where are the nursing shortages?

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2005

Working weekends never bothered me but just try and find a hospital job with 8 hour shifts....for some of us, that's all we can do and give good care. Moving to 12 hour shifts has bumped a lot of my friends out of hospital work.

Personally, there doesn't seem to be a shortage here in WI.

nrsjo · Feb 17, 2005

There's jobs in Memphis, TN!

elleon · Feb 18, 2005

How about TX? anyone from TX here? I'm planning to move there....

Tony35NYC · Feb 18, 2005

New York!

Yes, DEFINITELY New York!!!

PatricksRNMommy · Feb 18, 2005

I am hearing that there are shortages in some areas while some are cutting back jobs.
Can anyone tell me for sure where thet know there are nursing shortages in the U.S or Canada.
Thanks

We have a nursing shortage in FL due to the increasing elderly population here.

lllliv · Feb 18, 2005

i think nv ranks #2 in the nursing shortage. but you would never know it the way we are treated.

fergus51 · Feb 18, 2005

Fergus, you work in a specialty unit on NOCS. That sounds like job security to me dear. I would venture a guess that you don't visit the "trenches" much so it's my understanding that the information you garner is whatever propaganda get's filtered beyond that velvet rope. I still contend, ain't no nursing shortage here in California, specifically So Cal, anywhere!

I thought this was the trenches :chuckle. I don't know where I have to work to have an informed opinion on the matter.

That said, there are plenty of job postings for med-surg and general peds in my hospital too and specialty units will take new grads. Whether there is a shortage of nurses or not, there seem to be plenty of jobs around.

fergus51 · Feb 18, 2005

Now maybe this doesn't happen everwhere (Fergus you have found a good manager/unit...feel fortunate) but I smell a rat in a lot of the hoopla involving 'nurse shortage' claims.
Why so much foreign recruitment of new grads? They are cheaper, more pliable, less risk , healthier stronger...because they are young no doubt. A not so subtle ageisim? Probably..
So IMHO there is a hidden story behind all the cries of 'shortage'.

I definitely feel fortunate. I moved across the country for this job and turned down a few others because I cared more about a good working environment than the larger signing bonuses some places offered. Another good thing for us is thanks to being a unionized facility foreign nurses are not cheaper than American nurses and have all the same protections. When I read some of the posts from other places, I am HORRIFIED! There are nurses who have to take 8 babies in some places. I'll never look after more than 4 here. There are some busy nights and some nights where we do have to break the mandated ratios (you don't want to hear about last night!!!), but it isn't the norm by any means.

angel337, MSN, RN · Feb 18, 2005

Chicago, IL and the surrounding suburbs. you could work every day of the week, 24/7 if you wanted to.

RN34TX · Feb 18, 2005

Minnesota?? I know RN's forced to stay in LPN positions (some are on this BB) because they can't find fulltime RN jobs.
I agree with Cheerfuldoer's and Haunted's opinions on this subject.

I can confirm these statements by mattsmom81. Just got off the phone with my friend who works in the twin cities area hospitals. The HealthEast chain is currently having a hiring freeze despite staffing shortages and big census and patient loads. She's had a horrible week working Med/Surg floors and has been an RN since the early 70's. Trying to find work outside the twin cities I've heard is even worse.

Plus, it seems to me that even on this board I see frequent complaints from MN nurses who can't find work.

I don't see TX nurses complaining of that anywhere.

Gwailo · Feb 22, 2005

There is an international nursing shortage and Canada is no exception. although by the government's actions you wouldn't have thought so. Canada, with a small population of 30 million or so will be short about 113,000 nurses by the year 2016. This is due to a number of factors such as healthcare cutbacks that increase nurse to Pt ratios, increased attrition due to foriegn nursing recruitment, decreased enrolment and graduation and the very soon to be mass exodus of nurses leaving to retire. The government is doing all it can to perpetuate the shortage by forcing hospitals to lay-off nurses by decreasing funding. I graduate with my BscN in June and quite honestly I have no idea if I'm going to find a job. There is an obvious shortage here but no one seems to care here. I'm seriously thinking about heading south like many of my class mates who have already found employment there pending registration. At least we feel wanted in the states.

PFDGB · Feb 22, 2005

There are two kinds of nursing shortages (as I see it):
One is the kind the hospitals put in print for the media to talk about, yet when it comes to hiring nurses, "nothing is available".
The other shortage is what I call the "true nursing shortage" where nurses are in short supply, and hospitals truly do have a hard time filling positions.
Separate the ones that are TRUE shortages from the ones that are all a bunch of "hype", and you'll find yourself a job in no time. :)

:angryfire Hype hype and more hype..........I cannot believe that the majority of people out there are really buying this garbage. This is not about a nursing shortage. There are more than enough nurses here in this country to meet the needs of our people. This is about the bottom line and nothing more. The nurses that left the field left because they were overworked and underpaid. The answer our politicians came up with was to hire from abroad. This situation and our governments response is no different than the legalization and amnesty for mexican imigrants working the agriculture industry. It's there way of maintaining the bottom line for those at the top. This is not to help nurses nor the patients entrusted in our care. Thank you for not being asleep at the wheel. :angryfire