Is the nursing profession causing its own RN shortage?

[RNDave]

With all the RN's going to NP school, is the profession significantly contributing to the RN shortage? Between retirement and RN's in line to become NP's it seems our unit is on a constant hunt for staff.

[nursecathi]

The nursing shortage is because no one wants to actually take care of patients anymore. Everyone wants to be management. I've been a nurse for 35 years. Have an ADN. Been floor nurse in ICU and other critical care areas, management in LTC, staff nurse in inpatient hospice, now a staff nurse on a neuro unit. I enjoy taking care of patients. Management ain't all it's cracked up to be. I was much more abused as an ADON then I ever have been as a staff nurse. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and a strong sense of customer service to take care of patients. Oh, and treating them like people, not an illness in room 204.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

I can count how many times I have heard someone say "I am doing this for the money." I can understand that as motivation however when will long term happiness overrule instant gratification?

To answer the question, when you have nurses who need to attend to see there dying parent and ordered to stay to work from a misunderstanding manager or if a nurse gets a write up for OT due to short staffing, then it is obvious there is no security in a job and many do not stay long term.

[OwlNation]

^This. This is why so many nurses are going back to school or finding a little niche. When doctors do not want to listen to our concerns or recommendations combined with difficult to delegate to aids results in expectations that can never be met. An unrealistic work load can result in personal damage, although the damage of litigation is ever present.

[Yes, all the caveats of great doctors, aids, and various other colleagues, but I personally still cannot keep afloat being squished in our metaphorical panini].

[rswtkmmy21]

I worked at the bedside for 10 years, all in the hospital. My first job was on a vascular thoracic unit for 5 years where I recalled working short staffed a lit, after that I worked in step-down for 3 years again short staffed most of the time, my last two years in the hospital I went into the Surgucal ICU. During those 10 years I earned my bachelors degree and eventually my MSN and am currently an APRN, FNP-BC. I chose that path because I wanted to get away from the hospital. I felt that I worked my butt off but never felt appreciated.

Working short staffed and poor management was what drove me to leave acute care and the bedside. I feel that unless you want to be in management you need to further your education. Not all RN's in graduate school are going to be APRN's, nurse educators and those in management should have a graduate degree as well.

Working in acute care was very draining, mentally and physically. I knew that if I didn't further my education I wouldn't be working in nursing at all.

[db2xs]

The nursing shortage is because no one wants to actually take care of patients anymore. Everyone wants to be management.

"Everyone"? That is quite an assumption. Not everyone. I have never wanted to be in management and I definitely do not intend on it, ever.