Does it make sense to stay a nurse if there is a predicted glut in 2025?
We already know plenty of people are trying to become nurses.
I see on Allnurses where many do not think these people cannot handle the schoolwork,
but i know for a fact that many of them are actually succeeding.
I would say 90% of the people i know who wanted to become nurses in the last 5 years have succeeded.
I will only be 43 in 2025. I have been a nurse since 2004,and have never really worked outside of nursing(besides being a Cna)
I will also have 21 years in nursing if i stay in 2025.
Of course,i can get a Bsn to stay competitive,but i do wonder if that will be enough.
It might get so competitive that employers might ask for something else or they might have even more stringent requirements(such as 1 year med surg experience) that i do not have.
Would not a nursing glut result in decreased wages?
It actually already is...my own hourly pay decreased by $5,and in this area somebody just made a post that they were offered $20 as a new grad Rn.
Compare that to 2004,when i started at $25 as a new grad Lpn.
I know with my luck,i might get the Bsn and then the Msn becomes the new minimum standard.
I would rather save the $10,489 i am going to use for the Bsn and invest it instead.
I think that what Smartnurse is hinting at above is that the the BSN debate is a distraction from a more basic issue, namely that it's hard to circumvent the laws of supply and demand.
For some time now, anecdotal (and some preliminary) evidence has hinted that the supply of new RN's has exceeded demand, in stark contrast to the rosy employment predictions of the BLS. It is also the case that enrollment in nursing programs has increased significantly and in fact continues to grow. On the demand side, with the exception of a handful of places like CA with mandated nurse to patient ratios, healthcare institutions seem to get by with minimal RN staffing, helping to keep nursing employment levels low. At the same time, many institutions also seem to be moving toward increasing the role of UAP's - who are paid significantly less than RN's - in patient care.
Given the oversupply of nurses at the same time demand is static (or more likely decreasing) it should not be a surprise to see RN wages decrease. There is some data indicating that this is in fact the case. The BLS reports that average 2009 RN wages were about $32/hr, nominally rising to just over $34 by 2014. Even in this time of relatively low inflation, this represents a decrease in real terms, albeit relatively small. Keep in mind though that these figures are for average RN hourly wages - starting wages are significantly lower and I suspect show both a nominal and real decrease over the same period.
My cynical conclusion is healthcare institutions are simply taking advantage of the situation and demanding the BSN because the oversupply of nurses allows them to. BSN or not, there will be continued downward pressure on nursing wages that will not change until the supply of RN's decreases or demand for RN's increases. In my opinion, neither is likely in the short to medium term.
I suggest NOT getting a BSN. I regret getting mine. I would skip it altogether and just do MSN. You can get an MSN in the same amount of time and about the same effort as a BSN.
I looked into both BSN and MSN programs and the MSN required more time and effort on my part and costs way more. To each its own. You could not pay me to get my MSN. I have no desire to get it.
This thread definitely freaks me out as i am doing my pre-reqs for nursing school right now. I am going for my BSN but i am already worried about not getting a job.
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
I am already 50. Been a nurse for 3 years. I am finishing my BSN this month. Will also take my ortho cert test 2025 I will still be working b/c I had kids late and I LOVE it anyway. I got my BSN for almost no money. I got a scholarship and my organization offers tuition assistance. Took me less than a year. Masters probably the same (I would get mine in education).
You are so young. It shouldn't be a terribly difficult decision. I resented all the "you gotta get your BSN" stuff, but now I am glad I did it.
I have heard arguments that Medicare is socialist medicine as well. It is paid for by the government for social good...is that the argument? And maybe "socialist" medicine will improve staffing to a safe and effective level, but I won't hold my breath for that one.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
So her 10+ years of Nursing EXPERIENCE isn't competitive? The push towards a BSN is poppycock. She won't learn anything in a BSN that will remotely compete with 10yrs of experience.
In the current job market in most places? Experience doesn't mean as much as it used to- many nurses, experienced and not, are competing for the same jobs. Some facilities are opting to go with the bottom line and hire the new nurse at a much lower salary. Others may prefer a nurse with some experience but not enough to command top dollar. With employers being able to by picky about who they hire, whatever one can do to get an edge (certifications, higher education, etc) is in one's best interests in remaining a competitive applicant.
You are so young. It shouldn't be a terribly difficult decision. I resented all the "you gotta get your BSN" stuff, but now I am glad I did it.
It shouldn't be a difficult decision,but then i think of people in other professions who paid for advanced education and cannot find jobs in the field they trained for because of a glut.
I recall that there were plenty of ex computer techs in my nursing class in 2003
The PPACA is not socialist medicine. It operates under an insurance model (consumers can choose from multiple insurance providers). "Socialist medicine" would be a single-payer/universal healthcare system.
For pre-nursing students, I suggest going straight for the BSN, if possible. I live in California and a lot of hospitals no longer take ADNs (I don't agree with this but since the market is saturated with new nurses, hospitals can take their pick). I'm a new graduate MSN RN who went through a direct-entry MSN program. I don't regret my decision to go for the MSN. On top of the traditional clinical nursing curriculum, I also took classes in graduate-level research, financial management, informatics, and leadership. I think it'll offer me more opportunities for advancement in the future.
This reminds me of an acquaintenance of mine. She graduated with an ADN, hired straight into ICU where they gave what tshe described as a good orientation but the hiring agreement was that she would obtain her BSN. She was so resentful of it. I can see being resentful if you had proven yourself for years as a loyal amd competent employee but that was what she signed up for, as a grad nurse straight into ICU.
Honestly, I had a bit of a cry me a river response.
chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B
1,139 Posts
For some time now, anecdotal (and some preliminary) evidence has hinted that the supply of new RN's has exceeded demand, in stark contrast to the rosy employment predictions of the BLS. It is also the case that enrollment in nursing programs has increased significantly and in fact continues to grow. On the demand side, with the exception of a handful of places like CA with mandated nurse to patient ratios, healthcare institutions seem to get by with minimal RN staffing, helping to keep nursing employment levels low. At the same time, many institutions also seem to be moving toward increasing the role of UAP's - who are paid significantly less than RN's - in patient care.
Given the oversupply of nurses at the same time demand is static (or more likely decreasing) it should not be a surprise to see RN wages decrease. There is some data indicating that this is in fact the case. The BLS reports that average 2009 RN wages were about $32/hr, nominally rising to just over $34 by 2014. Even in this time of relatively low inflation, this represents a decrease in real terms, albeit relatively small. Keep in mind though that these figures are for average RN hourly wages - starting wages are significantly lower and I suspect show both a nominal and real decrease over the same period.
My cynical conclusion is healthcare institutions are simply taking advantage of the situation and demanding the BSN because the oversupply of nurses allows them to. BSN or not, there will be continued downward pressure on nursing wages that will not change until the supply of RN's decreases or demand for RN's increases. In my opinion, neither is likely in the short to medium term.