Nursing Shortage Where YOU work?

Sabby_NC · Mar 23, 2007

I hear in the hospitals around NC there is a shortage.

Our organization is well staffed. We have people knocking doors down who want to come and work with us.

Just could not bring myself to ever want to work in a hospital again after 26yrs of doing just that!

LPNJessi · Mar 23, 2007

We have such a shortage where I work that they are offering bonuses if we get nurses to come work here. Our management nurses have to work NOC's and agency nurses have to work NOC's. We only have 2 FT NOC nurses.

LPNJessi · Mar 23, 2007

We have only 2 night nurses that are FT staff. THe DON and ADON have had to pick up some NOC's and we have 1-2 agency nurses every NOC. We have a big shortage where I work.

LPNJessi · Mar 23, 2007

We have only 2 staff FT NOC nurses where I work. We have to use agency daily and our managment nurses have had to pick up a few NOCs as well.

honest467 · Mar 23, 2007

Poverty level is below national avg, no jobs, 3 colleges in 50 miles and Nursing shortage here too. Lowest paid in the state to boot...

justme1972 · Mar 23, 2007

Do you see evidence of a nurse shortage where you currently work?
I just read that hawaii has a shortage.
Is there a shortage where you are at?
My point..I am wondering if the shortage is going to level off soon or Get WORSE!

I just wonder if it's going to get worse...the college that I was accepted for this Fall actually cut BACK it's program this year by 5 students.

In my area an RN starting salary is only $28K per year....I wouldn't get out of bed for that. That is why I am planning on moving after graduation.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 23, 2007

I repeatedly keep hearing of the nursing shortage but it's obviously RN's only. I know of quite a few LPN's who if given the opportunity would work in some of these hospitals that are so short, but for some reason we are not good enough. I am a new grad and I hear that this LPN fade out in the hospital has happened before and then LPN's were brought back in. I personally wouldn't work in a hospital now that I know that I'm just a desperate fix and not really wanted. Yes we to have shortages in our hospitals here in Illinois but still no hiring LPN's, actually their making any LPN's that have been employed go back and get their RN or be terminated. It's such a good feeling to know that your not good enough. I'll continue to work in my LTC facility and clinic prn where I'm appreciated and there is no I'm better than you cr_p going on.

In our hospital, and ones in the area, the reason for not hiring LPNs has nothing to do with them not being good enough....we've got some REALLY good ones! The problem for most of the units is scope of practice. For instance, on our med-surg unit (typical of many), we have LOTS of IV push meds, LOTS of blood transfusions, LOTS of central lines and therefore lots that the LPNs can't do. Which means that the RNs on the floor at the same time are covering all of the above for them, and that (on top of their regular patient load) makes for a very trying shift.

We're short of nurses like everyone else; I imagine ONE response to this thread saying "it's short everywhere!" would be enough.

I'm sorry you've been made to feel like a second-class citizen by local hospitals. It doesn't seem fair that the currently-employed LPNs have to advance to RN or lose their jobs. We have LPNs that have been with the hospital for literally decades and there's no way they'd be asked to do that. Even the last ones to be hired, a couple of years ago, wouldn't expect that. But it just got to the point where the RNs were (are) doing way beyond what we should be because of the limits of the LPN colleagues.

But that's the great thing about nursing: there's a niche for everyone, and I'm sure you'll find yours! :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 23, 2007

I just wonder if it's going to get worse...the college that I was accepted for this Fall actually cut BACK it's program this year by 5 students.
In my area an RN starting salary is only $28K per year....I wouldn't get out of bed for that. That is why I am planning on moving after graduation.

Wow, that's it? Then again....is the cost of living where you are now quite low? Perspective is everything. People hear what the start salaries are in NYC and think they'll be rich but then when you figure the cost of living is three or four times higher than other places, well....you're not gonna get rich as a newbie :)

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 23, 2007

Where I live is always short nurses because there are 15+ facilities w/in a 1 hour drive from me. It has a high burn out rate, facilities around here are enfamous for VERY VERY low pay, crap hours and hard working conditions. When we graduated most of us had at least 4-5 job offers months before graduation. Recruiters fought over our time at school, each one brought us bigger and better offers and presents. But still, when you compare to the national average of RN's, I make about $5.00 less an hour and the cost of living is very high here.

nurseinlimbo · Mar 23, 2007

There is a shortage here in Canada, everywhere that I work we are looking for shift coverage especially for nights, weekends, holidays. Both jobs I hold now are 1 RN on shift at a time, so if someone calls in sick, you are obligated to stay unless you can find a replacement. Have been known to pull double 12's.

At the same time, there is a shortage of positions with enough hours that you can support yourself with guaranteed hours from one job, so most new nurses have 2-3 part time or prn positions with several employers, which can mean working OT without OT pay, and working more days in a row than what our contract states is fair.

In the larger cities (Calgary) floors were mandating OT if you were in a position, they would mandate you to work on your day off whether you want to or not. People stopped answering their phones, so managers would show up 1/2 hour before your shift is over and tell you you had to be back the next day. I've even heard of managers tracking down nurses at soccer games to tell them they HAD to go to work.

As a result, most nurses quit and went casual (prn), resulting in bed closures and really long waits in ER, poor patient outcomes as a result.

I have been out of school 3.5 years, have 2 jobs, work more than fulltime, especially in summer and haven't had a vacation since I started school. I finally got a rotation so now have scheduled weekends off, but up until recently I worked them all.

I am thinking of going back to school to take something else.

muffie, RN · Mar 23, 2007

there is a shortage and i honestly feel it will get much worse before it gets any better

you say shortage, i say crisis

Balder_LPN, LPN · Mar 23, 2007

Our local hospital in a town of abt 75K has 34 RN vacancies.

check out this link

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm