Is there REALLY a nursing shortage?

[ShimmaShimma0304]

This is an interesting article guys/gals...

Here's the letter I wrote to the President, Vice-President, U.S. Congress Rep. and Senator:

"I'm an R.N. and I recently started working as an agency nurse because the pay is so much better and the hours are very flexible. The hospital system in my area that uses most of the agency nurses is in the process of hiring foreign labor to cut costs and fill positions. I read an article, "Is there REALLY a nursing shortage?" by Richard Armstrong and what he said really concerned me. It is true that American jobs are going overseas and there are over 8 million Americans out of work. People who go to school for certain professions do not have jobs when they graduate. Where is the AMERICAN DREAM going??? I realize our country is a melting pot and all, but what about OUR JOBS for US HERE???!!!

Please abolish the H-1B program. Americans need to demand that employers not be allowed to replace American workers with foreigners... I'm finally not living paycheck to paycheck as a nurse and I'm finally able to get ahead... But now there is this big black cloud looming over my head and it's full of foreign nurses trying to get out of THEIR country to take MY job. Why are you letting this happen to your fellow Americans???

Sincerely,

Marie L. Schultz

Shreveport, Louisiana"

I don't know if it will help or not, but I figured it was worth a try. Nurses from India, Africa and Thailand (among others) are coming to the Shreveport area to fill gaps of this so-called nursing shortage so that the hospital system I work at won't have to use agency nurses. Instead of paying American nurses better... this is what is happening. Nice. Very nice.

Do you see this happening where YOU are??? I just started working agency and that's all I'm doing right now. I love it. I just started April 19th, 2004 and here it is... not one month later and 15 foreigners are starting in the next week or so as a "pilot" for the other 3 hospitals of this hospital chain. This hospital chain uses most agency nurses here in Shreveport. They're trying to get rid of agency nurses all together by using these other nurses.

Again I ask: Do you see this happening where YOU are???

Thanks in advance. :angryfire

[bobnurse]

I think it depends on where you live.........I heard kansas has an excess of nurses....but some places like southern texas and arizona are very short nurses. Ive read posts and stories about states that have no job openings, so people are moving.....SO research your area and see........

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

I agree with bobnurse...I think it can be a regional issue. Some areas have shortages in very specific ways. In some places, no matter how short, they won't hire a nurse who wants an 8 hour schedule.

Also, there are a lot of nurses who don't want to do hospital nursing...many leave the profession or take other roles as a RN. Out of my nursing school class, I'm the only one actively still using my license 20 years later. Many are financial planners, real estate sales people, SAH moms, etc.

[bobnurse]

Also, there are a lot of nurses who don't want to do hospital nursing...many leave the profession or take other roles as a RN. Out of my nursing school class, I'm the only one actively still using my license 20 years later. Many are financial planners, real estate sales people, SAH moms, etc.

I have read that when they first started all this hype in regards to a shortage, they didnt realize the impact of 1. Nurses retiring at a later age 2. Nurses coming back due to divorce, spouse losing job or cut in income.

I read in many states this is the reason for an actual nurse excess now.

[begalli]

Food for thought.

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnproject/report.htm#supplydemandprojections

"In 2000, the National supply of FTE registered nurses was estimated at 1.89 million while the demand was estimated at 2 million, a shortage of 110,000 or 6 percent. Based on what is known about trends in the supply of RNs and their anticipated demand, the shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent. At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent. If not addressed, and if current trends continue, the shortage is projected to grow to 29 percent by 2020."

"In addition to the number of RNs who give up their license, there are currently almost half-a-million licensed nurses not employed in nursing. Between the 1996 and 2000 surveys, the number of licensed RNs not employed in nursing grew by 52,000 to over 490,000 (See Chart 6). Unfortunately, little is known about this population. However, what is known is that 69 percent, or 338,000, of the 490,000 licensed RNs not employed in nursing in 2000 were 50 years or older. Further, analysis of data from the 2000 RN Sample Survey shows that only 7 percent of the licensed RNs not employed in nursing were actively seeking employment in nursing."

Lots of visual stuff at this website.

[begalli]

From same link above...

This is interesting. Good for teachers! Bad for Nurses. It may somewhat explain why some of those 1/2 million RNs leave.

"Furthermore, a good portion of the wage growth for these nurses appears to occur early in their careers, then taper off with time. In 2000, staff RNs employed full-time in nursing, who graduated 5 years earlier, typically earned wages 15 to17 percent higher than those newly entering the field, depending on basic nursing preparation, but only 1 to 3 percent less than nurses who graduated 15 to 20 years earlier. As their potential for increased earnings diminishes over time, staff nurses may be motivated to leave patient care for additional education and/or other careers in nursing or outside the profession."

"Real Earnings" = the amount available after adjusting for inflation.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

There does exist significant wage compression in nursing. Benefits also tend to lag far behind teachers for nurses in non-governmental roles, especially in terms of pension.

Not to ignite the whole "Nurses/Teachers" debate but my 2 neighbors teach public school and within 2 years out of college, already made more money/better benefits than I did after 20 years of nursing. That's with 9 months of work and not taking any extra jobs, no tutoring or coaching or anything. It gives me pause. :)

[bobnurse]

Yup, but those are just projections.....Here in our state, the last month or two overall census has been down, putting many agency nurses out of work.......SO where does that put those projections????????

[payday]

If your state is near a bunch of universities and community colleges you won't have much of a nursing shortage. Maybe only in highly skilled areas. Every six months, the recruters have a stack full or resumes.

[PACNWNURSING]

Is there really a nursing shortage of total number licensed nurses as a whole, or is there a shortage of nursing willing to work med/surg units in hospitals? It seems every 7 years there is an announcement warning of a nursing shortage. Yet admissions to nursing programs have increased every year for the past 20 years. I just think nurses start on the those med/surg units to gain experience and quickly move on.

What do you think?

[sunnyjohn]

Is there really a nursing shortage of total number licensed nurses as a whole,

No

or is there a shortage of nursing willing to work med/surg units in hospitals?

There is a shortage of nurses willing to work at the wage healthcare employers are willing to pay in all specialties, med/surg being no exception. That work conditions are toxic on many units does not help the matter.

It seems every 7 years there is an announcement warning of a nursing shortage. Yet admissions to nursing programs have increased every year for the past 20 years. I just think nurses start on the those med/surg units to gain experience and quickly move on.

Yes, I do think new folks (myself being one) tend not to see med/surg as a long term option. God bless you guys in M/S. I couldn't do it long term.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Is there really a nursing shortage of total number licensed nurses as a whole, or is there a shortage of nursing willing to work med/surg units in hospitals?

*** I live in central Wisconsin. As far as I can tell there is no nursing shortage at all, at least not in this area. If I were a nurse recruiter from a real shortage area I would head to central Wisconsin.

[PACNWNURSING]

Essentially what you are saying there is a shortage of nurses willing to work under those conditions, but really there are plenty of nurses out there.