where are the nursing shortages?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am hearing that there are shortages in some areas while some are cutting back jobs.

Can anyone tell me for sure where thet know there are nursing shortages in the U.S or Canada.

Thanks

Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
Where can one find hard statistics to back a nursing shortage up? Where are the people saying there is a nursing shortage getting their numbers from?

you can go to this website: http://www.discovernursing.com/jnj-sectionID_3-pageID_24-dsc-graphic.aspx

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
This is an interesting thread, but I think its split over semantics. Whether there's a bona fide shortage of registered nurses in this country is really irrelevant. We're all aware that there are a number of nurses not working at the bedside, or in totally different fields, but what most of us are experiencing is a shortage of bedside nurses, and that's what is relevant in this thread, IMO.

We definitely have a shortage here in MD. Every hospital I've ever applied to has been responsive and interested, if my qualifications are relevant. I think many people have been lulled into the idea that -- since there is a nursing shortage -- all they have to do is show up at the job interview in reasonably appropriate attire with a pulse and a valid license and they'll roll out the welcome mat. That's not entirely the case. Its important to make a "good fit" with the job you're applying for, and there are many new interviewing techniques designed to determine if you're a good fit for the facility, department, and position you're applying for.

If you're very particular about the area you're working in, or the hours you want to work, its going to take longer to find work. I also think that although nurses start at a reasonable salary, it doesn't increase at regular intervals, and nurses often find themselves capped at a certain salary that isn't commensurate with their experience and skills set.

I have a good friend in WI, and she has trouble finding work. She's currently at a NH, which is not where she wants to be, but necessity and child care demanded it.

We definitely have a shortage here in MD. Every hospital I've ever applied to has been responsive and interested, if my qualifications are relevant. I think many people have been lulled into the idea that -- since there is a nursing shortage -- all they have to do is show up at the job interview in reasonably appropriate attire with a pulse and a valid license and they'll roll out the welcome mat. That's not entirely the case. Its important to make a "good fit" with the job you're applying for, and there are many new interviewing techniques designed to determine if you're a good fit for the facility, department, and position you're applying for.

I definately agree with that. Maryland, ESPECIALLY BALTIMORE, and the D. C. area is VERY short on nurses its amazing. They even offer instate waiver at schools here for OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS thats how bad it is when it comes to nursing here!

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Specializes in LPN.

I am from Duluth too. I agree with the small town mentaility. The jobs are scarce and the cost of living high. The worst of it is there is nothing to do up here but sit in your house for 8 months of the years.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Sounds like a Frozen Hell to me, Walk. We have just about decided against going back to Minn/Wis after my dh retires. The weather is horrible and nursing jobs not as abundant as here in WA.

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Mobile, Alabama. Please come.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Welcome to all nurses, Elaine!!!

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i definately agree with that. maryland, especially baltimore, and the d. c. area is very short on nurses its amazing. they even offer instate waiver at schools here for out of state residents thats how bad it is when it comes to nursing here!

md/dc was among the places i first interviewed when i was going to graduate from nursing school, but after haggling through traffic and finding out how much the real estate would be, how far my commute might be, i said no way! they couldn't pay me enough. even though charlottesville is a hot real estate market, i could still afford to buy a house. no way i could have done that in or around dc.

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Specializes in CCU/ER.

I'm in South GA, and tonight is a great example of our shortage. Our ER is down by one half it's nursing staff tonight. And that's getting to be normal!

I am hearing that there are shortages in some areas while some are cutting back jobs.

Can anyone tell me for sure where thet know there are nursing shortages in the U.S or Canada.

Thanks

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You know I have been nursing for 30 years. Used to be most programs were diploma or AD. At the beginning of my carreer there wasn't the shortage there is now. Could it be that fewer nursing grads want to truely nurse or want to lead. The world now is full of BS and MS degrees that in my part of the country come out of school not knowing how to nurse and get discourged and quit or want to start at the top. could it be that the Canadian Nurses get more clinical?

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You know I have been nursing for 30 years. Used to be most programs were diploma or AD. At the beginning of my carreer there wasn't the shortage there is now. Could it be that fewer nursing grads want to truely nurse or want to lead. The world now is full of BS and MS degrees that in my part of the country come out of school not knowing how to nurse and get discourged and quit or want to start at the top. could it be that the Canadian Nurses get more clinical?

I think that they want to lead which makes sense why there are more BS/MS degrees.

I don't know for sure, but have heard that NP's are an overflooded market.

It appears to me that many nurses are desperate to get out of direct patient care and instead get a job where they can smugly repeat the rhetoric they hear at seminars and meetings, all of the theories out there about what good patient care is and how nurses need to be doing this or that, what the latest product in wound care is, or adding another document to be filled out during our 8 and 12 hour shift.

All of course, from the coziness of being behind the desk or with a white coat on in the patient care areas with no intention on lifting, turning, bathing, answering call lights, or responding to hysterical family members.....

"Let me get your nurse for you......"

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I think that they want to lead which makes sense why there are more BS/MS degrees.

I don't know for sure, but have heard that NP's are an overflooded market.

It appears to me that many nurses are desperate to get out of direct patient care and instead get a job where they can smugly repeat the rhetoric they hear at seminars and meetings, all of the theories out there about what good patient care is and how nurses need to be doing this or that, what the latest product in wound care is, or adding another document to be filled out during our 8 and 12 hour shift.

All of course, from the coziness of being behind the desk or with a white coat on in the patient care areas with no intention on lifting, turning, bathing, answering call lights, or responding to hysterical family members.....

"Let me get your nurse for you......"

I am a nursing student graduating in May with a BSN and I have no desire to "lead" other nurses. I wanted to get my BSN because I feel that the holistic approach to nursing is key and I wanted a well rounded education. At this point, I don't even know if I plan to acheive a MS. My passion is direct patient care and I don't think that it is right to generalize every BS and MS nurse as wanting to "lead" other nurses just because they didn't decide to get a AD or Diploma. I have worked extremely hard to earn this BS and it hurts to hear this very judgemental comment.

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My daughter is 16 and is toying with the idea of becoming a nurse. Not surprising since her parents both are. She job-shadowed on Med-Surg and out-pt surgery units on seperate days. A few weeks later, only to humor me, she also job-shadowed a dental hygienist. Some of the interesting observations she made were: 1. Nurses were lucky to get lunch, and lucky to get 30 min while the DH got a bit over an hour 2. DH got paid about $10-15/hr more than the RNs 3. most telling: The way the dentists talked to, regarded, responsed to the DH, was far more respectful than the 'condescending' and 'oh I'm so much richer and smarter than you are' attitude in the hospital. These are HER words, not mine. Even a kid not looking for it picked up on that. She said, 'no way' would she want to be a DH, still doesn't care for the field itself, but nursing didn't really sell itself either, now did it? When my 14 and 16 yrs old kids have taken "job aptitude" screening exams at school, Registered Nurse does not even appear as a choice (only Ns. Pract'rs). They have "shoe repairmen" and "glass-blowers" for potential jobs, but not nurses. No wonder hardly any high school kids consider the field. Part of why we have a "shortage", a looming one, anyway.

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