front line in some sort of dissociative way. And what better way to dissociate than to either develop contempt for or be completely numb to the object of dissociation? You'd think they would be the most sympathetic, having been there. But no...they sold out.

Sorry to ramble. Been awake for about 22 hours.

Tell you what though... there needs to be some kind of pressure on these damn greedy corporations who in all actuality put profits before people. These execs are either the most ignorant or most evil people (I tend to think the latter). If they could just be in our shoes for even half a shift, things might be very different!

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We can discuss why we nurses have taken this kind of abuse till the cows come home, lets look forward and do what is most logical, GET A UNION, a good strong powerful one. Then with the help of a union we can get state and federal LAWS that mandate staff/pt. ratios, working conditions, laws that protect the nurse whistleblower, etc. No clout, no voice, NO CHANGE.

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Specializes in critical care.

Nursing does need solidarity, yet from what I've seen during my time, most nurses do not stand together. They are too busy complaining, or turning on one another to work as a UNIT. I do not think that unionization will work until every nurse in the country can stand together and say, "NO I will not work like this." it will take a massive walkout to change anything, and lets face it, are you really ready to do that and shortchange your patients? Management will continue to force their crap down your throats as long as we let them.:nono:

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
we can discuss why we nurses have taken this kind of abuse till the cows come home,.

that is the topic...unions would be a totally different discussion, so run with it if you'd like to start a thread.:idea:

i agree that removing nursing care from the "room and board" charges is an important first step. we are not part of the building; we are a separate valuable health care resource.

there is an older semi-fictional book titled "nurse" by echo heron that says it all on the cover......

"doctors don't keep you alive [in the hospital]

nurses do!!:bow:

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Specializes in LTAC, home health, hospice, geriatric.
MiFliGirl,

I have wondered this very thing...and so often.

It's almost like those nurses who have "moved on" or "progressed" into management/admin. have become traitors or something. Or are they just spineless? Nah, I think they just really don't care. It's as though, they "did their time" on the front line and when they made that decision to "move on" and begin taking care of themselves, well, they could no longer relate to the front line in some sort of dissociative way. And what better way to dissociate than to either develop contempt for or be completely numb to the object of dissociation? You'd think they would be the most sympathetic, having been there. But no...they sold out.

Sorry to ramble. Been awake for about 22 hours.

Tell you what though... there needs to be some kind of pressure on these damn greedy corporations who in all actuality put profits before people. These execs are either the most ignorant or most evil people (I tend to think the latter). If they could just be in our shoes for even half a shift, things might be very different!

I often wonder if maybe we as nurses should be helping the attorney and familes to punish the corporations financially, it seems that money has become their only real concern and the best way to get the attention.

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Most nurses choose their career because they want to help people. They feel it is emotionally draining when they can't provide adequate care due to poor staffing. The **** hits the fan, they give up, and leave the profession or go in to management. Just the other night, we had 48 residents w/ one nurse, one CNA overnight. Staffing did not make calls to agency and pools. The one nurse submitted her resignation letter the following morning.

Another factor, lack of funding in higher education. The only schools with spots are the ones chargind 30k a year that don't rely on pulic funding. Taxes are being sent everywhere but where they need to logically go.

Also, crappy pay for instructors. An MSN nurse can make much more outside of education that within it. Even if schools had the funding to expand, they wouldn't be able to hire enough inctructors.

Also, I see too often people going in to nursing for the wrong reason, and don't make it long after graduation. I would have taken their spot!

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