Nursing Shortage

pricklypear · Jun 5, 2006

Wow, propaganda huh? I have a marketing budget I need to show you. Nurses don't answer my ads. I have competitive wages and job responsibility. I have an idea... Nurses don't want to work anymore. People are scheduled to work for 12 hours but they don't want to work. One ounce of pressure to perform and they are gone. Then I spend more money to get another person hired. Then spend money to train them. It is a terrible cycle that doesn't stop because nurses don't want to work. There are not enough nurses working to meet the needs. This going to get worse.
My question is, How do we get nurses back to the field? Why are they leaving?

Why are they leaving???? They "don't want to work"? Are you a nurse? Have you ever worked short because you had to float someone because you had too much staff according to a nifty little staffing grid that called for 2.7 RNs - which means you round DOWN? To figure out why nurses are leaving the field or just getting away from bedside care, just poke around this board for a few minutes.

RNLisa · Jun 5, 2006

I am a new grad. I have applied to and interviewed at a couple of hospitals around my area. I have a 3.9 GPA, I have 2 of my clinical instructors (one of which is the Professor of Nursing) giving me great references and recommendations. I do not have a job yet. All of my clinical instructors have given me great final evaluations each and every quarter. Never had a bad one. I was always in class, never missed. I was always at clinical, always more than early, always prepared, always knew my drugs when asked, always knew what procedures I had to perform, etc. etc. etc. But, I have no job yet. I have the same training as the rest of my classmates, but most of them are getting hired because they "know someone" at the hospitals already work there. But, I do not have a job yet. I am getting ready to search online yet another day for a job. This was my dream to become a nurse. I am asking myself "Why did I do this again?".

Supposedly there is a shortage, well, why can't I find a job? I am willing to work, I am willing to learn, I am willing to stay close to home in the smaller hospitals. I am getting discouraged.

natrgrrl · Jun 5, 2006

Supposedly there is a shortage, well, why can't I find a job? I am willing to work, I am willing to learn, I am willing to stay close to home in the smaller hospitals. I am getting discouraged.

2ndyrnursestudent-I feel for you. After reading this forum today, I am discouraged too. I thought that nursing school would be a great investment of my time. I thought after I was an RN, I would just be able to move anywhere I wanted, which is rural midwest, and get a job taking care of people.

Should I research my decision a little more? Maybe. Should I worry about all the negative things I am hearing? Maybe. Am I going to drop out of school? No, I still want to be a nurse. Shortage, discouragement and all.

I sure you will get a job that is right for you. Just don't get discouraged. (I know, I know...that's easy for me to say)

NatureGirl :smiley_ab

sunnyjohn · Jun 5, 2006

*Joining Pricklypear on that soap box with her sign like Sally Fields in "Norma Raye"*

UNION!

(or NATIONAL ORGANIZATION)

Sounds like burnout, retention and patient ratios are three big issues.

1.12 hour shifts are popular with many nurses, but we need more options to prevent overworking those who can't take 12's.

2. Patient ratios need to be enforced nationwide, of course common sense can be used to staff rural areas, but their must be some type of guidline and not this mish-mash we have now.

3.If you have a decent patient ratios, decent working hours and decent pay (and your co-workers aren't complete jerks) retention will be less of an issue. People are less likely to leave if they are happy.

Frankly we've gotta stand up for ourselves. As a "pre-nurse", if there's one thing I've learned from Lindarn, Timothy, Prickly and the other big dogs on this board is that YOU ARE YOUR BEST WORKER ADVOCATE. If you don't haggle when they offer you a wage, specialty and hours, you will get the shaft. A new national organization or cleanup of the ANA would be great but until then we can't role over!

chadash · Jun 5, 2006

Go Norma Raye! *

*AKA prickly pear

lannisz · Jun 5, 2006

Wow, propaganda huh? I have a marketing budget I need to show you. Nurses don't answer my ads. I have competitive wages and job responsibility. I have an idea... Nurses don't want to work anymore. People are scheduled to work for 12 hours but they don't want to work. One ounce of pressure to perform and they are gone. Then I spend more money to get another person hired. Then spend money to train them. It is a terrible cycle that doesn't stop because nurses don't want to work. There are not enough nurses working to meet the needs. This going to get worse.
My question is, How do we get nurses back to the field? Why are they leaving?

I will try to respond to this comment as kindly and yet honestly as I can. Nurses don't respond to your ads because they know that no amount of money can substitute for unsafe and intolerable conditions. the ones that do try to work for you probably soon see that your workplace is just like many of the other places they have worked before and escaped. The attitude that you can just hire and train another nurse doesn't fix the problem. nurses are highly trained and educated. I invested so many years to become a nurse...do you honestly think I just suddenly decided I didn't want to work anymore? That's ridiculous. At some point you realize that your body and mind can only take so much. My opinion? People have brought the nursing shortage on themselves. As an analogy, the reason we all pay so much for health insurance is because so many people misused and abused the system and filed frivilous lawsuits. now people - patients, hospital administartion etc, have misused nurses too, and we are not going to take it anymore.

chadash · Jun 5, 2006

I have a conspiracy theory!

OK, hospitals place ads, nurses apply but are never called, the hospitals go, oh my, we have to use more techs, hospitals are structured differently based on less nurses, then there is less nursing jobs, and the hospital saves money.

That sounds a bit nutty, doesnt it?

I need to get more sleep.

lorster · Jun 5, 2006

*Joining Pricklypear on that soap box with her sign like Sally Fields in "Norma Raye"*
UNION!
(or NATIONAL ORGANIZATION)
Sounds like burnout, retention and patient ratios are three big issues.
1.12 hour shifts are popular with many nurses, but we need more options to prevent overworking those who can't take 12's.
2. Patient ratios need to be enforced nationwide, of course common sense can be used to staff rural areas, but their must be some type of guidline and not this mish-mash we have now.
3.If you have a decent patient ratios, decent working hours and decent pay (and your co-workers aren't complete jerks) retention will be less of an issue. People are less likely to leave if they are happy.
Frankly we've gotta stand up for ourselves. As a "pre-nurse", if there's one thing I've learned from Lindarn, Timothy, Prickly and the other big dogs on this board is that YOU ARE YOUR BEST WORKER ADVOCATE. If you don't haggle when they offer you a wage, specialty and hours, you will get the shaft. A new national organization or cleanup of the ANA would be great but until then we can't role over!

I work 12 hour shifts and was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have it in my hands and ankles. I have decided to try to just work 8 hour shifts so I quit my position to go casual call. I was just told that even casual call nurses will have to work 12 hour shifts so I will not be able to work the 8's and 4's that are now offered to casual call as well as regular staffers. And now we wonder why there is a nursing shortage. This is one example. 12's used to be nice but now I am emotionally and physically exhausted after a 12 and hospitals are not allowing those nurses to work hours that they are able to do. 12's do not work for everyone. I used to love them but now...I can't do it. I either accept the 12's or find a job that I can work 8's. I have been here for 18 years and I cannot afford to work for half of what I make now.

lorster · Jun 5, 2006

I will try to respond to this comment as kindly and yet honestly as I can. Nurses don't respond to your ads because they know that no amount of money can substitute for unsafe and intolerable conditions. the ones that do try to work for you probably soon see that your workplace is just like many of the other places they have worked before and escaped. The attitude that you can just hire and train another nurse doesn't fix the problem. nurses are highly trained and educated. I invested so many years to become a nurse...do you honestly think I just suddenly decided I didn't want to work anymore? That's ridiculous. At some point you realize that your body and mind can only take so much. My opinion? People have brought the nursing shortage on themselves. As an analogy, the reason we all pay so much for health insurance is because so many people misused and abused the system and filed frivilous lawsuits. now people - patients, hospital administartion etc, have misused nurses too, and we are not going to take it anymore.

AMEN ZIAS

vloho · Jun 5, 2006

How about this Nurses don't answer your adds because they don't want to work

1 in unsafe conditions

2 short staffed

3 disrespected

4 with continuous interuptions

5 Haveing bosses that don't have nursing experience

6 haveing more bosses than thancharge nurses or cna's

7long hour that lead to sleep deprevation

8 too many 12 hr shifts in a row just to qualify for crap ins

9 being a watch dog over your sister nurse ,who is working underthe same conditions you are.

10 haveing your sister nurse stab you in the back and give her praise for it

chadash · Jun 6, 2006

are they stating that these duties are part of the Nurse's Aide's role? well if the aides are doing all that, what did i got to school for 4 years for? i'm not saying that an aide is incapable of doing these tasks....however part of our role as RNs is to not only do these tasks, but assess the patient at the same time. does a nurse aide have the education to recognize when something is abnormal? there's more to it than just "performing a task"...there's also the critical thinking piece and using your clinical judgment about certain situations.

I agree, we lack the assessment skills to recognize problems. Scary.

burn out · Jun 6, 2006

I have a conspiracy theory!
OK, hospitals place ads, nurses apply but are never called, the hospitals go, oh my, we have to use more techs, hospitals are structured differently based on less nurses, then there is less nursing jobs, and the hospital saves money.
That sounds a bit nutty, doesnt it?
I need to get more sleep.

Exactly, the nurses that I know have put in apllications where I work when an ad is running in the paper and yet they never get called...not one. Hospitals don't want the shortage to end because it means they have to pay more RN wages.