nursing shortage

klone, MSN, RN · Sep 11, 2014

I don't think we are facing a severe shortage. Also, I think it's erroneous to assume that BSN-prepared nurses don't want to be at the bedside.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 11, 2014

Also, I think it's erroneous to assume that BSN-prepared nurses don't want to be at the bedside.

Raises hand- MSN who wants to be at the bedside as long as physically able.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2014

I personally think the predictions of a "critical nursing shortage" that are being parroted by the BLS and ANA are substantially blown out of proportion. I'll believe in the shortage hype when I actually see the signs of one occurring.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2014

I agree if they are SO CONCERNED about a shortage when the "baby boomers" retire why are they trying so hard to get them to leave?

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Sep 11, 2014

Exactly. I would like to see it though :)

laKrugRN · Sep 11, 2014

I find it very sad that these experienced nurses are not being grandfathered in, or getting stuck going to part time. I am a new nurse with a BSN, I want to learn from those older experienced nurses!! I do not condone any BSN's walking around like they know more than their elders. WE DON'T. Sorry guys! Show some respect!

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 11, 2014

I think the OP's interpretation of the situation is overly simplistic. The situation is much more complex than as described in the OP.

In reality, very few hospitals are trying to "get rid of" their experienced RN's with ADN's and Diplomas who are performing. They are hoping that most will go back to school -- and many employers are even offering to pay for that additional education. Few nurses have actually been fired for not having a BSN. Most employers are trying to reduce their percentage of ADN/Diploma nurses by limiting their hiring to only BSN's (or people in school for BSN's) -- not by firing existing staff who are performing well. There is a big difference between the 2 strategies that the OP does not seem to understand or acknowledge.

Of course, there are probably some exceptions.

Also, the motive is not to "get rid of" anybody -- it is to improve the quality of care received by the patients by increasing the educational level of the nursing staff. It is also to provide consistent standards for entry into professional practice so that laws and regulations can be developed that maximize the effectiveness of the nursing workforce. Multiple levels of education functioning under the same license stymies those efforts.

It is indeed a sad aspect of the situation that there is a sub-group of nurses close to retirement who have difficult choices to make about whether to invest in more education or not. But that happens with every generation as people nearing retirement find that the work world has moved on since they were in school 40 years earlier. Keeping up with progress/changes in our professions over the course of a lifetime career has always been and always will be a challenge for people engaged in all types of work. Manual laborers face the wear and tear on their bodies as they age, people engaged in intellectual work need to keep up with the advancements in their field ... nurses face some of both. But that does not mean that all progress in every field should be stopped -- that we should all be allowed to pretend that the world (and its knowledge and needs) remains static, as it was when we first began our careers. We need to move on ... and each individual person must decide how to best do that for himself/herself. For some, it will mean going back to school. For others it will be to simply stay where they are and accept that there may be some changes in their advancement opportunities or job responsibilities. For others, it might mean that a job in a different work environment. That is the case for all of us as we age and make choices as we go through life.

OnlinePersona, LPN · Sep 11, 2014

Chile please what shortage?

allnurses Guide · Sep 11, 2014

I'll preface by saying I think anyone and everyone who can earn their BSN no matter what stage their career is in should do it. Simple self-preservation is the reasoning there.

I think the "outcomes" debate is far from settled but in any case that started relatively recently (2003) in the timeline.

I think that to say multiple education pathways are even remotely the cause of lack of legislative progress hints at blaming nurses themselves once again for lack of what a minority of opinion-leaders defines as "progress". If only everyone agreed with a committee of nurses who published a position paper in 1965 everything would be fine.

I don't think the separate issue of APRN scope and related issues can be laid at anyone's feet as the AACN has a rather checkered and confused history on that as well as a muddled message on what a DNP degree is and who should have one to do what.

Reasons BSN Entry-to-practice failed to gain traction according to an article in an ANA publication. (sorry for boring those who have seen this before)

1. Hospital and Long-Term Care lobbying groups campaigned to stop the effort in it's tracks rather than rally around it "for the sake of patient outcomes". (they were also instrumental in the repeal of the only such law to be enacted in North Dakota)

2. Hospital and Long-Term Care lobbying groups in several states lobbied for and achieved the enactment of legislation preventing state boards of nursing from unilaterally changing education requirements for entry-to-practice.

3. Advocates of BSN-entry-to-practice ignored other stakeholders in their campaign resulting in those stakeholders thwarting the efforts in the legislative arena.

4. Their approach was perceived as a "top-down" edict as opposed to groundswell of support. They chose people to champion the cause who were perceived as out-of-touch and even despotic in their approach to rank-and-file nurses.

5. The majority of nurses themselves (of all 'pathways' to a nursing career) either were indifferent or opposed it.

6. No one made a case to the public that their safety would be jeopardized if an ADN or Diploma nurse took care of them rather than a BSN nurse. Without a sense that the public wants a change, legislators will not go out on a limb.

The end of the shortage (I think most will agree regardless of future predictions) changed the playing field considerably, but for the decades prior there simply was no public discussion or demand or even a whiff from these people about BSN and patient mortality.

They just went right ahead and took care of business themselves with inservice, hiring of nurse educators, certification programs, etc,in short, workable solutions for their own staff and their own patients and their safety. Those solutions that small group doesn't think is education at all.

allnurses Guide · Sep 11, 2014

It amazes me that the ANA is predicting a massive nursing shortage when the babyboomers retire yet hospitals are trying to push out the older experienced ADN by requiring a BSN. When the nursing shortage occurrs and it will, hospitals will be left with inexperienced BSN nurses who probably will go on for a Masters as they did not get into to this profession to do patient care for any length of time. It is disheartening to see nurses who have dedicated 30 years or more to a facility not be grandfathered for the BSN. Many nurses are nearing retirement and it is not cost effective to go back for a BSN. It is my understanding that the ANA is behind the BSN push and yet seeing that we are facing a severe shortage they seem to be shooting themselves in the foot.

I hope a nursing shortage does recur if only because it will mean so much new talent (and yeah even rainbows and unicorns idealism) won't be wasted as it is now and we won't have to read any more stories about people losing houses or working as topless maids when they'd really rather not (no judgements here heh) or face uprooting their families.

What I take from your post is that you appreciate the fact that losing experienced nurses is shooting themselves in the foot. I take it the "91" is your birth year - thank you for giving us a +1!

ed to add: Even if it's not your birth year thank you!

raceteam91 · Sep 25, 2014

I wish 91 was my birth year, however it was 1954. I don't think all BSN nurses won't work bedside but it does seem at least at my hospital that those who are returning to school are getting their NP. I think the BSN probably will be the way of the future but they need to consider the ADN with 32 years of experience and is 60 years old, a BSN won't initiate a pay raise but it will leave more debt(reimbursement does not pay all of the expense), I think there should be a grandfather clause for these nurses.