what are hospitals doing to fix the nursing shortage

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Good evening;

Does anyone know what the hospitals are doing to fix the problem of nursing shortages? I am amazed at the fact there can be 12 patients for one person to take care of! When are hopitals going to wake up and realize without nurses hospitals will not survive (or patients).

One more question; why do doctors get paid so much more when they spend so little time with their patients?

Have a great night!

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

They helped themselves by eliminating LPN's. Go figure. I'm just being sarcastic. I know that alot of LPN's would gladly work in hospitals (not critical care) if they were allowed too. I'm thinking that there is no nursing shortage, otherwise we (LPN's) would be utilized somehow. So when I hear there is a nursing shortage, I know it's a RN shortage, not nurses in general. That's okay, I'll just continue to work my LTC and clinic job atleast LPN's are wanted there.

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There are 3 big reasons why doctors are paid more:

1. They don't work for the hospitals (some do, but the ones that do make MUCH less money than the ones that don't).

2. You can't become a doctor in 2 years - the extensive education and sacrifice required to endure undergrad work, med school, and residency limits the number of people who will become doctors, thus limiting supply. Unlike nursing, however, if doctors leave the field, you can't just wait for the local community colleges to churn out a couple hundred more.

3. They possess a higher level of education. More education = more $$ in most fields, not just health care.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

There's no true nursing shortage, as 500,000 RNs and an unknown number of LPNs have active licensure, yet they are not working at the bedside.

There's a shortage of nurses who are willing to deal with the demanding patients, rude physicians, abusive family members, insensitive management, and the other toxic elements that accompany bedside nursing.

Additionally, doctors are paid more because they are considered 'revenue-generators' for healthcare facilities. On the flip of the coin, nurses are regarded as mere 'expenditures', along with the soap and dinner trays. A 'revenue generator' will always be paid more than an 'expenditure'.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I also question the so-called "shortage." Referring to https://allnurses.com/forums/f195/new-nurse-grads-have-job-options-if-they-expand-their-search-horizons-240961.html

I conclude that there's a substantial distribution problem and, as mentioned above, that the "shortage" is more about there being many nursing jobs that nobody wants because the pay or conditions are poor.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

One more question; why do doctors get paid so much more when they spend so little time with their patients?

Please do not try to compare MDs and pay to Nurses and pay - it isn't an appropriate comparison in the least.

After dealing with interns/residents, and reviewing what my insurance pays as opposed to what my initial bill is prior to adjustment, MDs in many cases are seriously UNDERPAID for what they do. Not to mention all the freebie care that they become responsible for, because of patients that don't pay their bills at all. Interns/residents after their degree and then med school, owe serious money and yet often are working for less yearly wages than nurses and are forced to due 24 hour rotations - it has only been in that last few years that their schedules were limited to 80 hours per week.

I do not begrudge them what pittances that insurance deigns to pay out for them going through all this. They, in most cases, have earned by blood, sweat and tears.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Good evening;

Does anyone know what the hospitals are doing to fix the problem of nursing shortages? I am amazed at the fact there can be 12 patients for one person to take care of! When are hopitals going to wake up and realize without nurses hospitals will not survive (or patients).

One more question; why do doctors get paid so much more when they spend so little time with their patients?

Have a great night!

If hospitals do what they have always done, they will take certain aspects of care a way from nurses, hiring unlicensed persons to do the task that they once had to pay nurses to do. And they will work with state legislatures to allow unlicense to take over the task license people once did.

Woody:balloons:

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There's no true nursing shortage, as 500,000 RNs and an unknown number of LPNs have active licensure, yet they are not working at the bedside.

There's a shortage of nurses who are willing to deal with the demanding patients, rude physicians, abusive family members, insensitive management, and the other toxic elements that accompany bedside nursing.

Additionally, doctors are paid more because they are considered 'revenue-generators' for healthcare facilities. On the flip of the coin, nurses are regarded as mere 'expenditures', along with the soap and dinner trays. A 'revenue generator' will always be paid more than an 'expenditure'.[/quote

I totally agree with the above thread. I am an LNA and a nursing student. I have seen many nurses on my floor leave for OR positions

as well as various outpatient positions. Many nurses on my unit only work per diem due to stress. My unit has great comraderie and a great evening charge nurse and still the nurses are leaving. I can not even imagine the turnover rate on other so called "toxic units". I am due to graduate in May 2008 and really question if bedside nursing is where I want to be. It is sad because I really love patient care but also do not want to lose my sanity.

So, I too believe there isn't a nursing shortage but just a lack of nurses willing to work under impossible conditions. Please tell me all hospitals are not like this.:uhoh3:

God Bless,

Heather

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.
I also question the so-called "shortage." Referring to https://allnurses.com/forums/f195/new-nurse-grads-have-job-options-if-they-expand-their-search-horizons-240961.html

I conclude that there's a substantial distribution problem and, as mentioned above, that the "shortage" is more about there being many nursing jobs that nobody wants because the pay or conditions are poor.

Very good thought. It also has alot to do with 'supply and demand.'

For example, I live in a nice suburban community in northern CO....a fairly desirable place to live and raise kids. Many nurses (including myself) have relocated here - basically for the quality of life. There is no nursing shortage in this area. Also, the pay isn't near what it is in Denver, the neighboring city, but that is the trade off....it is a nicer place to live so people settle for the lower wages.

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I just saw something that is NOT a help to the shortage. The Clarian Health System in IN is "fining" employees who are not healthy (overweight, high cholesterol, smokers). They offer some wellness programs and want to "encourage" employees to take advantage of them by docking the pay of those who do not attend. One commentator on the Today Show brought forth the very valid point that hospitals often create a stressfull work environment that does not foster their employees good health. It makes me very mad. I am all for the health promo programs BUT it should be voluntary and having something like weight watchers is of little use if it not able to be attended by those who need it due to a busy unit or poor staffing (happens all the time where I work, but the folks in offices are able to go). I hope nurses tell Clarian to shove it. What's next? Will they dock you for unsafe sex or not taking a vitamin. How about more staff, lower nurse: patient ratios, more scheduling options, more $$$ to retain nurses and other staff and ditch the BIG BROTHER attitude?

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

I just got my annual evauation and for the first time in 30 years, make that 31, it was less than stellar...mostly because of my "attitude." Okay, I'll admit that part has declined, but I still am committed to giving great patient care. I enjoy my co-workers, and patients. Management, however, is another story. I think our management is trying to make little puppets out of us. The CNO has all the nurse managers cooing the same phrases all the time and it trickles down from there. If they make a movie about Stepford Nurses, they can probably come shoot it where I work.

I know my attitude has declined, but in the past year, there have been so many changes in our hospital from nurse managers to forms to computer programs that take more time away from our real jobs. Those changes, and not all are what they were touted to be, have to be factored in. I am very vocal about my feelings and that got me in trouble too, but I can name at least 5 nurses off the top of my head who have thanked me for voicing what they are afraid to voice.

I'm not one, and never have been, to toe the mark and move only when told to move. I believe nurses are in serious danger of losing their autonomy. We're not that far away from doing everything by rote, from what we say to the patients as we enter and leave the room, to how we give report. Do it this way, or else!

There are lots of reasons why able-bodied (and that's another issue) nurses have chosen to leave bedside nursing. It's just going to make it even easier to walk away when the time comes---and I have a time line. Two more years tops, that's it. I'll be close to 61 then with lots of other plans for the rest of my life that won't get me the pay (which I'm pretty happy with currently where I work) but there won't be the stress of going to work either. Certainly a tradeoff.

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Specializes in OB, NP, Nurse Educator.

No hospitals are never going to do anything about the nursing shortage because nurses continue to work in unsafe conditions without putting up a fight for fear of losing their jobs.

Why do nurses continue to get a patient assignment of 9, 10, 12 patients? Because we do take care of them - maybe not very well, but we do keep them going for 12 hours - and that is all the hospital cares about.

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