Is there really a "nursing shortage"

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I was just wondering if all this talk about a nursing shortage is true, because I've also been reading on here how difficult the job market is. Does it depend on the area perhaps? I live in Oklahoma so if anyone from OK would like chime in that would be great. I am interested in all comments and would just like come knowledgable clarity on the issue.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Please don't put much faith in the Department of Labor information - this is based on very simplistic projections that anticipate the "need" for nurses based on population growth.

DOL numbers do not reflect the real world. In fact, hospitals are the largest employer group, and hospital nursing jobs have steadily decreased over the last 5 years and will continue to decrease. This is a result of enormous pressures to cut costs in order to offset the impact of dramatic declines in reimbursement. CA is the only state with mandated nurse-patient ratios. The American Hospital Association is an enormously powerful political lobby - nuff said.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Are you free to move? To say every single hospital is experiencing the same shortage is just not how it works. You have to talk with places where you want to apply and find out how they handle hiring new grads. Also if you are able to move you open yourself up to a ton more options. Like me I graduated with my BSN in 2008 and moved to Wyoming and worked for 3 years and now I moved somewhere else and I got a job quick. The more flexible you are the more likely you are to get a job. Some people only want to work at X hospital on X unit and only X hours. Good luck with that. You need to be able to do med/surg nights. Then you earn your stripes and time and can move onto something else.

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Are you free to move? To say every single hospital is experiencing the same shortage is just not how it works. You have to talk with places where you want to apply and find out how they handle hiring new grads. Also if you are able to move you open yourself up to a ton more options.

Absolutely. I'm just starting my pre-reqs but understand that I may have to move to seek employment. The market will be different next year and the year after. Those experienced nurses will have to hang up the cleats at some time.

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There is a nursing shortage and it is expected to just grow and grow with the aging population, but yet it is still hard to get a job as a new grad, they want experienced! Good luck

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There is a nursing shortage and it is expected to just grow and grow with the aging population, but yet it is still hard to get a job as a new grad, they want experienced! Good luck

Where is there a nursing shortage? In times of shortage, new grads found work easily, even with sign-on bonuses and other incentives. Today, new grads are finding it tough to find work because there is no need to hire inexperienced when experienced nurses can be found without difficulty, and there are frequently hundreds of applicants for a handful of jobs.

Kinda meets the definition of "no shortage of nurses".

On a side note, Jenna, I'd like to make a strong suggestion that you edit your personal profile on AllNurses; you really need to be careful about how much information is available like this. Your full name, photo, where you live and how to reach you, etc is right there for your friendly (or not so friendly) stalker. Please be more careful!

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I think nursing school faculty mostly take their talking points from the AACN, ANA, etc. That's how there can be a shortage in the midst of a glut of nurses. When there actually was a nursing shortage, nursing students and graduate nurses were courted and offered lots of incentives. Now we're reading about working for free for 2 to 3 months with no guarantee of a job.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
There is a nursing shortage and it is expected to just grow and grow with the aging population, but yet it is still hard to get a job as a new grad, they want experienced! Good luck

Oh honey I am so sorry there is no shortage right now.......Google Search Results for no nursing shortage

and.....it won't be returning until about 2020 AT LEAST

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I live in Deep South texas and there's a nursing shortage here there are always ads for hospitals regular and VN and all kinds of other places so I'm not worried for after I graduate

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