Excellent article on nursing shortage

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

Best, most accurate article I've seen on the nursing shortage.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06241/716999-28.stm

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

Yes, I agree, an excellent article.

[EmmaG, RN]

Bringing nurses from abroad, or even educating more nurses here, without addressing the root causes of the nursing shortage, will have the same effect as sticking a finger into a leaky dike. It may help in the short term, but in the long-term, disaster awaits. The focus on the recruitment of nurses from overseas further weakens the collective ability of nurses to seek improvements in working conditions. Emigrants are less likely to challenge employers because of their tenuous residency status. This willingness to accept employment on whatever terms are offered enables employers to place additional demands on the health-care work force which will, in turn, accelerate the departure of domestic nurses from the profession.

Amen.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

This quote, from the article, hits the nail on the head:

Despite these numbers, we do not really have a shortage of qualified nurses. What we have is an insufficient number of nurses willing to work under the very difficult working conditions they face in hospitals.

[CITCAT]

Enjoyed the article and it is very accurate, the majorityof nurses rns are in the 40-50 age grouping and ina survey done by a michigan nurse assoc. the amounts of nurses that are going to retire/relocate by 20012 will be extraodinary, unionization of one hospital improved worker satisfaction,and performance.They forced the hospital to conform and provide safe patient:nurse ratios and acuity. Hats off to Mclaren/Mt. clemens general.

[Retired R.N.]

Best, most accurate article I've seen on the nursing shortage.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06241/716999-28.stm

One factor that seems to be completely ignored, however, is the fact that we, the taxpayers, are subsidizing some very expensive educational programs for R.N.s that do not adequately prepare the students for the realities of the jobs that await them after graduation. This "elephant in the living room" topic needs to be addressed if we are ever to solve the so-called "shortage of nurses."

How can we nurses even pretend that we respect the professionalism of our own fellow workers when we are so blind to the working conditions that they face every day of their lives? When studies have shown that driving an automobile when sleep deprived is equally or more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol, how can we in good faith approve of mandatory schedules that do not permit nurses to get enough sleep? Since when have the benefits of regular meals become unnecessary for nurses? Should nurses have to consider Depends an accessory to their scrubs? Why do nurses have so little control over the practice of nursing?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

BINGO!

Bringing nurses from abroad, or even educating more nurses here, without addressing the root causes of the nursing shortage, will have the same effect as sticking a finger into a leaky dike. It may help in the short term, but in the long-term, disaster awaits.

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

Thanks for posting - this is a great article.

[Minty80]

Thanks! Great article.

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

Thanks for posting - great article

[oramar]

have to get to the bottom of my driveway and get my Post-gazette, it is still there because we have had heavy, heavy rain all night

[MrsCannibal]

Interesting article, very eye opening (kinda scary!)