Nursing Shortage

Nurses General Nursing

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Lately I have been thinking a lot about where I want to work when I graduate in a few years. I might remain in MN, and work in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but I really am thinking of going to the Chicago area. I am wondering if anyone knows if there is a big shortage there, and if there will continue to be a shortage in the next 4 years, or if there is basically a shortage everywhere? Thanks!

P.S. If anyone does work in the Chicago area, can you give me any names of really good hospitals?

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Sorry for the double post........decided to erase this one instead of the one below it, and simply welcome you to the allnurses.com nursing board since I couldn't erase this post. :rolleyes: :D Be sure to check out the Student Nurse Forum and get to know our student nursing population as well as joining in on all the other threads and forums. You'll learn a lot here, and have a lot of fun too. Just jump right in, and have the time of your life! :kiss

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

There is a nursing shortage everywhere......NOT because nurses aren't wanting jobs in record numbers......or because we are not out here in record numbers wanting to work......but because of the abuse nurses today are enduring from "the powers that be". Pray for a positive change to happen because we sure could use one! :)

Good luck to you in your nursing endeavors no matter where you end up working after you complete school! :kiss :nurse:

Thank you Cheerfuldoer! You all sure do have my prayers!

Jackie,

Isn't MN like really COLD?

Why not move to someplace warmer?

-Russell

Yes Jackie, there really is a nursing shortage, and it is not only the patients who are suffering because of it. I work in Michigan where unions keep nursing wages and benefits up almost where they should be. But at any given time, almost half our staff are agency nurses. Do you realize we pay agencies $56-$66/hour per nurse? Imagine how that cuts into hospital revenue, which cuts into things that are really needed. The agencies are costing us so much money that the hospital cancels them whenever possible, leaving us dangerously shortstaffed and on the verge of burn-out, perpetuating the problem.

I used to think the nursing shortage would behoove me because it made me more marketable. Now I know it really is a crisis. We are working with strangers who do not have a commitment to our facility. Also, the shortage has created a kind of "medical mercenary" mentality. I recently invited a really good agency nurse to come to work for us fulltime in the OR. His reply, "Why should I work for you for $24/hour when I get $36/hour from the agency?"

Worry not, there will always be jobs for dedicated nurses. There just won't be nurses for all the jobs.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.

Minnesotan's are great people! The cold builds character! :D :chuckle

Originally posted by Rustyhammer

Jackie,

Isn't MN like really COLD?

Why not move to someplace warmer?

-Russell

Minnesota is much more than just cold, it's beautiful here. Plus I've lived here my whole life, and rarely traveled far from it. Minnesotans are truly great people. I agree with ceecel.dee in that the cold really does build character! :D

http://www.nursingspectrum.com

Usually has a lot of information about jobs.

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

goverment: bhpr nursing shortage report

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnproject/report.htm

health care at the crossroads: strategies for addressing the evolving nursing crisis

http://www.jcaho.org/news+room/news+release+archives/health+care+at+the+crossroads.pdf

Specializes in ER, ICU, Corrections.

Jackie,

After you have worked for a year and got some clinical under your belt and you haven't found a place that you really like yet, you could always try traveling nurse....I did that when I first got out of school and it was great. I loved it immensly....:D

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Now I DO NOT really like the JCAHO usually but NRSKarenRN's link, the JCAHO article is really good.

http://www.jcaho.org/news+room/news+release+archives/health+care+at+the+crossroads.pdf

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