Almost 500,000 licensed registered nurses were not employed as nurses in 2000.*
Data from the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) 2000 national sample survey of RNs shows that more than 500,000 licensed nurses (more than 18% of the national nurse workforce) have chosen not to work in nursing. This available labor pool could be drawn back into nursing if they found the employment opportunities attractive enough**
The ANA maintains that the deterioration in the working conditions for nurses is the primary cause for the staff vacancies being reported by hospitals and nursing facilities - not a systemic nursing shortage. Nurses are opting not to take these nursing jobs because they are not attracted to positions where they will be confronted by mandatory overtime and short staffing. **
76.6% (of) Licensed RNs (in The U.S. are) Employed in Nursing***
* Projected Supply, Demand and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020 (released on 7/30/03 by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in an earlier report, predicted that that we will need one million new nurses by 2010 (Monthly Labor Review - November 2001) to cover new positions and replace the nurses who have retired.
Put a spin on it, imagine if instead of a nursing shortage there were a policeman shortage. Can you imagine the public outcry?
Actually, this has happened in the past (My first degree was in criminal justice). In the late 60's-early 70's there were shortages of police officers. The federal gov't stepped in with a widesweeping tuition program for officers, including free graduate school. In any field you wanted.
ONCE upon a time benevelent, compassionate souls looked on the ailing masses and out of a heart of compassion started what we call HOSPITALS today. The first Hospitals were started by Churches. Thru the years, like everyone else in our culture, the Churches decided they did not want to be in the sick people business and gave away their hospitals (to governments, then to big business). Yeah, I know there are a few that remain today, but for the most part, Hospitals are owned by BIG BUSINESS. CEO's at the top are the ones making their millions and satisfying the shareholders. The ORIGINAL INTENT of why Hospitals are HAS BEEN LOST....to bring comfort to the hurting, healing to the sick. That is why there is the association of a "calling" is so attached to Nursing and to Medicine. Too bad it's pretty much a distant, hazy memory now because everyone suffers.
I still can't find a job, so I am with registry until a position in a hospital opens up. I was recently fired from a non union, non contract hospital here in OC for "violating a reasonable employer rule" (still stumped on what that rule could be...) and have applied to 6 different hospitals. I have excellent credentials, letters of reference etc. and am twisting in the wind. Many of these facilities continue to advertise for the very position I have applied for so , yes, there seems to be an interesting spin going on, especially in the media wherein nurses are blamed for closures, bankrupcy and the plague upon America !
Do not agree. Nursing was not my religious/spiritual calling. It was a means to be financially independent should something happen to my husband...a career with potential for great growth and personal satisfaction. I am frankly quite tired of hearing how it should be a calling for us to be good nurses. I could not disagree more. I am one of the evil ones who came in for other reasons and OH YES passed my boards first time around after a 4.0 GPA thru college. Guess my motives are questionable, but I did fine nonetheless...go figure!
I have to agree with everyone that said that there is NOT a shortage of Nurses...just a shortage of Nurses fed up with rotten hours and an unreasonably stressful working environment. Someone mentioned that there will be a demand for Nurses because of the aging baby-boomers and they are so right. Patients will be he ultimate victims though if hospitals don't change or try to improve areas of Nursing that are forcing Nurses out of the profession, which in turn deters others from wanting to persue Nursing as a career. I know three RNs that have quit their jobs and now do part time work in another field. All said that they would love to return to Nursing, but the ever increasing demands that were put on them didn't make it worth it. They said if the hospitals were willing to compromise, they would return in a heartbeat.
Your motives are not questionable at all. Don't ever let someone try to convince you otherwise. That's why it is called work and not play. Yes, it would be wonderful if everyone, in every occupation, loves what they do, but unfortunately this is never going to happen. The majority of people I know, work because of the money. What I have read in numerous threads on this board though are that many Nurses aren't making that much money anyway.
Note: My hospital is crying out for nurses. I figured that since they need nurses so badly, that maybe they would be willing to work with my hours. Wrong. Still can't get the hours I want and I am still stuck working OT all of the time. So, I finally went to a 3/4 work week. My benefits were cut, but very, very little and when I factor in my OT now, it equals a 40 work week! Perfect. Just what I wanted.
I still can't find a job, so I am with registry until a position in a hospital opens up. I was recently fired from a non union, non contract hospital here in OC for "violating a reasonable employer rule" (still stumped on what that rule could be...) and have applied to 6 different hospitals. I have excellent credentials, letters of reference etc. and am twisting in the wind. Many of these facilities continue to advertise for the very position I have applied for so , yes, there seems to be an interesting spin going on, especially in the media wherein nurses are blamed for closures, bankrupcy and the plague upon America !
Wow, even some nurses in California can't find work.
My best friend has been an RN for 25 years. She currently lives in KS, but is applying for travel jobs to Cali. She used to live there and is still licensed there. However, she has gotten NO offers at all.
There is all kinds of evidence that the "shortage" is not real, IMO.
I think for the level of education required, being a nurse allows for a lot of flexibility and decent $. I agree that it sucks at times, and while we may not be in a total shortage now, we will be soon (as it has already been mentioned). Also, graduating BSN's are not staying in the field typically for more than 5 years. That adds to the problem.
I get what you are saying about there not really being a shortage, but rather nurses who don't work because of crappy conditions. So what do you think the answer is? For us to do? For our employers?
ONCE upon a time benevelent, compassionate souls looked on the ailing masses and out of a heart of compassion started what we call HOSPITALS today. The first Hospitals were started by Churches. Thru the years, like everyone else in our culture, the Churches decided they did not want to be in the sick people business and gave away their hospitals (to governments, then to big business). Yeah, I know there are a few that remain today, but for the most part, Hospitals are owned by BIG BUSINESS. CEO's at the top are the ones making their millions and satisfying the shareholders. The ORIGINAL INTENT of why Hospitals are HAS BEEN LOST....to bring comfort to the hurting, healing to the sick. That is why there is the association of a "calling" is so attached to Nursing and to Medicine. Too bad it's pretty much a distant, hazy memory now because everyone suffers.
For one, many church hospitals didn't sell theirs because of not wanting to be in the sick people business. How do you think a charity hospital really survives? I work in one- believe me, we have less supplies, less flashy of a hospital as our corporate competition. But I feel a difference there, as do the patients who choose our hospital. Things like COBRA/EMTALA help, but in reality, we get a lot of dumped patients that the other hospital doesn't treat so well. In a capitalistic society, it's not realistic that most charity/ non-profit hospitals have a decent shot. If the attitude is "Give us your tired, your poor, your needy", as reimbursement is ****ty, the hospital can be adversely affected.
I'm not trying to be offensive to you- I agree the "calling" has been missing and needs to be remembered (to paraphrase Matthew Modine's character in And the Band Played On, "When doctors turn into businessmen, who do the people go to for doctors?" this applies to our attitudes as wel). However, I don't think it's so much that churches or charities have had an attitude like "uh-uh- you take it- we don't want it anymore"---- it's that this system is not set up to help hospitals provide the kind of care that said institutions give---- equal, just care to all people in need. I am not proposing that corporate hospitals don't take care of people or have justice in mind in their caregiving. It's just a different type of deal, that's all, when dealing with profit and non-profit.
Where are all these "young, innocent nurses" I keep hearing about. All I see these days are middle age, cynical nurses. We like to talk about what we'd like to do instead of nursing. It has to make at least the same amount of money and be fun, fun, fun.
-Russell
:)I will graduate with RN BSN next year. Our nursing school received over triple the number of applicants that they have slots for this semester. It's kinda wild really. But I know in my own department we're short.
I think I'm sorta innocent in my outlook (want to change things:)) but at the same time I'm somewhat jaded (as I've been a tech for 6+ years, and have seen the attitudes in both hospital administration and in nurses).
My peers are somewhat innocent, but at the same time, some are very cynical. Many entered nursing school because they want to pursue CRNA or other graduate studies. Not many intend on being at the bedside for long. Many are interested in working with disadvantaged youth, but few really want to be in the hospital long-term.
We have more and more foreign persons in our program. Not a bad thing (we could use diversity in my city!), but it might be evidence of the going to other countries and promising jobs.
That's really screwed up if that is what's happening. Happened in the 40's or 50's too, telling people in the midwest that there were jobs in california- people would migrate out, and there'd be nothing.
Sucks.
I worry how older nurses perceive us young 'ins:) We want to be helpful in the field, not harmful, threatening or anything else negative.
Let me add a bit to the discussion. I am a nursing student, graduating 12/2004 (RN program). Started as nurse associate (CNA duties) in a hospital, the same way many nursing students did. Then got tired of cleaning poop, challenged LPN boards, and passed. So, recently had to look for LPN job around the area, and this is my (only) experience:
Job: Many hospitals constantly advertise jobs (LPN/RN). You send them a resume, apply electronically, go to HR -- they don't hire. But the same facilities keep advirtising, though. LTC -- call you right away, you are getting hired almost the same day. They pay better, benefits or per diem (no benefits) -- you chose. Facilities are diffrenet, some better, some worse -- you don't like it, quit, no hard feelings, get something better. They are used to nurses quiting after 3 days. AS the matter of fact I started to respect LTC more. You come, you work, no b....... What is wrong with the hospitals? With their "we are one of 100 top hospitals in US" logos (every one of them is one of 100 top, I figure there are ONLY 100 hospitals in US). You go for hospital orientation, you are gettin sick:"we all commited 200% to care and service", "we are one team", "we proud ...." bla-bla-bla. You start working for them: getting abused, overwork, you hate them. All their modo- logo whatever -- fake.
Nursing school: standards are very low. if you make to 4th semester -- don't worry about exam. You are going to pass. I personally know couple of people, they failed 3 exams in the row -- still passed. Welcome to "wonderland". The same fake with preceptorsips: I was so naive, I have thought with my grades (one of the best), i would preceptor in ER/ICU (areas where you need a lot of critical thinking), but go figure: students with lower than average grades got prerceptorship in theseareas, why? because they have HCA scholarship and OBLIGATED to work for this hospital anyway.
NCLEX: I honestly don't understand why there is such a big fuss about NCLEX. Of cause you have to possess certain knowledge, which you, if graduated, most certianly do, but a lot of question are common sense. We fooled with my husband once (he is construction worker), i read NCLEX questions, he tried to figured the answers. Guess what, he just applied the common sense (of cause, he didn't know lab values), guessed 80% correct. And i realized, people smart people) don't do good, because they just don't read THE QUESTION. If it asks you, "what do you do to prevent..." you dont pick the answer that deals with AFTER it happened. If you practice enough, you kind of have inner feeling, what answer they want.
Let me add a bit to the discussion. I am a nursing student, graduating 12/2004 (RN program). Started as nurse associate (CNA duties) in a hospital, the same way many nursing students did. Then got tired of cleaning poop, challenged LPN boards, and passed. So, recently had to look for LPN job around the area, and this is my (only) experience:
Job: Many hospitals constantly advertise jobs (LPN/RN). You send them a resume, apply electronically, go to HR -- they don't hire. But the same facilities keep advirtising, though. LTC -- call you right away, you are getting hired almost the same day. They pay better, benefits or per diem (no benefits) -- you chose. Facilities are diffrenet, some better, some worse -- you don't like it, quit, no hard feelings, get something better. They are used to nurses quiting after 3 days. AS the matter of fact I started to respect LTC more. You come, you work, no b....... What is wrong with the hospitals? With their "we are one of 100 top hospitals in US" logos (every one of them is one of 100 top, I figure there are ONLY 100 hospitals in US). You go for hospital orientation, you are gettin sick:"we all commited 200% to care and service", "we are one team", "we proud ...." bla-bla-bla. You start working for them: getting abused, overwork, you hate them. All their modo- logo whatever -- fake.
Nursing school: standards are very low. if you make to 4th semester -- don't worry about exam. You are going to pass. I personally know couple of people, they failed 3 exams in the row -- still passed. Welcome to "wonderland". The same fake with preceptorsips: I was so naive, I have thought with my grades (one of the best), i would preceptor in ER/ICU (areas where you need a lot of critical thinking), but go figure: students with lower than average grades got prerceptorship in theseareas, why? because they have HCA scholarship and OBLIGATED to work for this hospital anyway.
NCLEX: I honestly don't understand why there is such a big fuss about NCLEX. Of cause you have to possess certain knowledge, which you, if graduated, most certianly do, but a lot of question are common sense. We fooled with my husband once (he is construction worker), i read NCLEX questions, he tried to figured the answers. Guess what, he just applied the common sense (of cause, he didn't know lab values), guessed 80% correct. And i realized, people smart people) don't do good, because they just don't read THE QUESTION. If it asks you, "what do you do to prevent..." you dont pick the answer that deals with AFTER it happened. If you practice enough, you kind of have inner feeling, what answer they want.
To those proclaiming a lowering of standards, that may be true in some areas, but not at my school and several other regional ones. In order to sit for NCLEX, one must pass a HESI exam (85% minimum) within three attempts. Fail, you may have a nursing degree, but no license. The HESI exam is purportedly a good indicator of the likelihood of passing NCLEX. I believe if one scores 90% or higher on HESI, it is a 98%+ or higher indicator that the individual will pass NCLEX. Those scoring 85%-89% could go either way on NCLEX. Observations of classmates sitting for NCLEX seem to validate HESI projections.
NCLEX passages rate is addressed by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. Sanctions can be forthcoming to programs where first attempt NCLEX pass rates are less than 75%. Several years of less than 75% passage rates can result in the offending program/school losing certification, in other words, being closed. To my knowledge, all Little Rock RN schools employ HESI as do other nearby programs with one exception.
My school did not give points en masse to ensure students passed. I believe a few points were given here and there to help bring up an individual test averages, but not en masse. Usually, students challenged faculty on the wording of questions, consideration of alternate answers, or questions covering material not presented. The results varied from zero to four percent extra. Extra points usually were not awarded in a blanket fashion. Students typically only received extra points if they correctly chose an alternately allowed answer. It could be a cut throat situation for marginal or struggling students. Usually, challenges were closer to zero extra points being awarded. I think I remember approximately 114 students present on the first day of Nursing Foundations. Of that group, perhaps 62 walked across the stage for graduation. Do the math on the attrition rate... Other regional schools have somewhat similar graduation rates.
Approximately 158 RN students in my class graduated with a BSN in my class. I guess less than 140 sat for NCLEX; an indeterminate number of BSN graduates were in the RN to BSN program and thus did not need to sit for NCLEX. Of those that tested for NCLEX, five to six allegedly did not pass the initial attempt. I do not remember hearing if anyone failed HESI three times and was precluded from taking the NCLEX. HESI passage is mandatory for matriculation to senior status. I remember hearing that two students did not pass within three attempts.
For those stating the standards are lower, that faculty is passing everyone, those things may be true... at your school, but not at mine.
Quickbeam, BSN, RN
1,011 Posts
Actually, this has happened in the past (My first degree was in criminal justice). In the late 60's-early 70's there were shortages of police officers. The federal gov't stepped in with a widesweeping tuition program for officers, including free graduate school. In any field you wanted.
Imagine if that would happen to nursing!