Survey: What do you believe: "Nursing Shortage" Crisis or Opportunity? - page 2

1. 
   Nov 5, '02

   Occupation: Registered Nurse Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 21

   Interesting article. For sure it is world wide crisis and not many people are willing to take it as an opportunity especially when they see every now and then strikes, low pay and worked out tired faces of nurses, one thinks twice to join the profession but many are willing to leave the profession.
   
   I wish hospital/government take it seriously and make nursing more attractive so the people instead of complaining of shortage start turning the whole crisis in to opportunity.
2. 
   Nov 5, '02

   Occupation: correctional nurse Specialty: ER, ICU, Corrections ; Joined: Jul '00; Posts: 1,187; Likes: 131

   I can remember one of the last time that we had a "shortage," I had just finished nursing school about a year out and I almost lost my job to cutbacks and I decided that I would take advantage of the situation and make big bucks as a traveling nurse. I really enjoyed myself but back in those days they didn't have insurance and a retirement account to look on to to be financially secure when you got older.
   
   I have now found a great place to work and I love my co-workers and my bosses are champions. I work for the state and they have overspent the states money and so they want to cut the amount of prisons that we have in the state and the facility that I am working in is on the chopping block. So even though I am the most senior staff on the one side of the state, I will have to go to the place that has the most vacancies...I can't got to a facility that I want to go.
   
   I have been thinking of going back to traveling nursing since I can make better money but the only reason that I am doing that is not for opportunity but just the fact that they are trying to railroad me into a place that I don't want to work.. But these shortages happen off and on and it helps get the wages up and then they go away again for a while. I just helps us get our salary up a little bit so that you can live. I just hope this is the last shortage I go through before I retire. The stress gets a little bad sometimes. :roll
3. 
   Nov 6, '02

   Occupation: Own RxTra... Continuing Ed company Specialty: 40 year(s) of experience ; From: AL ; Joined: Sep '01; Posts: 115; Likes: 106

   After reading the replies in this thread, and in talking with nurses from other communities and states (Texas, Tenn & Georgia), I have become curious about exactly where is the "nursing shortage" that is so publicized? :
   
   It appears to me that it is becoming harder to keep jobs; supervisors and managers are trying harder to "run off" the nurses they do have, as if there are plenty more where that one came from; and I was told by one DON that "Nurses are a dime a dozen." on sale now!! 120/$1
   
   Two of my nurse friends in Georgia tell me similar stories... one of them left a LTC facility after 15 years to go back to school for her MSN, so she went to get a part-time job in Rehab or Med-Surg, of just about anything but critical care. Guess what? No jobs... and my other GA friend tells me no critical care jobs either.
   
   I read the Sunday want ads, and I see pages of ads for medical help, but when I read them, it's mostly for CNAs, LPNs in LTC, and HHAs. My LPN friend here tells me she will go on Welfare and food stamps before she will go to work in another h*ll-hole LTC, and I believe many others feel the same way.
   
   Now... thank you for listening. Back to my original question: Exactly where is this much-publicized shortage? ...OR is this a scam of some sort to force an increase in salaries and benefits? If so, I would like to be a part of the scam!!
   
   
4. 
   Nov 6, '02

   Occupation: Nursing Professional Development + Academic Faculty Specialty: 38 year(s) of experience in Nursing Professional Development ; Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 13,478; Likes: 25,130

   To Tiddlewink:
   
   Were you kidding in your recent post or serious? I'm not sure. Is it true that there are few available nursing jobs in Birmingham? In most areas of the country (and world), there is a dramatic shortage of RN's -- particularly RN's interested in working in hospitals.
   
   My hospital, which rarely had vacancies go unfilled for long in the past, now can't even find nurses interested in interviewing for many positions!
   
   llg
5. 
   Nov 6, '02

   Occupation: E.R. Nurse Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 190; Likes: 1

   Hey, Im in Georgia.....Nursing shortage here! ..slaps me in the face every night when I go In and we got wall to wall hall stretchers, 4 ambulances on the ramp, as many as 18 holds,...a bad night....NO BEDS IN HSPITAL = no nurses to cover the beds that are vacant....Minimum staffing cause we have vacancies on all shifts......Geez... What an opportunity WEEHAAA

   Last edit by CMERN on Nov 6, '02
6. 
   Nov 6, '02

   Occupation: caregivers, ushers to the portal of heaven Joined: Dec '01; Posts: 164; Likes: 1

   Opportunity for more crisis.
7. 
   Nov 6, '02

   Joined: Jan '02; Posts: 2,593; Likes: 1,418

   Hey guys,
   I"m writing an admission essay for college about this very subject. Could you help me out a little? What are some examples of unsafe working conditions? I need some to support my point. Also, what kind of opportunity is there for nurses and management? Please help me guys!
   
   Thanks,
   Brett
8. 
   Nov 7, '02

   Occupation: E.R. Nurse Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 190; Likes: 1

   Meandragonbrett, how are you stating your point, the Nursing shortage has many points, Pt. safety, (crisis), Nurse safety(crisis), Pt. overload, High acuity pts. with minimum exp.nurse coverage. Financial issues, Management issues. I will try to make this short and to the point.
   Personally, I have in, one four hour block been responsible for Altered mental status pt. delivered via EMS.with c/o AMS (altered mental status) and diff breathing. Whom was going down the drain as ems was trying to give me report. I immediately call over head for doc. to bedside stat.as i am bagging pt.. as intubation was necessary pronto.and immediately. Mean while I also have patient S/p fall 2 days ago( nursing home just decided to send him in because he used to talk with tem and he quit 1 day ago) who was glascow of 8. and needed head C.T. stat.....while my 3rd more "stable" pt had a chest tube in place for pneumothorax.put in 60 minutes before I came on shift. was coming out of consc sedation and in pain.( how did I know that he was in pain? since I was assisting the doc. with intubation?...the man was moaning LOUD and I could hear him.) Our halls were full of stetcher patients. Every Tech and every nurse was busy caring for their patients. And I.T. rolls me a new patient to hall 5/6-female- Nausea and activily vomiting. (how did I know? I could hear her) and The I.T. tech stuck her head into my room long enough to say" I brought you another one here to hall 5/6 she's N&V and I gowned her" well no duh(i think to me)-and "thank you", I say to tech. Do you get the picture? .....As a nurse HIGH STRESS....pt safety? .... pt acuity?...high acuity patients need one on one... I got my pneumo on a pca pump within 40 mins (for 40 minutes he was in pain that was intensifying by the minute.)...while finishing stabilizing the intubated pt and starting him on a drip.....even got my C.T. man to C.T. with in 20 minutes...( to long if you ask me)and lets not forget the time spent standing in line at the pixus..documenting all/everything and rechecking VS....But guess what the N&V woman in the hall stretcher and her two family members were PI$$ED about because it took a doctor 20 mins. to get to her and me 15-20 more to get her line in and her meds pushed... she was sick, but she was breathing !!!!! She didn't have a tube hanging out of her or pain that was torturing her,,and ALL her mental faculties (plus theirs) were with her.....So You tell me why there is a shortage....Tell me why a young male or female in todays society would choose to put their ownself in such a perdicament shift after shift for ANY amount of money..( oh and you know what PI$$ED pts do....they wanna spend another hour notifying all people in "charge" getting their complaint documented..and threaten to loose their lawyer on the nurse, hospital and the doctor) and MOM had quit puking 2 minutes after meds were in and thanks to phenegran coould careless.
   Why would any one sign up for one class and pay tuition to go into this profession?...Personally, because I honestly care for MY patients...I like to help people, I know its a calling... but the shortage in todays society isnt just NURSING SHORTAGE-- its a shortage of human PATIENCE, compassion, and appreciation..........We have drive thru fast food...Im sorry we DO NOT HAVE drive thru E.R. ( tho we do have "fast track")
   We have automated tellers---God Help us all if they come out with automated Nurses..... (Here...Sue my machine..hahahah.. )
   I am sorry this turned out way TOOOO LOONG....and not one bit sweet....I do hope it shows a point tho...cause my point is just the tip of one hellaciuos glacier.

   Last edit by CMERN on Nov 7, '02
9. 
   Nov 7, '02

   Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 271; Likes: 7

   The crisis is the crappy work conditions which has led to a nursing shortage. And this has led to nursing employment oppotunities. However, why would anyone want to put theirselves through that? It hard for me to recommend nursing to any bright college bound person when I know that most other professions offer more respect, money and intellectual challenges. I heard one of my peers metion yesterday, "you know what RN stands for? Glorified gopher." And to some degree she is right, nursing is very paradoxical, I work at teaching hospital and I get the opportunity almost every day to help teach the med students or interns something about the medical field, however at the end of the day, I also get to work as a nursing aid, clerk and waiter for the patients. Think about it, if you are smart enough to help educate our future doctors don't you think you could find a profession that treats you with more respect?
10. 
    Nov 7, '02

    Occupation: E.R. Nurse Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 190; Likes: 1

    Well said Micu RN, and you know what We nurses being the well rounded, intelligent, prioritizing, teaching, caring PROFESSIONALS that we are . I feel certain, WILL optimize the opportunities that arise from THIS Nursing Shortage.
11. 
    Nov 8, '02

    Occupation: RN Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 22

    I think some hospitals may use the excuse that there are no nurses out there to crunch as many patients into the place, sometimes finding beds in unusual places while harried nurses keep on admitting them. Our hospital uses no caps on admissions and does not look at acuity when assigning. Burnout is the name of the game.
    And best not say anything about safety and your workload! There's plenty of nurses being cranked out of the tech schools to replace you!
12. 
    Nov 9, '02

    Joined: Jan '99; Posts: 735; Likes: 216

    Is your hospital attempting to apploy for MAGNET status??
    
    How are they being compliant with JCAHO standards without an acuity tool in place?????
    Are you JCAHO certified?? If so, then they have an acuity tool they are telling them they are using, ask what it is and demand that it be used.
13. 
    Nov 10, '02

    Joined: Nov '01; Posts: 765; Likes: 14

    It depends how you look at it. For me it is definately an opportunity. I refuse to work full time anywhere because the benefits do not out weight the freedom to work when one wants to. I would think there are a shortage of experienced nurses rather than nurses period. Then you have to consider if new nurses come into play, in a few years they may seek a higher education not doing bedside nursing anymore!!!!! California has a lot of hospitals that are union I wont be suprised if there is a lot of striking going on if things aren't going the way they should.

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