Is there really a nursing shortage?

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Wondering if any areas of the country are really experiencing a nursing shortage. It is a topic from my online RN-BSN class that got me wondering. From my personal experiences, I'd say no but I've also only worked in hospitals around big cities (Nashville & Dallas). Wondering what other folks might say.

Specializes in Critical-care RN.

... the biggest fraud is JOHNSON & JOHNSON,that is where the johnson bar was created

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Specializes in psych.

I agree with soldiernurse22. There are shortages in specific areas. Mine is one. I don't graduate for 3 months and I've already got a job offer. I'm getting ready to put in more applications to see what else I get offered. There were 37 that graduated from my university program last year. 5 are working at children's hospital and the rest are spread out over the state. But most had jobs offers before graduation with us having to do a month long preceptor before graduation.

Last week, one of our instructors forwarded an offer to all soon to be graduates. Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith Arkansas was expanding as well as opening several new clinics around the town. They were offering to pay hotel costs for anyone willing to come for a job interview. If there isn't a shortage, why would they pay for us to come just for a tour and interview.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

There is as much of a nursing shortage as there is a lawyer shortage! No shortage, but a surplus from all the desperate people going back to school to become a nurse thinking it is a quick way to a good paying job!

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

There is no nursing shortage. Period. I live in one of the largest cities in the nation, and the only jobs that are out there are working nights and the competition for them is fierce.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I agree with soldiernurse22. There are shortages in specific areas. Mine is one. I don't graduate for 3 months and I've already got a job offer. I'm getting ready to put in more applications to see what else I get offered. There were 37 that graduated from my university program last year. 5 are working at children's hospital and the rest are spread out over the state. But most had jobs offers before graduation with us having to do a month long preceptor before graduation.

Last week, one of our instructors forwarded an offer to all soon to be graduates. Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith Arkansas was expanding as well as opening several new clinics around the town. They were offering to pay hotel costs for anyone willing to come for a job interview. If there isn't a shortage, why would they pay for us to come just for a tour and interview.

Available jobs is NOT an indication there is a shortage. There are several possible explanations for why there are jobs available in your area that don't involve a shortage.

Back in the early 2000's the hospitals were screaming "SHORTAGE!!!" when in fact there were PLENTY of nurses. It was just that the nurses had other opportunities and didn't want to work for pay and working conditions being offered.

It's possible that Mercy Hospital wishes to avoid hiring experienced nurses who would demand higher pay and instead wishes to hire new nurses who they can pay less. It may be that certain hospitals have trouble hiring nurses because of the terrible working conditions and or low pay offered. Is Mercy offering pay in the low $20's an hour to start? If so then absurdly low pay may explain why they haven't been able to fill their positions. There are other possible explanations. The important thing to realize is that plentiful available job give you no indication one way or the other as to the availability of nurses in your area.

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There are two colleges in my town that offer a nursing program (one ADN and the other BSN). I know that from my class of 120 graduating nurses with maybe only a handful not passing NCLEX, practically everyone found a job. It took a few months as a lot of us were holding out for hospital jobs, but ended up other places. I don't know about the other school.

I think that as the baby boomer generation starts to retire there will be even more positions opening up.

Our town is a medical town though so maybe that is why.

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Nope, the nursing field is also saturated and nobody wants to hire new grads. They would rather overwork the nurses they have.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

I think that as the baby boomer generation starts to retire there will be even more positions opening up.

I wouldn't count on it. I think you will find that many of those nurses have to continue working as long as possible. Many no longer have pensions and their 401K's took a severe hit a few years ago. In addition their spouses also no longer have pensions.

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There is as much of a nursing shortage as there is a lawyer shortage! No shortage, but a surplus from all the desperate people going back to school to become a nurse thinking it is a quick way to a good paying job!

And most,not all, realize nursing is not for them and they jump to another career.

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Thanks for all the responses.

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I wouldn't count on it. I think you will find that many of those nurses have to continue working as long as possible. Many no longer have pensions and their 401K's took a severe hit a few years ago. In addition their spouses also no longer have pensions.

Yes, they definitely will be working longer, but they can't work forever.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
There are two colleges in my town that offer a nursing program (one ADN and the other BSN). I know that from my class of 120 graduating nurses with maybe only a handful not passing NCLEX, practically everyone found a job. It took a few months as a lot of us were holding out for hospital jobs, but ended up other places. I don't know about the other school.

I think that as the baby boomer generation starts to retire there will be even more positions opening up.

Our town is a medical town though so maybe that is why.

Many of us can't retire and will resign when we are in the ground.

Sad isn't it?

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