HHS Report on RNs

[wrightgd]

The Registered Nurse Population:

Findings from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses

The 2000 Survey found too few young people are choosing careers in nursing, and the average age of registered nurses has increased substantially. In 1980, 52.9 percent of RNs were younger than age 40; in 2000, 31.7 percent were younger than 40. In 1980, 26 percent of RNs were under the age of 30, but by 2000, less than 10 percent were under age 30.

Read more....

http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey/

[lissagirl]

Well said Babs

[mattsmom81]

So true Babs about the health of our own profession...we need to take better care of ourselves. I often see altruism win over self preservation in our demanding, chaotic workplaces.

After a car wreck 2 years ago I kept trying to work, finally transferring to a charge position to heal my injuries. The stress of being in constant pain finally almost sent me over the edge....I'm home recuping from trying to work in the condition I was in!! LOL! I know so many nurses who have kept on pluggin' although they were sicker than the patients!

I hope it's not martyrdom that drives us...

[eldernurse]

RN-PA,

I too am a Pennsylvania nurse. I know where you are coming from. If the working conditions were better we could attract more nurses. But it is a two edged sword. When I came into nursing there was a shortage. Short of paying for my vacation, the hospital was willing to do anything to get nurses.

A few years there was what they considered a glut of nurses. The worm turned. It was "be glad you have a job".

Now we are back at the beginning, but it seems worse this time. I want the money but I want to feel good about the job I am doingl I have said before that accountants have taken the CARE out of nursing. You can't quantify it or charge for it so it is worthless to them. How do you charge for holding a new cancer patient's hand while they cry? How do you count all the moral support that a cardiac patient needs in his recovery phase? How do you put a price on calming a patient frightened by all this modern technology?

Since you can't get the bean-heads to change, give me money. (I am 50yrs old, no 30 plus newcomer).

[shipslitehse]

As a new grad and an AAS degree RN I think I make pretty good $ (@36,000-40k) but I don't think its near what we deserve considering the legal ramifications we worry about. I also don't agree with the 9 yr top out its no where near where it needs to be. If it were all $ we wouldn't be "nurses" good nurses went into this profession for much more than just a paycheck. I agree that we deserve more but I sure don't want to work with an RN whos only "in it for the $"