Indy Star article..

Innurse78 · Aug 15, 2008

There has been and always, unfortunatly, will be a nursing shortage in hospitals especially.

The students are mostly turned away due to lack of teachers per Ivy Tech anyways and then you hear about the horror stories of nurses who have had enough of nursing/lack of decent pay/lack of respect from their employers and they leave to pursue other careers.

Many factors influence the shortage. I know that Ivy Tech can only take so many due to a teacher deficit and also due to clinical space in some areas ( like B-Town).

The solution............I doubt one will ever be found.

Brenda

Cindy_A · Aug 16, 2008

The answer to the nursing shortage isn't in putting more money in to educate new nurses, it's putting money in to KEEP the old ones. Old nurses are leaving faster than the new nurses can replace them.

wishNhopeNdreamN · Aug 16, 2008

I did an essay on this subject a couple of semesters back.

I agree with frog that it is a combination of things. Old nurses leaving, as well as too few instructors and space, and of course the widely talked about baby boomers reaching retirement age.

Even though it's an overwhelming problem. It is applaudible when any group or person puts an effort into trying to help the situation.

kgle · Aug 17, 2008

The answer to the nursing shortage isn't in putting more money in to educate new nurses, it's putting money in to KEEP the old ones. Old nurses are leaving faster than the new nurses can replace them.

But unfortunately, once retirement time hits most of those won't want to stay in. I think there should be a happy medium, and while putting in money to keep old ones is a great idea, putting more money into educating new ones is just as great.

montinurse, BSN · Aug 23, 2008

Do you think there would be more nurse educators if a Master's in Nursing WASN'T required? I would probably consider instructing someday if I didn't have to get my Masters!

WickedRedRN, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2008

I think there would be more educators, but I have to agree with Cindy...we have to start compensating better. I worked for the phone company before going back to nursing. I made just slightly less as a customer service rep for the phone company 5 years ago than I do now as an RN. I made less as an LPN. Granted, I was laid off twice by the phone compay, but was well paid for the 8 years I worked for them. No college degree required, and the responsibility was substantially less than what is required for nurses. Something is wrong with the picture.

Cindy_A · Sep 2, 2008

I didn't mean to say we don't need more nurses. But, if these new nurses get tired of short staffing, lack of respect from mgmt., and all the other crapola nurses put up with, and THEY quit - we are no better off than we were before.

bethin · Sep 2, 2008

The answer to the nursing shortage isn't in putting more money in to educate new nurses, it's putting money in to KEEP the old ones. Old nurses are leaving faster than the new nurses can replace them.

Working as an aide for over 6 years and most of those years were spent taking pre-reqs for nursing. After 3 years as an aide and witnessing abuse by dr's, management's disregard for nurses, high pt load, more rules and regulations to follow with less help, I knew I couldn't be a nurse. My dream was to work in peds or NICU. I know, many say that once you do the rotation in those areas you won't want to work in them. But I love OB and I love taking care of the kids and babies on med surg.