How bad is the nursing shortage in WA?

yadda_yadda_yadda, LPN, LVN · Mar 16, 2007

Hey! :welcome: We recently moved to WA from Texas with my husband's job.

If you're a RN...you shouldn't have any problem whatsoever! There are hospitals & speciality 'this & that' all over the place. There are Assisted Living facilities looking for Resident Services Directors all the time. (they advertise for RN or LPN...but most prefer RN, because they don't have to employ RN-oversight in that case)...and if you like working with the elderly, a RSD position is pretty posh for any nurse.

Good paying LPN jobs, however, aren't in abundance. (I'm a LVN/LPN)

Lots of facilities here are unionized. I'm too new to all of it to have an opinion on that, one way or the other, though. Union membership is mandatory in some places, too.

We live in Redmond...simply because that's where we were initially set up in corporate housing with the initial transfer...and once our kids were enrolled in school, it just made sense all around to avoid any more unnecessary changes.

It's beautiful here...no doubt about that! As a life-long Texan, I was awestruck by the recent snowfall :Snow: Traffic...well...that all depends on where you're from. It's better here than in the Austin,Tx metro-area was...so I can't complain.

My only 'complaint' is that most streets are numerical...and I'm navigationally challenged. 150th Ave. NE ...150th Pl. NE ....NE 150th St. :confused:

Again, it's beautiful up here...lots to see & do.

Sorry to be long-winded....but I figured the impression of the area from another 'newbie' might be helpful. :)

Life_Wanderer · Mar 18, 2007

Sorry to be long-winded....but I figured the impression of the area from another 'newbie' might be helpful. :)

Thank you, yadda_yadda_yadda, for your input

saftman22, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2007

Just like any other place we are short. My experience is, working conditions are pretty good. Just like any other job you will always have the occassional problem person/people. Most places have a hard time getting experienced nurses so if you have experience you should be a shoe in. If no experience than you will probably have to do a residency (hospital exp. I am talking about). Not so bad though because that gives you time to get in to that particular facilities groove. As far as union goes I think it is a bonus as you get better wages and benefits. WElcome to Washington and I hope you enjoy it up here.

tiggertoo · Sep 25, 2007

I'd say there isn't much of a shortage here in the Seattle area. Despite ads on TV. Last fall was running a nice TV ad for nurses, the had a hiring freeze. Also Swedish, this summer had a tv blitz, but they are also having a hiring freeze. What's up with that?

I as an RN was out of work for 6 months last year. I finally landed a job in LTC (which I just quit) and now I have a Agency job, a part-time LTC job and another job. I learned this in LTC most of the nurses out here have 1,2 and sometimes 3 jobs. Some work 32-36 hours in a hospital and also do agency work. Some work in 1, 2 or more nursing home. I have seen a few just work 24 hr shifts (self scheduled that is).

I just finished 2 shifts as an agency nurse here for a hospital that I have been applying for for a year. They are advertizing for nurses, I just never get any calls back from HR or anyone else. Yes, they do have my correct numbers. I guess they would rather pay my agency $$'s that regulary salaried $$'s :lol2: Anyway I was one of 3 agency nurses working the unit. The only regular employess on the unit where the charge nurse and one cna. Go figure?

elpeon · Jan 31, 2008

soon moving to wa.
i'm wondering about the nursing shortage in washington state.
how bad is it in your area? do you see any changes in the last few years? how does it affect the staffing, working conditions, salaries, benefits, etc. in your area?
many thanks,
life_wanderer

rn jobs are many. lpns have been kicked out of many area hospitals, rns have been imported from phillipines and korea. :angryfire

lindarn · Jan 31, 2008

There is no nursing shortage in Eastern Washington, Spokane, Three schools of nursing and another one right over the border in Idaho.

This reflects how nurses are treated here, and compensated.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

samanthap123 · Feb 28, 2008

Well, I just moved from Spokane, WA to Las Vegas, NV and realized how wonderful nursing was in Spokane and SW Washington. I spent my first five years at Sacred Heart and had a wonderful experience. We were always staffed very well, and I felt like I was giving plenty of support to do my job well. Here is the total opposite. I can't wait until we get transferred back to Spokane.

So to answer your question, I do not feel like the nursing shortage is very bad at all in WA.

Samantha

westcoastgirl · Mar 1, 2008

In my experience no severe shortage. one of our administrators was going on again about the lack of RN and wanting to import people from Phillipines, I call bull. :angryfire

SilverRain · Mar 3, 2008

It just baffles me. I've been looking for a job for the last few weeks. Wanna know how many places don't bother to call me for an interview? Granted, I may not qualify 100% for every job I apply, but I apply only for positions I am a close fit and have a relevant experience. Do they pay less to the "imported" nurses? I don't mean any disrespect to foreign nurses, but hey, I am here, available and willing, what gives?