"That's a myth about nursing"

[Emergent]

I just got off the phone with a young applicant to rent from me. I mentioned that I worked yesterday, so she asked me what I did. She's a college student herself.

She said, "Oh, wow, that's a busy job! There's always a need for nurses!" I replied that that's a myth about nursing. There's not always a nursing shortage, sometimes it's difficult to get a job. I said that I'm not sure who's responsible for the myth, but that there are a lot of for profit nursing schools that have popped up, and I'm sure they are partially responsible. Unfortunately, the quality of nursing education has gone down with that trend.

I told her, the need for nurses comes in cycles, just like other sectors of the economy.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Local news here just stated how there is a shortage of nurses in Colorado and its going to go up and "what the government is doing to help". I have an idea, the hospitals could pay a livable wage for the city they work in. Food for thought.

We're thinking about moving back in the next couple years, and I'm struck again at how poor the wages are there, compared to COL.

[MunoRN, RN]

I've never understood why nurses are so convinced that any talk of a shortage is a myth.

We seem to think that if you don't get your dream job right out of school then job prospects aren't that much better for nurses than for other professions, even though they clearly are.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

There is a huge shortage at my hospital, but it's management made and I can't help but wonder if it is purposefully made. I expect our nurse to patient rations to increase soon.

[klone, MSN, RN]

In many parts of the country, there IS a huge shortage. I actually just read an article about this in Becker's. It mentioned specific states where the shortage is particularly bad. California and Arizona are the only two I remember.

The nursing shortage is a hard reality in many places, particularly rural communities. I know I've beat this drum to death.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

My perspective on it being a myth lies in how many estimated open nursing jobs there are when compared to how many qualified nursing licenses have been issued. In general terms, there are plenty of licensed nurses to fill all the openings that currently exist.

Obviously this is very simplified and scoots around a lot of variables. But too often I have seen theoretical "openings" in hospitals and other places, that simply are not being filled by the employer's own choice, yet they keep the opening advertised.

[klone, MSN, RN]

But too often I have seen theoretical "openings" in hospitals and other places, that simply are not being filled by the employer's own choice, yet they keep the opening advertised.

You know this for fact? You've spoken to department managers or HR departments and they've told you this?

I see this thrown about as a fact, and I can only speak of my experience in my current facility, but I can assure you it's NOT the case.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

There is NOT a shortage of NP students.

There is NOT a shortage of nursing students who expect to "only want to do ED, Peds, or ICU"

There seems to be a shortage of nurses willing to work full-time bedside positions on floors like Ortho, Surgical, or acute rehab.

[middleagednurse]

It depends on where you live. Some places have too many nurses, some places have too few. If you need a job, sometimes you need to move.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I wonder how many facilities complaining about a "nursing shortage" are chasing purple squirrels, refusing to hire anyone who doesn't meet their requirements to the letter.

[JKL33]

I've never understood why nurses are so convinced that any talk of a shortage is a myth.

We seem to think that if you don't get your dream job right out of school then job prospects aren't that much better for nurses than for other professions, even though they clearly are.

I don't think your explanation/proof of your premise is common at all.

This is much more likely:

People see their coworkers take jobs elsewhere and hear their rationale for doing so

People work short-staffed due to people leaving or work in other conditions that are unsatisfactory and know that they themselves plan to leave because of it

People work in areas where there is a toxic atmosphere even in the judgment of laid-back folks

People don't feel an overall "net positive" about the work they're doing

Etc.

Other than some some (probably inexperienced/novice) commentary here, I haven't really heard people say, "I don't believe there's a shortage, 'cause I can't get the job I want" [or "a job"] - - - however, many, save for the true die-hards, have said "sc*ew this" one way or another in recent years, either by going back to school, skipping bedside nursing altogether, taking casual or short-term contracted positions, leaving the profession entirely, retiring, or finding literally anything else to do with themselves so that bedside nursing isn't their full-time gig.

Preceding all of this was a thinly-veiled disenchantment with experienced nurses while the "business of healthcare" was ramping up, and a great desire for impressionable minds (though there was no intent to leave a good impression!).

The first way we try to process information is to see whether it lines up with what we can plainly see. The fact that there are pockets/regions to which it will always be difficult to recruit professionals doesn't mean that right now it's impossible to find people holding an RN license all across the country.

What doesn't float is crying about a nursing shortage while digging in and doubling down and adamantly refusing to treat nurses with a modicum of respect - even in situations where it would be easy to do so. That's not a shortage, that's just a tantrum.

[cleback]

JKL, I do think your scenarios are common, but I also find it common to hear nurses, newer nurses in particular, complain about not being able to find a job right away... and then come to fund out they've only been applying to acute care positions.

[JKL33]

JKL, I do think your scenarios are common, but I also find it common to hear nurses, newer nurses in particular, complain about not being able to find a job right away... and then come to fund out they've only been applying to acute care positions.

Yes. No official entity is using that as ammo to prove there's no shortage, though. On the contrary, representatives of industry who can't hire/retain RNs with whatever they're offering (wages, benefits, culture or lack thereof, etc) use that fact to claim there's a widespread shortage that should compel pumping out even more RNs.

ETA: In other words, just as new grads should take stock of their own preferences, ideals, and efforts before claiming that their job hunt means there's a huge oversupply of RNs, huge corporations who want to hire RNs should similarly "look within" instead of moaning about an alleged shortage.