Nursing Shortage Fallacy?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

As opposed to putting it on the "paying dues' thread, I'll start a new one...

Do you feel that there truly is a "nursing shortage" in our country today? Or more specifically, in your part of the country?

I have a hard time believing that it's true, when we are getting called off left and right because we have too many nurses scheduled for what our census is on most days. In particular, our 12 hour night shifts are WAY overscheduled, sometimes we have SEVEN RN's on at that time (and we never need more than five, and five is if we are full, usually it's four or even three, so often we are calling people off/sending people home).

Thoughts?

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

We were talking about this today, we dont think there is a nursing shortage in the Valley (Phoenix) only a nursing shortage in the hospitals nobody wants to work in.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I don't think there is a shortage of nurses per say, just a shortage of nurses willing to put up with the crap that we put up with at the bedside.

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.

agree with Michigan RN

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I think the shortage is in certain areas of nursing. When I worked med/surg I averaged low census one day per pay period. Now I am working LTC (and hating very minute of it) and there is a terrible nurse shortage on the floor. There is a reason for that.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

I have a job I like so am not going anywhere, but if I were to be in the market again I wouldnt have trouble finding a job. Finding a GOOD job I would like ?....well, thats another story.

I'm in the Twin Cities, FWIW.

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

We are overstaffed at present. As the economy continues it's rapid journey into the crapper, the effects on healthcare and nursing will be profound. There are LOTS of licensed nurses out there that left the bedside years ago for other jobs and opportunities that may try to re-enter nursing as those jobs and opportunities dry up. Fewer patients will have insurance, so census numbers will fall. National healthcare? How will the government pay for that? We are almost broke now (bailout). The future doesn't look very rosy at the moment.

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

I do not believe at this time there is a true shortage, economics is driving the health system right now. Healthcare is however looking at that fact that with the advent of we baby boomers coming into retirement that their will be at that time a significant shortage of experienced nursing left to take care of the needs of patients whether it is in the hospitals or LTC.

Yah right, like I will ever be able to afford to retire, Me, when asked when I get to retire I usually say. Whenever senility, mandatory retirement is forced upon me, or I happen to have a heartattack on my way to or from work.:banghead:

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Government figures, which have been posted on this site, show there are about 400,000 RNs in this country who aren't working in nursing, and even more who are working in nursing, but only part-time. I agree with K98 that they will be coming back to the bedside (gritting their teeth and sobbing) as this financial disaster unfolds. So no, there isn't a shortage. In my area, we have three large nursing programs in town and there are plenty of nurses, they just don't stay in practice here. But I believe they will have little choice now. Be ready to fight to hang onto your job, even if you don't like it, to stay afloat financially.

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I can say that in Mid mo, we are not having a shortage. In my hosp, and surrounding ones, nurses are being cancelled for low census half of the time.

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I work in an inner city ER, and I must say we feel the shortage... 3 nurses trying to get through night and day in a really busy Pediatric ER

or maybe just maybe, with all the crappiness that we deal everyday, we just can't keep nurses... its the abuse that we get from the patients (parents included)

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

In those areas that feel they have an over abundance of Nurses, is it really an overabundance of Nurses or really a shortage of patients.

As the economy slows many people are putting off elective procedures or if faced with high copay's putting off even necessary procedures.

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