Nursing Shortage Expiration A Myth!

[Curiousdog]

I was trying to find out about a few things that I heard regarding the nursing shortage ending back in 2009. I heard today that the nursing shortage only depends on the area. In some areas, there is indeed a shortage; in other areas, there is a glut of new grads. How true is this and what are these areas? Thank you for any response, even if you just wanted to tell me that what I heard is good info.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

You mean there are a lot of nurses in their 50's and 60's who will be thrown under the bus so their employer doesn't have to pay their high salaries and medical expenses.

YES!!!

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I've been looking at jobs closely for a year now because I want to relocate soon, and I can move anywhere. The patterns are the same everywhere:

OR, ICU, Emergency

Float Nurses

Nurse Educators

Community Health

LTC

Rural nursing

Travel nursing

Most of the areas on that list require experience and additional certifications and a Masters if you decide to go the educator route. None of those areas willingly hire new grads, except LTC and rural, and those are specialties as well.

Instead of just reading the articles, check out nursing job boards and you'll notice the same trends. The comment re: senior nurses getting eased out? That's also happening, particularly in the hospital settings, which is very unfair. New grads have no experience, and senior nurses cost money, so there are issues at both ends of the spectrum.

[historylady, MSN, RN]

There are no jobs in central WI. Too many collages have been turning out graduates. If you don't have 1 year of experience in an acute care the nursing homes won't hire you.

[Curiousdog]

I keep hearing about "resumes, job boards, resumes." But has anyone actually used a job group or opened the Yellow Pages and called these places directly? 80-90% of jobs are filled before they're even posted.