Is there a nursing shortage?

Nurses Men

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Is there in fact a nursing shortage? If so please tell me where. I know respite work is important ... but I'd feel more comfortable knowing if this is a truth ...

Specializes in CriticalCare.
While this is disheartening to hear, it's not entirely a surprise.

I'm a 37 year old male currently in the pre-reqs of the Nursing program of my local community college. I'm in the top of my class, with a 3.7 GPA. While I hear the 'nursing shortage' thing all the time, it reminds me of the "computer science major shortage" of the 1990s. I ended up (with no degree nor formal training) working side-by-side with those guys for most of the last decade in tech support, UNIX administration, network administration, etc.

I still want to be an RN. I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted by the stable income and guaranteed job opportunities. Truth be told, however, I'm really in it to help people. It seems that I default to 'taking care' of everyone around me, and when I announced that I wanted to be a nurse, my friends unanimously said "wow, you are really cut out for that".

However, in this dismal thread, I want to ask:

1) Of the people who say they cannot find a job, how many of them looked over 'sub-optimal' positions, like geriatric care? Rest homes, terminal patient care, or other things?

2) It sounds like being a fresh graduate with no experience counts against you, but once you get 3-5 years experience, the "nursing shortage" suddenly becomes a reality. Is this true?

I ask this because (once again) I'm 37 years old. This is my 3rd career change, and my guess is that (like everything else), if you walk into something as a fresh, green newbie, you better have the attitude of "make me your little *****" for the first couple of years. Expect to have and do all the **** jobs for awhile. Not until you've done the lowest of the low, will you have the EXP and level-ups to start calling your own shots. Only then, can your dream be realized.

Am I on the right path, or am I delusional?

Thanks and bacon planks.

I dont have unix experience, but i do have several entry-level certifications (comptia a+, network+, server+, security+, i-net+, ciw-a). I built windows 2000 advanced server clusters with 8gb ram (modified ini files to get by 32bit limitation and preloaded 4gb into sql2k ram) sharing 1tb 'drive' (dell powervault 220s, joined, filled with 73GB 15krpm drives).

I 'used' to be a search engine guru, working with a bunch of russian programmers back in 1999--those programmers were way ahead of their time.

all self-taught, as I was a nursing assistant back in 1989, rn soon to follow (well, student nurse nursing assistant)--I too graduated great distinction, top of my class, highest gpa (all over-rated, btw, but it did probably help with the job search). so we are 'transpositions' career paths (vs. of the greater vessels) i suppose.

back then there WAS a nursing shortage. 10months on the telemetry/stepdown/post-cabg/renal/diabetic unit, then to the county regional trauma center ICU and ER. Got me working with heart-lung transplants at OHSU back in 1993 (they called it 'the hill' back then) with venous-venous hemofiltration along with swanz and ganz and rejections and, uh, what they now call mods.

At 43, I have a much different perspective, to say the least, and I understand your apprehension.

Statistically, the odds may be against you finding a job right away in the area you are in. You, or somebody else reading this, will need to be very flexible, settling for anything you can get, reaching out to support systems (family) as necessary, networking (get every phone number, email address, physical address from every colleague and nursing professional you can get ur hands on, and treat them like gold--not just the data, but the ppl), relocating, etc.

The 'suboptimal' jobs you inquire about........many DO require experience. First, these non-hospital jobs require much more independence, and therefore less supervision, so the hiring company has a higher liability, and their budgets are tight, and their training ability is nominal anyhow (well, i shoudnt be so arrogant--may be). LPNs are taking these suboptimal jobs for less pay, and usually with more experience. why hire an RN who they feel may move on as soon as they find the chance? that would be illogical.

I know, the cup is half full, aint it? I understand.

I dont want to come across as half-empty, either, but facts are what they are.

There ARE many graduate nurses in today's environment that are employed, that have been unemployed as nurses for 6months, 1year, and even 2years.

Many of them are just as sharp and eager as 'us' (we are, in fact, one in the same).

Be prepared for the challenge.

Statistics are what they are. You may find your way thru without diffulty, but for the others reading this--the facts are there seems to be a glut of eager-to-please graduate nurses, high and low academic acheivements in-hand, looking for the same opportunities.

In closing, just understand that there will be difficulties, and some ways to overcome this will be:

1. get references from your professors

2. make yourself a database of all classmates and nursing professionals and treat them like gold (not the data, but yeah, back that up too)

3. dress to impress (suit etc)

4. read 3 books on resumes and interviews, and consider reading up on pysychometric testing (tenet just loves em). review them, commit the info to long-term memory, role play, etc

5. consider relocating to get that opportunity

6. keep your support systems close to your chest

7. you may want to consider acls, pals, tncc, enpc (but i am not sure it would help--just to educate your mind)

8. if you are completely bored and have the money and time to spare, consider emt-b and emt-p if ur interests lay in prehospital, er, or the icu, while you keep trying to find employment. trainingdivision dot com out of texas has some affordable opportunities--then volunteer in ur community to get experience.

be well.

Specializes in CriticalCare.
*** Not in my experience. I have been a nurse a long time with a very good critical care / emergency resume. Yes I could find another job and I see and hear about opening in my field for experienced critical care types. However there would competition even for those jobs. I know several good, experienced nurses who had to look long and hard to find jobs.

I frequiently precept nursing students doing their critical care preceptorship. It breaks my heart to see really bright new nurses who I feel have the potential to be great nurses and assets to the profession not be able to get their foot in the door.

You have to understand that the "nurse shortage" is false propaganda deliberately put out by people who stand to gain financially from a glut of nurses.

I wish you luck in your nursing career. It has been a great career for me. My advice is that if you know that nursing is what you want to do then by all means do it. It is absolutely not true that it is a guaranteed job

thank u for sharing the truth.

painful as it is, the ppl need to know.

Specializes in Neonatal ICU, Pediatrics, some ER.

I've been a nurse for 14 years, with lots of pediatric experience and NICU experience. My husband got a job in a new area, which has 4 schools of nursing, four!

I am personally looking at changing my specialty for the first time in my career. I am finding it very difficult to find a job at this time. I may have to take one of those "less desirable" specialties or an area I hadn't previously considered and make it my own to be able to get by.

I honestly think there is a shortage, but with the economy hospitals and facilities are using less nurses to do more work. So, it may look like there are less nurses needed, but how long will those of us in the work force be able to work our tail feathers off before we burn out and things really do become dismal?

Specializes in ICU.

Did you hear on the news that Obama wants to dump $$$ into training more new healthcare workers to stimulate job growth? Oi! :rolleyes:

While this is disheartening to hear, it's not entirely a surprise.

I'm a 37 year old male currently in the pre-reqs of the Nursing program of my local community college. I'm in the top of my class, with a 3.7 GPA. While I hear the 'nursing shortage' thing all the time, it reminds me of the "computer science major shortage" of the 1990s. I ended up (with no degree nor formal training) working side-by-side with those guys for most of the last decade in tech support, UNIX administration, network administration, etc.

I still want to be an RN. I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted by the stable income and guaranteed job opportunities. Truth be told, however, I'm really in it to help people. It seems that I default to 'taking care' of everyone around me, and when I announced that I wanted to be a nurse, my friends unanimously said "wow, you are really cut out for that".

However, in this dismal thread, I want to ask:

1) Of the people who say they cannot find a job, how many of them looked over 'sub-optimal' positions, like geriatric care? Rest homes, terminal patient care, or other things?

2) It sounds like being a fresh graduate with no experience counts against you, but once you get 3-5 years experience, the "nursing shortage" suddenly becomes a reality. Is this true?

I ask this because (once again) I'm 37 years old. This is my 3rd career change, and my guess is that (like everything else), if you walk into something as a fresh, green newbie, you better have the attitude of "make me your little *****" for the first couple of years. Expect to have and do all the **** jobs for awhile. Not until you've done the lowest of the low, will you have the EXP and level-ups to start calling your own shots. Only then, can your dream be realized.

Am I on the right path, or am I delusional?

Thanks and bacon planks.

Could it be that the questions you are asking incenuate that younger, 1rst career individuals could possibly be unemployed because they refuse to accept "sub-optimal" positions (the term you used to describe positions that revolve around geriatric care)?

I ask this b/c I'm in my 20's and find it insulting. I dont know what you did in your 20's but many young adults have responsibilities that can not be taken care of by their parents. We are still adults. Many of us have mortgages, children,, sick parents to take care of, etc. just like older adults...

The media has a lot of people fooled. Is it that hard to believe that as a nurse it may be difficult to find a full time job?

I have spoken to a few nursing students and they all seem to look at the individual nurse as being the problem until they graduate and can't find a job..... but who knows? at 37yo you may have an advantage bc your not too old to hire yet...and as a new nurse, u definitely wouldn't command the same salary as another 37 yo nurse who has chosen the field earlier in life.

Could it be that the questions you are asking incenuate that younger, 1rst career individuals could possibly be unemployed because they refuse to accept "sub-optimal" positions (the term you used to describe positions that revolve around geriatric care)?

I wasn't insinuating, I was asking if it was the case that some people were looking over unglorious types of work. While I probably could have worded it better, it was an honest question.

I ask this b/c I'm in my 20's and find it insulting. I dont know what you did in your 20's but many young adults have responsibilities that can not be taken care of by their parents. We are still adults. Many of us have mortgages, children,, sick parents to take care of, etc. just like older adults...

I was asking about "new grads" in general, I didn't say anything about the age of the grads. However, I am sorry if it sounded that way. It wasn't my intent to insult anyone.

No I don't find it so hard to believe that a nurse can find full-time time work. And yes, I expect my own age to count against me more than help.

I am a new grad and this is my third career as well. I entered nursing in my early 30's. I had a difficult time finding a job in my opinion, graduated in May 2011. I sent applications everywhere and filled out over 250 applications.

In July, I was offered a 'sub-optimal" job as a RN on overnights in the local nursing home. And as you described I was going to be the grunt on the night shift. The nursing home requires a RN on duty 24 hours a day, but is mostly ran by LPN's. The nursing director was an LPN who interviewed me and when I sat down for the interview she described the job I would be doing as LPN work with a 20-25 patient assignment based on census. My charge nurse would be an LPN. My pay would be LPN level pay and I asked her where the RN house nurse would be working. She explained that I would be the RN house nurse on nights (just in case anyone fell or needed an assessment). This job was 'sub optimal' and many nursing homes are taking advantage of new grads. I declined the job offer and kept looking.

By October I was offered a med-surg job at a local hospital and I now work on a med-surg floor, they asked me in my interview if I wanted days or nights (my choice). Like all the other nurses I work every 3rd weekend and every 3rd holiday. I am treated the same as any nurse on my floor and I am not their %^&*^. I obviously cannot get a job as a nursing manager (nor would I want one at this point in my career) but I didn't have to go to work in a "'sub-optimal' position". They said after 6 months off orientation I could switch to ICU or ER. Many of the people in my orientation group were also new grads. It seems your main question is: If you become a nurse will you be treated poorly for your first few years? In my experience, not unless you let someone treat you that way or take advantage of your license.

At my hospital they only want you to start in med-surg for a minimum of 6 months so you learn prioritization/patient assessment/charting. Good luck and if you want to become a nurse don't let the 6 months after nursing school deter you. It was a real pain and I am glad it is over, but I will never have difficulty finding a job again with experience.

I am a new grad and this is my third career as well. I entered nursing in my early 30's. I had a difficult time finding a job in my opinion, graduated in May 2011. I sent applications everywhere and filled out over 250 applications.

In July, I was offered a 'sub-optimal" job as a RN on overnights in the local nursing home. And as you described I was going to be the grunt on the night shift. The nursing home requires a RN on duty 24 hours a day, but is mostly ran by LPN's. The nursing director was an LPN who interviewed me and when I sat down for the interview she described the job I would be doing as LPN work with a 20-25 patient assignment based on census. My charge nurse would be an LPN. My pay would be LPN level pay and I asked her where the RN house nurse would be working. She explained that I would be the RN house nurse on nights (just in case anyone fell or needed an assessment). This job was 'sub optimal' and many nursing homes are taking advantage of new grads. I declined the job offer and kept looking.

By October I was offered a med-surg job at a local hospital and I now work on a med-surg floor, they asked me in my interview if I wanted days or nights (my choice). Like all the other nurses I work every 3rd weekend and every 3rd holiday. I am treated the same as any nurse on my floor and I am not their %^&*^. I obviously cannot get a job as a nursing manager (nor would I want one at this point in my career) but I didn't have to go to work in a "'sub-optimal' position". They said after 6 months off orientation I could switch to ICU or ER. Many of the people in my orientation group were also new grads. It seems your main question is: If you become a nurse will you be treated poorly for your first few years? In my experience, not unless you let someone treat you that way or take advantage of your license.

At my hospital they only want you to start in med-surg for a minimum of 6 months so you learn prioritization/patient assessment/charting. Good luck and if you want to become a nurse don't let the 6 months after nursing school deter you. It was a real pain and I am glad it is over, but I will never have difficulty finding a job again with experience.

Thanks for the reply. :)

Also, 6 months is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I have about 3 years experience as a med-surg RN. I have been unable to find work; hospital say they want "experienced" RNs. They want specialty experience, ie ICU, ER, etc. It is hard to find work if your experience is "just" on a med/surg floor. I have been looking for work since April, 2011, in Oregon. No luck. I changed careers to become an RN. Had I known it was this difficult to find work, I would not have done it. Kind of a bummer because I like being a nurse. You read all these posts of people complaining, well at least you guys have a job.

I have about 3 years experience as a med-surg RN. I have been unable to find work; hospital say they want "experienced" RNs. They want specialty experience, ie ICU, ER, etc. It is hard to find work if your experience is "just" on a med/surg floor. I have been looking for work since April, 2011, in Oregon. No luck. I changed careers to become an RN. Had I known it was this difficult to find work, I would not have done it. Kind of a bummer because I like being a nurse. You read all these posts of people complaining, well at least you guys have a job.

Have you considered relocation?

I'm not a nurse yet, but I left Oregon because of its rampant unemployment about a decade ago. Oregon is beautiful, my family is there, I grew up there and it's ultimately where I call 'home', but I had a hard time staying employed even on minimum wage jobs (which seems to be what most of them are). Hopefully you are at least near Portland or Salem or somewhere semi-populated, because if you're down in the Rogue Valley or out East I'd tell you to get out of that place as soon as you can. Of course, WA and CA will probably have more opportunity, but they'll also be expensive places to live.

Good luck.

Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

I've noticed a huge nursing shortage...it seems that most of the nurses I work with are 5'2"-5'8" so I'm more than a foot taller than most of my co-workers. This nursing "short"age is crazy!

Took me over 350 applications and 7 different states to finally get a job. Almost 10 months of intensive searching and applying. I would say there is a shortage of experienced nurses. New grads. are having a hell of a time finding jobs.

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