Future Shortage in Bedside Nurses

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I have been an RN for 22 years. In recent years, we all know that the trend has been for acute inpatient facilities to try to hire BSN nurses as much as possible. However, another trend that I am seeing, both here on these forums and in the places where I have worked, is that most of the young BSN nurses have no desire to do bedside nursing any longer than they have to. All I seem to hear is that they all want to either move into a management position or go back to school to become an NP or CRNA. Even the ones who haven't voiced those goals have expressed a great contempt for bedside Med/Surg nursing and want to work in specialty areas such as OB. The thought process seems to be that they didn't go to school for four years "just to" care for sick people at the bedside. If this continues, it seems that there is going to be a great shortage of bedside nurses in the near future as more and more of the "old school" nurses retire.

Does anyone else see this where you work? What happens to the army when everyone wants to be a general and no one wants to be a foot soldier? I'm just curious. I have over 100 undergrad college credits that I could apply towards a BSN, but at this point in my career, I just want to finish out my years as a nurse taking care of people who need help. Never had any desire to climb the ladder whatsoever. Are any of you new grads in the same boat, where you would be contented to do bedside nursing for the foreseeable future, or is being a bedside nurse becoming passe'?

Thousands of new nurses are spit out of schools a year with hospitals not even giving us the time of day for bedside nursing because there are just too darn many of us. Give me an opportunity to work bedside for life, and I'll take it. In my dreams so far, and I graduated 8 months ago.

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My hope is that the higher up's of hospitals, that force bedside nurses to focus on customer satisfaction scores,will realize that a bedside nurse with outrageous and unsafe nurse to patient ratios will have better satisfaction scores, better patient outcomes and a happy staff once they give bedside nurses safe nurse to patient ratios. Maybe the hospital will see a return on their investment from new grads and less turnover in the unit as a whole. Just my 2cents!

Michele RN

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Specializes in PCCN.
Thousands of new nurses are spit out of schools a year with hospitals not even giving us the time of day for bedside nursing because there are just too darn many of us. Give me an opportunity to work bedside for life, and I'll take it. In my dreams so far, and I graduated 8 months ago.

dont forget you might have to change areas- all the hospitals in my area are hiring new grads.

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dont forget you might have to change areas- all the hospitals in my area are hiring new grads.
I have considered that a great deal and am willing to relocate to pursue my dreams. However, everything I have read on this site matches what seams to be going on in my area (chicagoland). Not enough jobs. May I ask what hospitals you are speaking of, as I am very serious about my pursuit in my career? I'm starting to feel like I made huge mistake majoring in Nursing, even though I love it.
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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
May I ask what hospitals you are speaking of, as I am very serious about my pursuit in my career? I'm starting to feel like I made huge mistake majoring in Nursing, even though I love it.
A simple click of this member's profile indicates his/her location is in Western New York.

In general, nursing jobs are still abundant in places where many people do not wish to live, such as North Dakota, towns along the Mexico border, and extreme rural areas with 'dying' towns that lack many basic services.

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Specializes in PCCN.

Yes- Western Ny-like Buffalo, Rochester. Not exactly desireable places to live :-/I'd move, but my spouse does not want to.If you want specifics you could pm me if you like.

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Specializes in CVICU, ER.
I have been an RN for 22 years. In recent years, we all know that the trend has been for acute inpatient facilities to try to hire BSN nurses as much as possible. However, another trend that I am seeing, both here on these forums and in the places where I have worked, is that most of the young BSN nurses have no desire to do bedside nursing any longer than they have to. All I seem to hear is that they all want to either move into a management position or go back to school to become an NP or CRNA. Even the ones who haven't voiced those goals have expressed a great contempt for bedside Med/Surg nursing and want to work in specialty areas such as OB. The thought process seems to be that they didn't go to school for four years "just to" care for sick people at the bedside. If this continues, it seems that there is going to be a great shortage of bedside nurses in the near future as more and more of the "old school" nurses retire. Does anyone else see this where you work? What happens to the army when everyone wants to be a general and no one wants to be a foot soldier? I'm just curious. I have over 100 undergrad college credits that I could apply towards a BSN, but at this point in my career, I just want to finish out my years as a nurse taking care of people who need help. Never had any desire to climb the ladder whatsoever. Are any of you new grads in the same boat, where you would be contented to do bedside nursing for the foreseeable future, or is being a bedside nurse becoming passe'?
Not so much passé, as just plain unsafe. I am a BSN nurse, I've done ICU, telemetry and ER for the past 5 years, and have found myself in increasingly worsening working conditions. No lunch break for 12.5 hours, no one around to help with lifting a patient, 3 intubated patients in ICU, 2 with ET tubes, one sick Trach/vent on Levophed. The times I've had a tech really available to me in both places (ER and ICU) have been increasingly rare. And it doesn't matter what hospital, they're pretty much the same, willing to cut nursing care at the drop of a hat. I've heard lots of excuses: we have to prepare for Obamacare, we're actively hiring for nurses, (no one new shows up), etc. I really enjoy bedside nursing, and would love to continue, but not at the risk of harming a patient or losing my license.
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A simple click of this member's profile indicates his/her location is in Western New York.

In general, nursing jobs are still abundant in places where many people do not wish to live, such as North Dakota, towns along the Mexico border, and extreme rural areas with 'dying' towns that lack many basic services.

I don't see anyone's location when I click on their profile.

Why are you seeing it?

Are you outing people as to what part of the country they are from?

This site is definitely not as anonymous as some would think if that's the case.

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Specializes in PCCN.

Yes, one can choose to put whatever they want on their profile- I felt ok putting a general location of western NY. I thought you just click on the name?

how funny, i click on the profile now and nothing shows, weird.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Yes, one can choose to put whatever they want on their profile- I felt ok putting a general location of western NY. I thought you just click on the name?

how funny, i click on the profile now and nothing shows, weird.

It is easy, in most cases to figure out where someone is from....that is why in the Terms of Service states....
It is a small world - when we narrow it down to a state and throw in some personal info, there is actually a pretty good chance someone may recognize you if you are not careful. Your privacy is paramount to us.
You don't have to always look to the profile....I usually find clues in the past postings.

With the way employers have been behaving with poor treatment of it's employees, no breaks, working short and using "the shortage" as a lame duck excuse....we can only pray there is another shortage to put the nurses back in the bargaining seat.

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