How's the job market in YOUR area?

[Chico David, BSN, RN]

we all know there is a long term and chronic nursing shortage. i just read an ap story on line today that makes it sound even more drastic than a lot of stories we've read in recent years.

here's a link to the whole story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090105/ap_on_he_me/now_hiring_nurses

and here are a few quotes:

"the long-standing u.s. nurse shortage has led to chronic understaffing that can threaten patient care and nurses' job satisfaction, and the problem is expected to worsen.

the shortage has been operating since world war ii on an eight- to 10-year cycle, industry experts say. each time the number of nurses reaches a critical low, the government adds funding and hospitals upgrade working conditions. but as the deficit eases, those retention efforts fade and eventually the old conditions return, often driving nurses into other professions."

sound familiar?

and another:

the u.s. bureau of labor statistics predicts about 233,000 additional jobs will open for registered nurses each year through 2016, on top of about 2.5 million existing positions. but only about 200,000 candidates passed the registered nurse licensing exam last year, and thousands of nurses leave the profession each year.

several factors are in play: a lack of qualified instructors to staff training programs, lack of funding for training programs, difficult working conditions and the need for expertise in many key nursing positions.

cheryl peterson, the director of nursing practice and policy for the american nurses association in silver spring, md., said employers must raise salaries and improve working conditions.

and another juicy bit:

recruiters across the country have tried similar techniques, offering chair massages, lavish catering and contests for flat-screen tvs, gps devices and shopping sprees worth as much as $1,000.

even strong salaries aren't doing the trick. registered nurses made an average of $62,480 in 2007, ranging from a mean of $78,550 in california to $49,140 in iowa, according to government statistics. including overtime, usually abundantly available, the most experienced nurses can earn more than $100,000.

so here's my question for you folks: (or really several related questions) does this match your experience in your area? are you seeing those big inducements? do you think the recession - maybe soon to be depression - has affected the nursing job market where you are? share with the rest of us.

[Riseupandnurse]

No shortage in the bottom of Missouri. Plenty of jobs.

[Dolce, RN]

I am getting SO tired of hearing that there is a nursing shortage. There is NO nursing shortage where I live. My 150 bed hospital has 3 posted nursing positions. The next closest hospital laid off nurses recently and has 2 nursing positions open. The nearest trauma center about 30 minutes away is not hiring any staff nurses and also had to lay off employees. They have stopped using agency nurses as well. I am so glad that I am not a new grad because getting a job right now in my area would be a nightmarish experience.

I wish these journalists would consider the current economy before making broad, sweeping overgeneralizations about the "nursing shortage" and how there will always be a job for nurses. They certainly didn't interview me for the article and if they would have I would have requested that they update their information and quit re-using the same factoids that they've been spouting for the last ten years. I'm sure that there are parts of the country that are hurting for nurses but not around here.....

[jillianrae]

We need the staff, but there is no money in the budget! With so many companies laying off people or closing themselves, people are losing their health insurance. Hence we are losing patients... it is all a downhill battle for now. By the way I am in Southern Cali. There are few jobs posted/open.

[dreamon]

What hospitals are giving away shopping sprees? LOL

To an outsider, North Carolina's major cities appear to still be hiring.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Here in AZ, many of our new grads cannot get jobs. One large hospital just canceled employment contracts with some of their students they sponsored tuition for in nursing school. Can you imagine a hospital paying 30k in tuition for nursing school with an employment contract for two years post graduation, and then the hospital saying we don't have a job for you when you graduate? Amazing. The job market for new grads has changed so suddenly where I'm at.

[jjensen]

No shortage in Wisconsin either... People are still getting sick and need us to take care of them...

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

There are jobs here, but not the "desirable" jobs. There is med/surg and LTC, mostly evenings/nights/weekends, and lots of agencies hiring. Pay is crap here.

[dettwiller5]

THere is no shortage here in Southeastern VA- I just graduated in Dec and most of the students in my class (including me) had a job lined up before graduation in the units that they desired. :)

[RN1982]

One of the local health systems is on a hiring freeze but the other three health systems are all hiring.

[gapeachRN2009, BSN, RN]

I am getting SO tired of hearing that there is a nursing shortage. There is NO nursing shortage where I live. My 150 bed hospital has 3 posted nursing positions. The next closest hospital laid off nurses recently and has 2 nursing positions open. The nearest trauma center about 30 minutes away is not hiring any staff nurses and also had to lay off employees. They have stopped using agency nurses as well. I am so glad that I am not a new grad because getting a job right now in my area would be a nightmarish experience.

I wish these journalists would consider the current economy before making broad, sweeping overgeneralizations about the "nursing shortage" and how there will always be a job for nurses. They certainly didn't interview me for the article and if they would have I would have requested that they update their information and quit re-using the same factoids that they've been spouting for the last ten years. I'm sure that there are parts of the country that are hurting for nurses but not around here.....

Where do you live?

[FLmomof5]

The reason why the "industry" claims the nursing shortage is SO bad is that they use this as PROOF to the US Gov't that they are justified in hiring FORIEGNERS! They did this in IT.....there were thousands of unemployed IT folks who couldn't get a job if they tried.....all the while, the industry was telling the Gov't that they needed even more H1Bs because of the lack of "skilled" programmers in country. It was BS then....it is BS now.