hello all,
i'm a nursing student. i've been alerted by a few articles, blogs, and forums from which it appears that new grads rns have trouble finding jobs. since i only want to trust reliable sources
i've been doing research all night, and here is information (shocking, unless i'm counting wrong) i've found.
this is from ncsbn satistics, which can be found on their website: https://www.ncsbn.org/1236.htm
statistics by year:
2000
there were 3,103,981 active rn licences in the us
there were 151,982 total new rns(this includes rns getting a license by endorsement,
so let's say about half are new grads)
2005
3,338,888 active licenses in the us
87,864 by nclex (new grads)
77,011 by endorsement
and in 2008 (the most recent year posted):
there were 3,733,299 active licenses
94,321by nclex (new grads)
81,834 by endorsement
now, the bureau of labor statistics at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm newest 2010-11 edition states that
"registered nurses (rns) constitute the largest healthcare occupation, with 2.6 million jobs".
with active license being active for 2 years in most states, we can safely assume that an active license means a person who intends to get a job as a nurse. let's do some math here.
there were 3,733,299 active rn licenses in the us in 2008, and 2,618,700 jobs.
so, there were 1,114,599 nurses without jobs.
this number will be higher in 2018, since about 90,000 persons pass nclex each year.
so in 8 years years there will be 4.5 million licensed rns, and how many jobs, according to bls projections? --
3,200,200
now, i'm a nursing student, i've pretty much put my life on the line to get this degree,
so obviously i don't want to scare myself, or anybody else.
am i reading these numbers incorrectly? are they suggesting that over 1 million people got or renewed their licenses and then
within two years married some rich guys and decided not to work, or that over 1 million people were not looking for work?
or have we been duped? into thinking that there's shortage and high demand, and we are guaranteed to find jobs?
who's going to be responsible for this if this is true and there is a shortage of nursing jobs, not nurses? and if this is true,
what are we going to do about it? demonstrations, protests? or quietly complaining on online forums?
please, share your opinions. i'm extremely concerned about this. i hope that i just don't know how these things are calculated
and my suspicions are all wrong. thank you
DNS on the go
50 Posts
The nursing shortage is a myth. It has been a myth for a while. The last true shortage was in the 1980's (1985 to 1987). That shortage was due to an expanding economy were woman had many more choices than to be nurses. Today, their is no shortage except for a few small remote areas in the USA. If you are going into nursing for an easy access to a job, please think again. In NYC, there are very few opening and a glut of experienced, credentialed nurses (MSN, NP, etc) waiting for a chance to be a bedside nurse. Please do not read the nursing press and take what is being said seriously. These papers and magazines are supported by nursing schools who need students. Telling a potential student that jobs are everywhere helps boost enrollment. I am sure you have heard about the shortage of physical therapist and pharmacist...well no more. Those profession like nursing have been over subscribed with too many money chasers think fast bucks are there for the taking. Beside very little real opportunity, the reality of working in these careers is that the work is difficult and draining even for the most dedicated and idealistic. As for the logic that jobs will be opening up when the baby boomers retire, the healthcare system is changing, with jobs being restructured so that less not more workers are needed. Yes the population is older but the shift is coming away from in-patient care to more clinic and out patient services. The model that makes these services cost effective is that the nurses and other professions are excluded with their task assigned to aides/clerks and assistants. Think about when you go to the doctor's office, the doctor and his/her assistants take your vitals, etc. Plus, with technology and advances in medical services the shift is to non hospital based care. The end result is that nursing is going to be a much more intensive profession to enter and to stay employed.
My advice is this: Research what nursing is about, really about and decide if this is the type of work you'd like to persue. The days of fast and easy money are over. Hospitals are struggling businesses and nurses are an expense not a revenue source. As for nursing homes, the nurse are an expense that must be reduced. Nursing school needs to give nurses a real nursing 101..the reality of the trade of nursing. The nursing schools wont do this as they need the students tution to keep their jobs.
Good Luck.