Docs look towards the nursing shortage

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

http://www.placebojournal.com/Latest%20Gazette.htm

Placebo Gazette #52

8. Conrad’s Corner by Pat Conrad MD

Break out the roses and chocolate, it’s Valentine’s Day and that means lots of sweetness for our best buddies…The Nurses! And as much as these hardworking gals and guys deserve our heartfelt thanks, there are a few bedpans full of reeking bureaucracy that ORGANIZED nursing needs to empty. Chiefs of staff and directors’ boards aside, there is no doubt that it is nurses who run hospitals. Any doctor who doubts this might do well to consider exactly who would be called upon for late night checks, meds, evaluations, and the rest (just think “residency”).

Scroll down on this page to number 8 to read the whole article.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I've always liked the Placebo Journal.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Very interesting article.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Here is an interesting quote from the aforementioned article.

Dr. Buerhaus also states that there has been such a drop off in RN training in recent years that expected enrollment would have to "increase at least 40% annually to replace those expected to leave ..."

Due to the lengthy waiting lists for many RN programs in the U.S., I can safely conjecture that there are more than enough people who would like to become nurses and fill the demand. However, there appears to be a shortage of instructors who are willing to provide the necessary RN training.

It is also no secret that nursing training costs the colleges more money in expenditures than the more common liberal arts or humanities majors. There's a reason for limiting the sizes of nursing programs, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

[SharonH, RN]

Interesting viewpoint but I am not sure that a free market system and less governmental regulation would lead to higher wages for RNs. Pat Conrad seems to believe that hospital CEOs want to increase wages for nurses, but I don't believe that. In fact, I believe that in that sort of situation and with a desire to please investors and shareholders, we would invariably see not only a flattening of wages but probably job loss. Nurses would probably be replaced with UAP as much as possible, since they are an "expense" and a "cost center". I hate to be cynical but.......

[steelcityrn, RN]

I predict in 5 years there will be no nursing shortage no matter what they say.

Go Steelers!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I predict in 5 years there will be no nursing shortage no matter what they say.

No nursing shortage? That will do damage to my future career!

I truly hope your prediction turns out to be inaccurate.

[futureTMA]

Excellent article! Thanks for the thread.

Well, if you want to see the effects of government on an industry, then look no further than the airline industry. True competition is the only thing that is going to help. In the short term, healthcare would of course go through a hard transition, but given time (the long haul) it would certainly be better. Of course, very few want to do this because of the transition period. However, further government involvement is going to drive healthcare into the ground like the airlines (pretty much living on government bailout) and like it has in other countries.

[kitty=^..^=cat]

Interesting viewpoint but I am not sure that a free market system and less governmental regulation would lead to higher wages for RNs. Pat Conrad seems to believe that hospital CEOs want to increase wages for nurses, but I don't believe that. In fact, I believe that in that sort of situation and with a desire to please investors and shareholders, we would invariably see not only a flattening of wages but probably job loss. Nurses would probably be replaced with UAP as much as possible, since they are an "expense" and a "cost center". I hate to be cynical but.......

In my quality management and nursing administration experience, I have attended probably 200 meetings of medical staff and hospital governance (Medical Staff, Medical Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, what have you...) Believe it or not, it's the physicians yelling for increased nursing salaries -- they DO notice turnover and are critical of corporate zombies and bean-counters for not paying nurses what they're worth.

[aspentree13]

Of subject kinda but did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy last weekend, the entire nursing staff went on strike and it devestated the hospital. Food for thought.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Of subject kinda but did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy last weekend, the entire nursing staff went on strike and it devestated the hospital. Food for thought.

Hospitals cannot function without nurses.

That is the bottom line.

[SharonH, RN]

In my quality management and nursing administration experience, I have attended probably 200 meetings of medical staff and hospital governance (Medical Staff, Medical Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, what have you...) Believe it or not, it's the physicians yelling for increased nursing salaries -- they DO notice turnover and are critical of corporate zombies and bean-counters for not paying nurses what they're worth.

Fine. But I'm not talking about physicians. My point was that the writers of that article assume a few things:

1) Hospitals do not have the funds to pay nurses higher salaries and this is due to governmental regulations restricting a free market and

2) That if hospitals DID have the funds, they would willing pay nurses higher salaries in order to ensure quality care.

I happen to disagree with both assumptions.