COVID-19, Nursing shortage, and Nursing Students

[Reggie445]

Many clinicals for nursing programs have been cancelled due to COVID-19 yet nurses are needed more than ever. Delaying future nurses is not a solution to this problem and much learning is done on the job after graduating. It may help future nurses to graduate sooner rather than later to be better prepared if COVID-19 lasts longer than a few more weeks or months. Also this set-up treatment sites will need staff (aka nurses and doctors) but many states can not depart with their own. By allowing senior nursing students to graduate now they have a better chance of getting the training they need for this situation it will also help increase the number of available healthcare workers with stealing from other needed areas. Please take time to consider this petition and sign if you agreed to graduating senior nursing students..... I am not saying that these students are ready, I am saying that graduating them earlier gives them a better chance to be ready by allowing more training time. There is the possibility that they will officially graduate and enter the workforce when this situation is at its worst and there is very limited training time for them. https://www.change.org/p/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-the-healthcare-system-is-in-dire-need-let-senior-nursing-students-graduate?recruiter=1060099439&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=253a9fa0-6c94-11ea-b075-cda65030bef3&utm_content=fht-20953287-en-us%3Av2

[Smilla]

HI everyone,

sorry for my English, here in Italy we have the same problem now, there is a big luck of doctors and nurses above all in North Italy. So the government allowed doctors (who have not finished their internship) to work . The same with nurses. I have been working as a nurse for more than 25 years and I see it as a mistake. They need people to help in many different aspects of nursing, as the collegue said above.

We have a big luck of respirators as well, the situation is they have saved money in the past with healthcare professionals, now we are not able to afford an emergency in the right way. I know and I can say that the collegues in Lombardia (north part of Italy nera Milano where we have the biggest epidemia and where everything began) are doing miracles to take care of Covid patients.

So, same story everywhere, and you have private healthcare, if I think well. Haven't you?

P.S. I big your pardon for my English again, I cannot write well, but I understand very well what you write and say. Good luck everyone!

[Hematocrit13]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, I have yet to read every single reply. Along with some colleagues, I am considering working in a Covid-impacted area, but beyond the state hospitals in Washington state, I have not been able to find out how to know where to apply. Would be very grateful for posting of resources that point us in the right direction. Thank you.

[swishmochajava]

So, I currently just asked my agency to let me get in to one of the hospitals that are heavily impacted by covid 19. I have 6 months less of hospital experience and that is why I can't get into this disaster zones, which is actually an eye opener, to say the least.

The problem is, I recently got hired into an LTC through another travel nurse agency and had left the same place since January of this year (my last shift, I took care of 7 residents that was tested positive for influenza ??). I didn't have this work experience in my resume because it was so short that it may just have a negative impact on my "hire-ability".

Most nurses are willing to help, but I was wondering if there are other considerations as to how nursing organizations and hospital would figure out how to take in nurses with less acute care experience to get in during this pandemic.

[peeweedelivery]

I am an experienced RN/labor and delivery. I don't have a Washington license, but I hold an active license in many other states. I applied for a travel job in Washington because the recruiter said he had been told that they would let me work on my Idaho license; not true. Washington at this time will not allow you to come work for them on another states license.

[Erica10]

I question whether hospitals have the time/resources or are willing to train nursing students/new grads at a time like this? I recently graduated a few months ago and have been applying to positions but haven't been able to get anything. As someone who doesn't have much health care experience outside of nursing school I don't know how much help I would be to COVID patients now. I have still been applying to med-surg and non-critical care units recently in hopes that maybe hospitals will be more open to hiring now. However I'm still being denied these positions. I wouldn't mind working at a time like this but I would still need proper training and PPE protection to keep myself and patients safe. It doesn't seem like either of those things are guaranteed during this time.

[roman35]

I am a nurse with over 10 years of experience, disagree to put student nurses into hospitals to fill ups shortages at this pandemic time. They will be exposed to the virus without appropriate protection, and will increase % of infected medical staff. We will lose nurses reserves and battle against the COVID will be lost. Hospital has to have supplies (PPE for all medical staff). Just imagine the picture of student nurse with partial PPE or without PPE caring the pt with COVID-19

[chulada77, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

On 3/24/2020 at 1:13 PM, sunny12u said:

Hi, I am currently an RN and because I chose not begin my career right after graduation, (obviously this was a BIG mistake) and because of that fact, I have never worked as an RN. I did not receive any offers for a residency. I passed the NCLEX in 75 questions and kept current on my BLS, ACLS and went on to attain an ENPC, TNCC cert. to keep my head in the game.

I chose to continue working with the job I had because of financial and family obligations. I have continued to apply for jobs over the years and realize that unless I could get a residency or go back and complete a refresher course that I would never work as an RN.

Now we have this Covid-19 crisis and I am willing and ready to join the RN core. However, because I do not have the minimum required 1 year of acute care experience, I am still considered not hirable. I am truly sorry that I did not take more initiative. Timing is everything so they say.

I am hoping this crisis will end soon and I am praying for all the nurses. I hope they be able to sustain themselves thru it and survive this catastrophe.

It’s a blessing that an acute position esp the ER has not hired you. Right now is not the time for a green nurse to enter into a volatile setting like the ER or ICU. I m ER (trauma background) but working in pacu and I m a bit apprehensive about going into the ER because I m aware any contact risk will go WAY up.
Start easy......be smart about what u choose.