Is nursing shortage a myth?

[Angitia]

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

[beewink]

Some of it comes down to good fortune, some of the jobs happen by way of connections. Also, as new grads, we pretty much have to accept what we can get and be content for now. Some people have the mentality of, "I want "x" nursing, not "y"." Well, there is really no room for that line of thinking at this time, especially as a new grad. Take what you get, make the best of it.

And this is what employers are banking on. I understand what you are saying - and you are right. BUT, nursing employers love it when it is an 'employer's' market and not an 'employee's' market. They work you to death, have you take a larger patient load than is safe, and keep you from rocking the boat by challenging the unsafe conditions. (Keep quiet and you'll keep your job). Sure, we all have to pay our dues. But in some of these places, these 'dues' take quite a toll on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

[Guest343211]

As various posters have highlighted, the economy plays a large role in nursing trends. While thousands are unemployed or under employed, there actually IS a definite shortage. Currently, the majority of hospital units are under staffed. If it weren't for this climate, most nurses would be working. I am a new grad, and three years ago, everyone I knew was securing RN positions without issue. This crappy situation is cyclical, and I think it will improve over the long term. For now, I guess we just have to make due.

Even where this may be so, the hospitals have employed off-and-on hiring freezes since 2008 at least. This is not new information. I had a CNO stand up and speak about it at a children's hospital.

This is basic business economics. Work to increase revenues while working to decrease expeditures. Thing is, revenues aren't what they were, as someone pointed out earlier, people are running scared on the health insurance policies and concerned about increase tax burdens--INCLUDING THE BUSINESSES. Hospitals are BUSINESSES--even when they are non-profit. Research is needed here.

And with all the backbiting that has been in nursing over the years, guess what? It is only getting worse. Getting into a hospital can be MUCH more stress than looking for position. Honestly, the claws are out and they are everywhere. The only thing is the claws can't be visible--b/c of Magnet and other in-house statements and policies. So, the games are quite subversive. And the reason they are is b/c hospitals are allowed to be as subjective and "un-objective" in their evaluation processes as they wish. It wouldn't take all that much to employ more objective measures for consistent and fair evaluation--from hire through to leave or retirement. But that takes their power away. That makes it more like working under contract. See, then they have to be fair, eliminate capriciousness, be balanced and show objective measures that can't be fuzzed over. This gets in the way with their use of At-Will-Employment. It becomes easy then to see how AWE becomes some that benefits the employer most well over the employee.

Truthfully, the name of the game in nursing is not to simply have one position/job, but to have more than one. Why do I say this? The reason is b/c what I just referred to in the previous paragraph. The key in nursing is to always be sure you are marketable. That means per diem positions, other kinds of work outside of the hospital, agency, whatever.

It's scary outside the hospital and often more scary from within. It's just that some inexperienced people don't know the games that go on in nursing in the hospitals. This is why you will always hear me speak of nurses pushing to work under contract, like physicians and other professionals do. Until they do, they are so at the mercy of At-Will-Employment. And AWE is often used by people from within in very capricious ways.

So, today it is more than just about getting one nursing job. It's about having access to multiple means in nursing to stay afloat financially--as well as in terms of security, and in terms of nursing reputation. All you need are a few folks that want to make like tough for you. You will, in many cases, never know generally or exactly how they disrespected you--or you may get--almost just as bad--neutral references w/o anyone giving you a fair appraisal of your overall effectivess and abilities as a nurse.

Example: Healthcare is generally a small community. And with the Internet, things are even smaller, closer, if you will. Now say you specialize in an area like critical care pediatrics or neonatal ICU? Again, these areas can be VERY cliquish, controlling, capricious areas--peds, neonat, cardiac. . .very, very much so. And so it's not just whether they will weed you out of their unit or hospital. It is the fact that they can subversively mark you negatively for others in this and other similar specialties.

Don't think it happens? It is happening now more than ever. People don't have the money for legal recourse in today's economy--especially for something where, w/o a sound contract, you havless than a 10% chance of winning in court--or even getting a decent settlement. So it goes on, and the the monster becomes like the blob. It just keeps growing. And in this buyer's market, it's all good for them on this end of things.

Here's my thing. How is anyone doing people a favor by sweeping this kind of behavior under the rug? In this very down economy, nursing students should be fully aware of what they are getting into!!! I mean it is time for Caveat Emptor big time!

But if you are straightup, as I have tried to be, some folks will say you are putting an unnecessary, extreme spin on things. Or they will say you are bitter or whatever. No. Listen. I have enjoyed much in my work as a nurse, but that has had very little to do with how nursing is run as a "profession," or how it is managed and administrated. It has nothing to do with how little respect nursing gets all the way down the line. I can and have lived with that, b/c I knew I committed myself to trying to make a difference for each patient as is possible.

This is a "profession" that is fraught with MAJOR issues of function throughout every level and area.

It doesn't matter if there are open positions within the institution. They open them and close them just as quickly. It's kind of like a Russian Roulette game. They open up hiring just enough to get a few in, and then, BAM! They close the gate again.

I stated earlier that there are all kinds of games going on. That is why I made the list about starting on the best footing with those thing I enumerated earlier, and it is why I referred to DNS' post.

Ultimately, as human beings often do, each will find out on her/his own. No amount of coaching will satisfy or help them, b/c perception is reality and people believe what they want to believe. Thus, you must allow them to find out for themselves.

At this point, although teaching is tough for many reasons right now too, if I had people trying to decide on teaching or nursing, well, honestly, I would have to try to move them toward teaching,that is, IF they had the innate ability and the potential to learn to be a great teacher. And I don't believe it is one or the other. I think the difference between good and great in teaching is based on a lot of innate ability and temperament more than what they must lean and practice.

You could say similar things for nursing, and if I had a client that showed potential for both nursing and teaching, at the end of the day, I would probably suggest teaching over nursing. I know many will differ with me. That's OK. I have done both and have done well in both things.

It's just that in general I honestly believe nursing has more dysfunction in it.

And with regard to the treatment of nurses and nurses' treatment of each other, well, that screams more dysfunction than the so called "profession" can contain--and even suggests that is laughable to refer to it as a "profession."

Now those that have advanced degrees don't like that, b/c it makes them feel badly. But often enough they obtained the advanced degree in nursing b/c they KNOW this to be so. They just can't out and out say it in mixed company b/c of the way it makes thems look professionally. Were there other motivating reasons probably? Sure, but the unspoke motivation is the negative, one-down treatment of nursing on an administrative and nurse-to-nurse level, or even w/ regard to how other disciplines deal and think of nursing.

So much hubris. So much mishigas, bull shite, and mayhem, and so little time.

The "professional" "do gooders" can rip me apart. That's fine, but I have so earned my stripes, as have MANY other nurses over the years. The thing is, the core of what we are doing and the various things we have learned to do the core and beyond well have NOT been the problem. Those things apart from the other maddness are fine and worthy of pursuing. But just as it is difficult to grow good crops out of unfertile soil and stoney ground, so is it to have consistently good crops in the business of nursing.

Bottom line: don't enter this field without a lot of research and volunteering, etc. And understand that it is really tough out there right now for everyone. It is as it is.

[jpn819]

A myth. A fantasy. Take a look at your help wanted ads and websites of local hospitals. How many entry level RN positions to you see ?

[Vanillanut, DNP, RN, APRN]

I am a recent (May 2010) RN (BSN) graduate from Canada. I immigrated to Washington state 4 months ago.

Things I have learned:

-Nursing jobs, like any other job, is about 75% "who you know" not "what you know". Dropping names, network connections, etc are more weighty then my BSN at times (although I am finding having my BSN helps a lot).

-Keep quiet, and you'll keep your job. This means getting screwed over- sometimes in a small, annoying way; other times in major, unsafe, potential safety issue/lose your license sort of way. Yes, I've experienced this personally, with less then a year under my belt. All that advocacy they teach you in school? Pick your battles very wisely.

-There's a shortage of nursing staff in the hospitals: ie, nurses are overworked with large patient loads, and they could use more nurses to decrease pt load, increase safety and etc. What I see is a shortage of funds to hire nurses from hospitals. Oh, and a lot of overpaid managers/administration. I have also spoken to a lot of experienced nurses with 20+ years and they too are finding it increasingly difficult to find a job due to their pay grade. Its a shame too, because as a new grad I know some of those nurses are worth their weight in gold.

-Good luck finding a job with less then a year (sometimes 2) experience under your belt. Fortunately I live close to Canada and kept my license up there- because I landed a really good job there, which I plan to keep/use for my experience here. I'm not even bothering to apply for positions here without experience. Why go through the frustration and depression of a million rejections when I have work elsewhere? Solution to this problem is to network your butt off while you're in nursing school. While doing your preceptorships- meet managers of units. Not just the one you're working on, but others too (think med-surg). Network, network, network.

-Regarding the babyboomers, I was told upon entering nursing school that I was entering at "just the right time" because all these nurses were "on the brink of retiring". Well, people don't or simply can't retire in a bad economy. A lot of these older nurses are hanging around for another 5 or so years... or more. I think eventually things will turn around, but I don't think it's going to be as big a demand for nurses as the government would have it's numbers/statitians tell you (# of old people vs number of nurses currently joining the workforce).

I wouldn't get discouraged, but allow me to kindly pop the rainbow bubble notion that immediately after you graduate you'll be able to walk in to whatever job you apply to. Prepare yourself now for how you're going to survive as a family for months until you find a job while paying off loans and having no income.

Lastly I would say stay competitive. Nurses with a BSN are getting to be a dime a dozen. So how are you going to stand out, once the time comes? A BSN to stand out does not cut it anymore.

Good luck. :redpinkhe

[CJMR]

Looking at nationwide statistics isn't going to give you a clear picture of hiring in your general area. When I started college for my first degree all of the news sources said there was a "nationwide shortage" for financial analysts. In reality, there was a massive shortage in New York City and minimal job demand in the rest of the country. I didn't know this at the time so I picked finance because of the shortage and excellent pay. Fast forward to graduation day and the recession had already started. It was not official yet, but of course it started in the financial sector so the jobs were already affected. There were massive layoffs and I had no experience. I was lucky I found any job at all but the one I found was ripping me off. They knew I had no other options available so they worked me like a dog. No job security, crappy pay, and I didn't like the field nearly as much as I thought.

Long story short, don't get into ANY field because you think it will pay well or because you think it will be easy to get a job. Get into a field because you are sure it will make you happy and fulfilled. Ignore the BS and think of how you will feel every day about your job. Will you feel like you made a difference, did a good job, are proud of yourself? Those are the things that should really drive you when you choose a profession. Those things will reflect when you are job hunting and interviewing. You can't fake passion.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Vanillanut, thanks for your insights. I think you are dead right. Especially networking..essential. This is how I landed my position, and managed to get two other decent offers later. As you mentioned...the notion of landing your "dream job" fresh out of school? Almost laughable. Nursing is like every other field... You start at the bottom. While doing so, try to stay under the radar. Good luck to everyone.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Long story short, don't get into ANY field because you think it will pay well or because you think it will be easy to get a job. Get into a field because you are sure it will make you happy and fulfilled. Ignore the BS and think of how you will feel every day about your job. Will you feel like you made a difference, did a good job, are proud of yourself? Those are the things that should really drive you when you choose a profession. Those things will reflect when you are job hunting and interviewing. You can't fake passion.

I would be very happy to work as a nurse even in not the most well-paying position. Heck, I work for free two days a week as a volunteer. It's a matter of not being able to find a paying job in any shape or form as a registered nurse. "Follow your passion" works only until the bills come due.

[TipitiwichitRN]

I am confused. I thought the post was saying that LPNs were being called off and aides used in their place.

I'm sorry- I wasn't that clear.

LPN's are being stripped of the medication/treatment aspects of their job duties.. and their NEW job duties are those traditionally completed by aides.

Even though their duties have changed, they are still being payed their LPN wages.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm sorry- I wasn't that clear.

LPN's are being stripped of the medication/treatment aspects of their job duties.. and their NEW job duties are those traditionally completed by aides.

Even though their duties have changed, they are still being payed their LPN wages.

How is that to the hospital's advantage?

[TipitiwichitRN]

How is that to the hospital's advantage?

I have no idea. Maybe it's a "statement"??

[McGwillis]

I am a registered nurse with one year experience. I have been unemployed for 7 months (I've been a nurse for almost 2 years). I apply for jobs every day. I get rejection emails every day. I can't pay for my student loans, and the interest is piling up. I worked so hard, and now I can't get work. Every few months, I break down and cry about it. I just don't know how much longer I can take, honestly.:crying2:

[TheDreamJourney]

I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately this has been happening to everyone. It has become extremely hard to find a good job in any field. The economy is so bad and getting worse. God bless America.