I didn't know the shortage was THIS bad

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Just visited a unit today in preparation for my students taking clinicals there. On this particular unit, ONE HALF of the nurses are travelers. The unit only houses 6 pods (4-pt module) and one pod was closed down simply because a nurse had called in sick and there was no one available to replace her (plenty of patients, no where to put them). The most interesting fact was something one of the travelers said.... one company is now offering $35,000 COLD HARD CASH for just a SIX WEEK CONTRACT!!!! WOW!!! With money like this being shelled out by the agencies and travel companies, it is little wonder that the hospitals cannot keep staff.

Originally posted by RyanRN

Did you ever stop and think that this is the situation the hospital WANTS to be in. Pay travel nurses a nice rate, do not supply any benefits, paid vacations-time off and they are free to let you go on a daily whim. This most likely saves the hospital money in the long run and that's the name of the game.

Jenny -The sick DO count, but they don't give a hoot until THEY (the public) are lying there in bed. I have a strange feeling that in the very near future this crisis will be a front page scandal instead of on the editoral page. And we have been trying to warn people all along.

Ryan, I think you have a good point there. It most likely is saving the hospital money at the expense of their patients/clients care.. this is very sad for patients and nurses.

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Quote from RyanRN "Did you ever stop and think that this is the situation the hospital WANTS to be in. "

My thoughts exactly.

I will apologize ahead of time for this very negative post about our profession. There are still alot of good reasons to be a nurse. This post is on the far end of the negative scale and I know that I don't feel good after writing it, so I can't imagine anyone feeling good after reading it. You have been warned.

When the hospitals mission statements changed to include being profitable and the big corporations took over and CEO's began deciding they knew better than the DON and small non profit & employee owned hospitals where bullied out of the market and shut down by big corporate.....It's been a downslide for nursing ever since IMO. Insurance companies didn't help the mix, oops, I mean the mess either.

There is NO NURSING SHORTAGE! There is only a shortage of nurses who are willing to put up with...... what the money hungry idiots....... decide what the nurses will do and how they will do it.

We nurses have lost control of patient care and outcomes. We have given too many of our responsibilities away. We have allowed the hospitals to lump nursing services into the room rate. All mistakes, IMO and most of them occured before many of the users on this BB ever thought of becoming a nurse.

There won't be any chance of things getting better b/c the US govt wants it this way. They know that they may eventually have to provide health care to all citizens. They already cover a large amount of the people who fill our hospital beds. The gov't has allowed this all to happen on purpose and has helped it along by legislation that benifits the corporations and insurance companies to keep health care spending in check. They want foriegners to take our jobs at less pay. They will keep trying to find ways to cut costs. What easier way to do it? Use UAP's and other uneducated people to provide the care and get rid of the high dollar nurses.

There will not be change unless Joe Q Public decides they are tired of dying in our hospitals. We nurses have collectively attempted to fight alot of our problems......We have unions and organizations, and affiliations.....but, to no avail. Our profession is floundering anyway. Our voice is not enough. :(

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Lets face it, the shortage is because nursing is not seen as an attractive career option for the majority. They know its hard, tiring, physically and mentally exhausting work! Governments just have to make it more attractive and employers ensure it stays that way, I for one could do with a couple of dedicated colleagues to help me with commode showers in the nursery *smiles*.

On another note, I once worked in a hospital that was closed by the health minister for reasons of advancing "technology" for all concerned... his quote?

"If you close all the hospitals no one will get sick"

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Originally posted by Step

"If you close all the hospitals no one will get sick"

:rolleyes:

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Oh Ryan, This is exactly what's going to happen!!!

and flowerchild, you've summed it up the best...ever! And Oramar it's truely a sad state of affairs when a resturant can have better staffing than a healthcare facility, and may I add, that a single baseball player can receive millions of dollars for hitting a freakin little ball with a stick...It literally makes one sick to think about it. But don't go to the hospital they don't have enough people to take care of you and the people who are there get diddly for a paycheck! Feeding people in a resturant and playing baseball is more important in this country than sick people. Look out...I'm going to puke...................

Oh happy day when the scandal hits the papers!

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fedupnurse-- you hit on what I was thinking -- staff vacancies -- How many staff vacancies does each allnurses BB readers know of in their facility?

I think there is a nurse shortage but not because there is not enough nurses necessarily. I think it's generated by the hospitals not wanting to hire on the necessary RN staff or make working conditions tolerable to retain the staff RNs they have now. The working conditions can't be very good.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

here we go again.

Well said flowerchild.. I like that,,, We have unions and organizations and affiliations but to no avail.....................

I agree there really isnt a nursing shortage, just a lack of nurse willing to work. But Me. I am very happy with nursing and the things I accomplish in it. And Im proud of what I do. Even though I may have stepped on a few toes. But I take care of my patirnts well, and I take care of my family.

Yes if you want you can make that kind of money. I gross alittle over 6 figures a yr with some overtime. And I pick up more on special contracts that I take time off for. So I have no complaints with nursing atall

And Fedup, I am glad you are seeing the light. dont be afraid, go to the light................

I gotta stop watching to many movies

doo wah ditty

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

I think your analysis is backwards. If the hospitals treated their RNs decently, and paid them well, they would have adequate staffing and would not have to resort to paying such large amounts for temp agency workers.

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Originally posted by night owl

Oh Ryan, This is exactly what's going to happen!!!

and flowerchild, you've summed it up the best...ever! And Oramar it's truely a sad state of affairs when a resturant can have better staffing than a healthcare facility, and may I add, that a single baseball player can receive millions of dollars for hitting a freakin little ball with a stick...It literally makes one sick to think about it. But don't go to the hospital they don't have enough people to take care of you and the people who are there get diddly for a paycheck! Feeding people in a resturant and playing baseball is more important in this country than sick people. Look out...I'm going to puke...................

Oh happy day when the scandal hits the papers!

Ditto Night Owl !! It furiates me that these football, baseball players, etc..get paid as much as they do, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. :(

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I worked last night and there were only 2 CNAS on a 30 pt unit. And the pts on this particular floor are primarily nursing home pts. Almost ALL of this floor's pts lately have some sort of dementia or Alzheimer's. I would say about 75% of our census was in restraints and climbing out of bed. One lady actually got stuck in the siderails. One of the nurses was calling me to help her and I was in the midst of straightening up another confused man who had almost fallen on the floor. Well when I got to the nurse I saw that another demetia pt was upside down with her torso stuck between the rails and there was about 5 lbs of shit on the floor.. How she did that, I don' t know. I wanted to cry. I can handle one or two altered pts but 20??? That is too much to ask of anyone. I went home that night with a very empty feeling in my heart because I know I did not provide good care to my pts. I was snapping at them and cutting corners. That is not the kind of nurse I want to be.

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Originally posted by sjoe

I think your analysis is backwards. If the hospitals treated their RNs decently, and paid them well, they would have adequate staffing and would not have to resort to paying such large amounts for temp agency workers.

Oh goody! a newbie! Welcome to the board! are you a nurse? ;)

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There sure are alot of commercials on the American networks now promoting nursing!!!! Yay in four years we'll feel the impact!

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