Is there a labor shortage in Western Pa Hospitals?

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I am not talking about professional positions alone. I am seeing bill boards saying "come to work at such and such hospital":plsebeg: no particular positions specified. If you don't believe me just drive down Carson towards River Run, one is accross street from Page's dairy. In addition I am getting almost a flyer a week in the mail about job openings. I have not looked in paper for a while so I don't know if there is a increase in want ads, since I am out of work by choice. Just don't ever recall seeing billboards or getting flyers before. It started out one flyer a month about a year ago and the pace at which they are arriving in the mail is really accelerating. Just curious about what is going on. I don't think the casinos could be cutting in to the labor market just yet could they? I mean they haven't even broke ground on casinos inside the city limit.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I haven't heard anything about staffing being any different than it's been in West PA hospitals. Perhaps it's because alot of GN's are getting ready to graduate? I know that especially with the "Darkside" almost everyone I know that applies is pretty much guaranteed a job.

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I haven't heard anything about staffing being any different than it's been in West PA hospitals. Perhaps it's because alot of GN's are getting ready to graduate? I know that especially with the "Darkside" almost everyone I know that applies is pretty much guaranteed a job.

Thanks but I was mostly thinking along lines of a shortage of support people. Including housekeeping, maintenece and kitchen workers. But I am curious about nursing also. As usual, doesn't seem to be a shortage of overpaid executives does there.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Thanks but I was mostly thinking along lines of a shortage of support people. Including housekeeping, maintenece and kitchen workers. But I am curious about nursing also. As usual, doesn't seem to be a shortage of overpaid executives does there.

Well in the case of support personel, from what I've seen in the Pgh area hospitals I've been in, there is a serious NA/PCT shortage. It's not the shortage itself that makes things so bad, what when the nurse has 6 (or more) pts on top of that things get sticky.

I was a PCT at a leading "Darkside" hospital for 16 months and it was not unusual for me to have 20 pts and the nurses to have 6. These ratios were not limited to my floor at that hospital. PCT's throughout that facility were burnt out from these sort of heavy loads, and Nurse's were burnt out as well.

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

Ground has been broken for the Majestic Star Casino on the north shore. A significant group of the housekeeping employees at AGH plan on applying there, as it is rumored that wages will be much higher. As far as nursing, the shortage doesn't seem to be acute at some facilities, mostly community hospitals. I agree with ChristineN that most if not all that apply to the DarkSide will be offered employment. Why is that? High turnover? :nurse:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Lifelong Pittsburger here-but I'm not sure what "Darkside" is. COuld someone clarify?

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Lifelong Pittsburger here-but I'm not sure what "Darkside" is. COuld someone clarify?

It's eh-hem...a leading health care mega-giant that name begins with a U

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Ahhh...Thanks! I guess I'm out of the acute care loop! BTW-I also receive postcards from them as well as others often (weekly)wanting me to work for them.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

DarkSide a/k/a The Empire. Yes, I think we can all say there's a high turnover.

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IN the LTC industry I've heard the housekeeping staff talking about working at the casinos too.

I've been getting many a flyer in the mail.

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

The wages that the housekeeping staff are tossing around are darn close to what new RNs get paid at WPAHS. I doubt that is accurate, but if it is, it's a shame.

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The wages that the housekeeping staff are tossing around are darn close to what new RNs get paid at WPAHS. I doubt that is accurate, but if it is, it's a shame.
LOL, I know how healthcare managment around here will handle this, I have seen it before. If managment is alarmed by reports of high casino wages they will take following action. They will send out a memo telling the employees that they know how proud they are to work for such and such an organization and that they know their loyal the employees will not change jobs because of a little thing like higher wages. I advise you at that point not to be standing in front of a building exit because you could be trampled to death by the stampede out the door and to the HR department of the higher paying company. In addition to memo there maybe meetings conveying the same information and it will be just as ineffective at stopping the stampede.
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