This might be a bit of a scary scenario, for many reasons, but...
Do you think the bedside nursing shortage will get so bad that the government will resort to conscription someday - essentially a "draft" requiring everyone do their bit to take care of our nation's ailing and elderly?
Can you envision a future where young people go to say, LPN bootcamp for intense training, and then are required to do a year of bedside nursing?
Anyway, that might seem a fantastical scenario; but maybe not so far out there.
It just seems that there are few incentives, and lots of counter-incentives, for young people to go into bedside nursing anymore, realistically speaking (i.e., other job options, the increasingly stressful and money-centered nature of health care, litigiousness, etc., etc., etc.)
I don't see it happening either. I know there is alway talk of "nursing shortage" and there is in some areas, but others are the opposite to many nurses and not enough employers. There are alway eager ppl out there that want to go to nursing school. but (like OP) 1. The 2yr wait list 2. The difference in classses required from not only school to school but state to state 3.The way nurses are treated by pt., family and employees. All these factor in one decision to be a nurse. I know some facilities have a horrible retention rate due to many reasons. I think there would be a tremendious turn around in the nursing profession if the above problems were address, but I really don't think that will happen in the near future.IMHO
No, I would think they would sooner give adequate funding to nursing schools so they can expand and let people without 4.0's in, and eliminate 2 year waitlists. There would be no nursing shortage if everyone with at least a 3.0 was given a shot to become a nurse.
There is no guarantee of that. It would not affect attrition at all. After all, there would be no nursing shortage if all the nurses who were already licensed were still working in nursing and continued to do so.
No, I don't see any such drafting of people to become nurses happening at all.
What I see happening, and it already is in some countries, is legalizing euthanasia.
That would decrease the need for nursing staff and also decrease the drain on federal and state governments to take care of the elderly.
NOT THAT I AGREE WITH IT. Totally the opposite.....I do NOT agree with such a thing. But that is what I see happening in the not too far distant future. It will also go over into other segments of the population such as babies born with extreme disabilities, the poor, indigent, and of course the elderly.
JUST MY OPINION. God forbid that such a thing ever happens.
No, I don't see any such drafting of people to become nurses happening at all.
What I see happening, and it already is in some countries, is legalizing euthanasia.
That would decrease the need for nursing staff and also decrease the drain on federal and state governments to take care of the elderly.
NOT THAT I AGREE WITH IT. Totally the opposite.....I do NOT agree with such a thing. But that is what I see happening in the not too far distant future. It will also go over into other segments of the population such as babies born with extreme disabilities, the poor, indigent, and of course the elderly.
JUST MY OPINION. God forbid that such a thing ever happens.
Yes - finding clinical spots is a huge challenge for nursing schools.
Another worry is that when new grads hit the real world of bedside nursing, they may leave it after not too long.
This is true- I've read a number of articles recently which show new nurses are leaving nursing at a faster rate and in larger numbers that in any time in the past. Men leave twice as fast as women do.
Grinding out new nurses by the boat load just speeds up the revolving door, and does not solve the problem, in my opinion.
Some suggest lowering admission standards. I do not think that lowering standards is ever the answer.
This is true- I've read a number of articles recently which show new nurses are leaving nursing at a faster rate and in larger numbers that in any time in the past. Men leave twice as fast as women do.
Grinding out new nurses by the boat load just speeds up the revolving door, and does not solve the problem, in my opinion.
Some suggest lowering admission standards. I do not think that lowering standards is ever the answer.
That's my main worry - that bedside nursing will just become so unpalatable, to seasoned nurses and soon-wisened-up new grads alike - that the shortage will get very, very bad. Especially given the "gray tsunami" of aged baby boomers that's on its way.
We have wait-listed students, current students, new grads - but I can't see them as meeting the future need since, yes, they do seem to go through a revolving door of "into bedside nursing and then outta there", once they find out what it's really like in the real world. I do not consider myself immune to that door.
Don't know what will make the hospital system shape up. I can see why nurses want a union.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I think that I remember hearing from a co-worker that some countries actually have family members bringing in blankets, food and have them tend to their loved ones while nurses are going home at a certain time. This may not be ideal, but I can see that happening easily.
I graduated from nursing school in 2006, and was not a traditional nurse that began to 'pay dues' by working the floors. I was immediately swept into the same clinic I worked in as an aide; just had to work 6 weeks of med-surg. I ran out of that place on the first thing smoking because of the confusion and abuse of nurses. I was so grateful not to have to be there. I get weekends and holidays off, and work per diem in places that are not that difficult, compared to the floors. I keep planning to work on med-surg per diem to gain experience, but that is slowly becoming less and less attractive to me, because it is really horrible there.
While I will probably bite the bullet to work the floors, it will be at my convienence (per diem only), or if I am thrown there due to no other positions available. I plan to keep my job as a clinic nurse until I retire. It is really horrible to have to think this way, but it is either me or them.
There won't be a draft because then one has to admit that there is a war going on. The hospital associations will just keep lobbying to deskill nsg and janitor will be giving your meds. Heck, the nsg homes are already getting the med tech thing passed in some states to bypass the more skilled LPN/LVN.
Its interesting conceptually...and on some mondo bizzario level I could see this happening.
I work with a young man who has been an LPN for little over a year. He is planning on returning to school for his degree in Marine Biology and on to teach that subject. He is an excellent nurse.
Me...I waver all the time and think about "going up" the nursing ladder. Yet from what I read on this site...it doesn't get better. Same concerns and frustrations....
for now I continue to and take it one day at a time in ltc/subacute...
The primary question imho is now that nursing is part of business, how to demonstrate that excellent care can reduce costs...more importantly do people really want cost reduced??? Think of the MDS what is better a resident with several chronic comorbidities we can bill for or a resident were following OBRA we have staved off the onset of deterioration and multiple diagnosis.....
sorry if thats kinda twisty and needs to be reread, but I know ya'll will get the gist of it....
They also need to keep nurses happy by paying them justly and treating them with respect.
You hit the nail on the head. Even if they expand schools so there are more openings, which means finding more professors. And from what I've heard they are paid pretty poorly in reguards to their education. Even if they could crank out more nurses (this doesn't include all those that start but never complete the program) I think a large group of new nurses get out there and get burnt out quickly. I'm sure there's a percentage that with in 5 years, go back to school and switch careers or move up the ladder to get out of bedside nursing.
:spbox:I am comfortable with my pay (but who wouldn't want a raise!). I really enjoy improving my skills and knowledge. I love problem solving, helping pts and watching them get better, or maybe being a positive light for the pts who aren't going to get better. But I already know what will cause me to some day move up or on: The lack of respect. It feels like many pts think we're sevants, family doesn't think twice about taking out their stress on us. (But not the doctors, god forbid!) Managment understaffs, doctors (though they have improved) still think its justified to treat nurses like sub-human, :nono:and the general public thinks we just stand there and feed the doctors ego...thanks to many inaccurate TV shows that show doctors doing what nurses do. I know I don't want a thank you. I just don't want to be abused from every angle of my career!!
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and take it one day at a time in ltc/subacute...
lvnandmomx3
834 Posts
I don't see it happening either. I know there is alway talk of "nursing shortage" and there is in some areas, but others are the opposite to many nurses and not enough employers. There are alway eager ppl out there that want to go to nursing school. but (like OP) 1. The 2yr wait list 2. The difference in classses required from not only school to school but state to state 3.The way nurses are treated by pt., family and employees. All these factor in one decision to be a nurse. I know some facilities have a horrible retention rate due to many reasons. I think there would be a tremendious turn around in the nursing profession if the above problems were address, but I really don't think that will happen in the near future.IMHO