Nursing Jobs

[silentRN]

So it appears that there really isn't a market for nurses anymore? Am I correct? I'm happy with my job where I'm at now, but I'm looking to relocate soon from Tucson to Flagstaff. I work tons and tons of overtime now, but I'm afraid that when the time comes when I want to relocate that there won't be any openings anymore or very slim pickings; and i don't want to be stuck here in tucson. I've been browsing around the state and just looking at job postings for RNs out of curiosity, and they appear to be very thin. Does anyone think that this will pass through with time or are we staring at a very grim future for nursing? I can imagine that nurse to patient ratios will increase in the future. I'm very lucky where I'm at, where the ratio can't exceed 4:1. But, I wonder how much longer that will last, and wonder if the whole "Magnet Status" is really worth it for the the hospital. It's sad that us nurses are consider a loss and an expenditure, that the corporate side of hospitals don't value RNs and will try to get good nurses for as cheep as possible. Oh well, only time will tell.

[Guest296136]

The 4:1 ratio, has that been put into law yet through out the state? I am looking to move to Arizona in 2 yrs after my youngest graduates from high school. I work on a busy oncology floor and lately I've had 7 patients on day shift. 6 is hard enough, but 7 is too much, I can't give the care I want with that many patients.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

The 4:1 ratio, has that been put into law yet through out the state? I am looking to move to Arizona in 2 yrs after my youngest graduates from high school. I work on a busy oncology floor and lately I've had 7 patients on day shift. 6 is hard enough, but 7 is too much, I can't give the care I want with that many patients.

I know they are lobbying re the 4:1 nursing it will be great if it did go through

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I'd bet money it won't go through. That bill will be dead on arrival at the state legislature.

[soupermom]

There will be a recruiter fair at PCC West campus on Tuesday, January 27 from 10-1 down by the bookstore. It's open to students of all levels. Might be helpful to some.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I'd bet money it won't go through. That bill will be dead on arrival at the state legislature.

I agree but here's hoping. We have been 4:1 for years but now we are told they are employing no more nurses and we will take what ever we get on the floor, enough nurses or not. I said ok but the charge nurses will have to do the TEE's and the cardioversions then, and I know they have lost all their skills because it is that long since they have actually taken patients.

I watched them the other day shifting paperwork from one desk to another.

If times change for the floor nurses then it should change for everybody :typing

[MsBruiser]

If times change for the floor nurses then it should change for everybody :typing

That'll be the day...

[Kabin]

Hospitals have a way of getting their money's worth out of nurses. Implement 4:1 ratios while taking away CNAs and adding extra menial tasks. It would be interesting to see how hospital nursing advances as a profession 20 years in the future. I'm thinking automation.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

How so with automation, kabin?

[Kabin]

I was thinking how union work on auto production lines have changed and then compared that to possible changes in hospital nursing. There's a big need to save money in healthcare and there are lots of nurses making reasonable money. There's much that couldn't be automated today, on the other hand a set of eyes watching a monitor 3/4 way across the room, carrying telemetry monitors, charting information already displayed on computer monitors, or maybe even tasks like emptying foley bags, some assessment and associated documentation, alerting staff for needed interventions, self linen changing beds, pt bed booster, etc. The money savings would be substantial.

[dorimar, BSN, RN]

Arizona does have a minimum patient ratio for ICU only which is 1:2. We are currently lobbying for minimum ratios and a required accutiy based ratio and whistle blower protection for all nurses and nursing specialties in AZ (including M/S nursing where I feel it is most important-and I work ICU . I do not believe this will ever happen, especially from some of the comments from our very own on this site. Unfortunately, I believe minimum patient ratios will only be more important with the way the economy is headed. I truly belive that the only reason we are not at 1:3 currently in the Banner ICU's across the Phoenix metroplitan area is because of the minimum ICU nurse patient ratio.

[Guest296136]

We all have to stand up and get the public aware of how much better care patients would get with smaller ratios. The other day I had seven patients on med/surg floor, 2 were getting blood, 2 getting chemo and 1 from PACU post total thyroidectomy with bleeding from his incision(more than expected), I don't think I went into the other 2 patients rooms for a couple of hours because I was so busy.

This is why most nurses don't want to do med/surg, but I like the floor I'm on and my fellow nurses are great. Some days it is just too much to handle and I am so afraid of making a mistake because I'm so busy that could be devastating

[MsBruiser]

We all have to stand up and get the public aware of how much better care patients would get with smaller ratios. The other day I had seven patients on med/surg floor, 2 were getting blood, 2 getting chemo and 1 from PACU post total thyroidectomy with bleeding from his incision(more than expected), I don't think I went into the other 2 patients rooms for a couple of hours because I was so busy.

This is why most nurses don't want to do med/surg, but I like the floor I'm on and my fellow nurses are great. Some days it is just too much to handle and I am so afraid of making a mistake because I'm so busy that could be devastating

Wow...hands down med/surg nurses have the toughest job on the planet. I couldn't hack it...