Wikipedia Entry For The "Nursing Shortage"

AJPV · Oct 13, 2011

I'm glad the article talks about how a nursing shortage is defined (perceived inadequate ratio of nurses per capita). It is important to note that the presence of a "nursing shortage" does not mean that healthcare agencies desire to hire enough nurses to correct that shortage (ie, enough nurses to provide for safe nurse-patient ratios). Maybe a little more of our fix-the-nursing-shortage effort should be directed toward generating the political, legislative, and regulatory will to mandate adequate staffing.

OCNRN63, RN · Oct 13, 2011

Thanks.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Oct 13, 2011

also does not mean there is a nursing shortage in your home town. Lots of rural areas have shortages in the US

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 13, 2011

It's so true! They nailed it! Nursing shortage will continue if the powers that be can get away with under staffing to save money!

vanburbian · Oct 13, 2011

"While the number of U.S. trained licensed nurses has increased each year, the projected nursing demand growth rate from 2008–2018, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[16] is anticipated to be a 22%, or 2.12% annually. Therefore, the 9.8% annual growth of new R.N.'s exceeds the current new position growth rate by a net of 7.7% per year with the assumption of consistent growth figures over the next decade.

Well, that's it in a nutshell then, an almost 8% surplus of nurses.

chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Oct 13, 2011

"While the number of U.S. trained licensed nurses has increased each year, the projected nursing demand growth rate from 2008–2018, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[16] is anticipated to be a 22%, or 2.12% annually. Therefore, the 9.8% annual growth of new R.N.'s exceeds the current new position growth rate by a net of 7.7% per year with the assumption of consistent growth figures over the next decade.
Well, that's it in a nutshell then, an almost 8% surplus of nurses.

As they say in the TV infomercials, "Wait - it gets better!"

. . . Although the demand for nurses continues to increase, the rate of employment has slowed down since 1994 because hospitals were incorporating more less-skilled nursing personnel to substitute for nurses.[18] With the decrease in employment, the earnings for nurses also decreased. Wage among nurses leveled off in correlation with inflation between 1990 and 1994.[18] The recent economic crisis of 2009 has further decreased the demand for RN's.

Assuming the Wikipedia info is correct, the trend for the foreseeable future is:

1) A continued oversupply of nurses;

2) Reduced RN staffing by hospitals;

3) Increased use of UAP by those same hospitals and;

4) RN wage stagnation or possibly even reductions.

DoGoodThenGo · Oct 14, 2011

As they say in the TV infomercials, "Wait - it gets better!"
Assuming the Wikipedia info is correct, the trend for the foreseeable future is:
1) A continued oversupply of nurses;
2) Reduced RN staffing by hospitals;
3) Increased use of UAP by those same hospitals and;
4) RN wage stagnation or possibly even reductions.

All things discussed at one time or another here in the forum.

It would be nice if both nursing education and the profession at large were on the same page in this country, but alas no such luck.

In many areas including the federal government (witness how many times the current and previous administrations turn to nursing as a "career change" for those recently or long term unemployed), nursing is seen as a vocational job with grads to be churned out regardless of local need.

OTOH you have a massive push for advance degree nurses (also coming in part from the federal government) to help fill the voids where primary care physicans are in short supply, and or simply feel are areas not worth them bothering.

Finally as one has stated often and will continue saying so, it is the healthcare facilities/hospital systems that have more power over the nursing profession than anyone else. For it is they who hire and conduct post graduate training of nearly all nurses in this country.

Everyone thought once staffing levels were madated in CA things would settle down and healthcare facilities would simmer down and behave themselves. Well as the events of the past few weeks and others before have proved *that* is far from happening.

Will say one thing for the Wikipedia entry, they are correct in that the profession needs to attract vastly more young (as in post college or high school age) persons into the profession. It is all very well for career change and otherwise motivated persons >35 years of age to become nurses. However to have any sort of stability one requires young people to enter a thing and stick with it.

dishes, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2011

In addition to the nursing shortage entry, Wikipedia needs to add a nursing surplus entry. There have been a number of surplus-shortage cycles in nursing, the last nursing shortage cycle lasted from early 2000's until 2007 (depending on area). During that time, there were many nursing journal articles published on the topic of the nursing shortage. However, now that nursing is in a surplus cycle, there have been minimal publications on the topic of the nursing surplus. As a result, nursing grads are shocked when they discover to late, that there is a surplus of nurses and jobs are few and far between. In order to make informed decsions about their careers, nurses, students and potential students need access to reliable publications that explain surplus-shortage nursing cycles and provide tips on how to anticipate and how to survive in both types of cycles.