Nursing supply

nurse4theplanet, RN · Dec 1, 2005

okay, I'll bite...

The shortage of nurses is going to continue to grow in the next decade or so, it may even double. This can be a scary thought because it will further stretch our ability to provide adequate, safe pt care.

The reason that many nursing schools have waiting lists is because there is a surplus of applicants and a shortage of nursing instructors (it takes a special person to be a nurse, and an even more special person to be a nursing instructor:p ) Most schools have a pretty high drop out rate and even after graduation there are high percentages of nurses who change careers within five years.

Why you say? Because nursing is a very intense and emotional profession. You not only have to be book smart but street smart as well, innovative, quick on your feet, and compassionate. It's not glamourous at all...as some may fantasize; It's not just a collective performance of reheorificed skills, it takes a lot of critical thinking and has a high degree of independent as well as interdependent actions. Working conditions can be tough at times with short staff, difficult coworkers/patients/MD/family members/legal ramifications.

But to a person who thoroughly enjoys nursing the rewards far outway the undesireable conditions. Like I said, it takes a very special person to be a nurse.

If your concern is job security then you should rest assured that nursing is a good profession to choose. However, make sure you are coming in with a realistic picture of the responsibility, dedication, and hard work that it will take. Nurses make pretty good money in relation to other professions, but it is not nearly worth the actual work that we do. So for most, it is not about the money at all.

My best advice is to keep searching the boards for issues/concerns and expand you information base. Try volunteering at a hospital or clinic to see real life nursing. This way you can have first hand experience to draw from and make your own decision on if it is right for *you*. Good luck to you! I hope you find nursing as enjoyable as I have.

hope3456, ASN, RN · Dec 1, 2005

It depends alot on location. Some towns/hospitals/states have more of a shortage than others. It is my theory that the more desirable places to live have less of a shortage.

This is on my mind alot b/c I just graduated last year (ADN), and where I am there is no shortage of nurses - I am working in LTC just to get by right now - the local hospital where I want to work has very few openings and prefers RN's w/ experience.

I know it is much easier to get a job in the neighboring city, which is what many of my classmates have done, I am just not able to move at this time d/t family issues.

And you are right about the number of new grads- there are many new nsg programs opening up and many are expanding enrollment. There are many new grad RN's out there. But when you go to apply for jobs, many times they require experience, and hospitals - at least the ones I know of - will only hire a certain number of new grads at certain times of the year. It seems if you have experience you are valuable, but the new grads are a dime a dozen.

This is just my experience/opinion. Again, I know this isn' t the case everywhere but something to take into consideration.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2005

It is true that many community colleges have long waiting lists, but some ADN programs and most BSN programs admit based on GPA, test scores, interviews, or other factors.

I suggest talking to an admissions counselor at schools in your area to find out the pre-requisites for application, number of applicants, acceptance rate, required as well as expected GPA for admission, etc. In general the more expensive the tuition, the easier it will be to get into a nursing program. Good luck to you :)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2005

this nursing shortage you're hearing about is the same nursing shortage we had 32 years ago when i started going to nursing school! i can't imagine it ever going away. i'm betting that with us baby boomers flooding the hospitals as we age, this shortage is going to be around a lot longer than 20 years! my mother told me 32 years ago and now i'll tell you, as a nurse you will always be able to find a job.

if you want a meaningful, well-paying career you've chosen right. let me tell you why i think the shortage persists despite the line up to get a spot in a nursing school. i believe that a good many people go into nursing with their priorities wrong. it's ok to do it for the money, but if you do it primarily for the money, you are going to be disappointed. you have to want to help people. you have to want to be in service to your fellow human beings. if you can't do the jesus thing and turn the other cheek to people who can find the wherewithall to make your job hard while you are merely trying to help them, then don't apply for this job. the reason for this is because you will discover that you have to put up with people at their worst to earn this money--and not all of them will be patients. some will be co-workers who are having trouble handling it all. so, if you have a work ethic and come from a background where you were taught that a day's pay is equal to a full day's work you'll survive. there are a good many who go into nursing, however, thinking that it is much the same as any other profession and it's not. i do believe that one of the reasons that religious groups such as nuns took over ministering to the sick was because no one else wanted to do it. it truly means being of service without any strings attached. although our society holds nurses in esteem just listen to what people say about taking care of the sick. i can't tell you how many times i've heard, "i don't know how you can do it", from people who are not in healthcare.

as a hospital nurse this is what you can expect. then decide if this is something you can do. you will be on your feet for most of your work shift. work shifts have gravitated to 12-hour shifts although some places still do 8 hours shifts. when you work 12 hour shifts it doesn't leave much time for you to do things when you get home. you will be working with all kinds of people and all kinds of personalities, both patients and co-workers. you have to get along with them all. part of being an rn is what i like to call "stamping out fires" all the time. you will wear many hats. you'll be a nurturer, a mother, a parent, a sister, a disciplinarian, a policeman, a counselor, a social worker, and this list goes on and on. you are problem solving and taking care of hundreds of little problems that pop up all shift long. you will be a leader and supervisor although it won't say that on your nametag or on your job title. you work holidays and weekends. you'll frequently get called and asked if you can work an extra day here or there because the facility is short staffed. for all this you won't always be recognized and praised for what you are offering of yourself because everyone else is in the same boat. some patients won't appreciate that you are helping them and may even tell you that just to be ornery and goad you. but, every once in awhile, something good happens to stoke our ego that makes up for all the aggravation and confirms that we are in the right profession. to top it all off, it takes a few years out of nursing school before you start to feel confident in the job you are doing. the really big bucks come when you have a couple of years of experience under your belt, and then it's glorious. but, it takes time, effort, and endurance to get there. i see a lot of the newer, younger people petering out and quitting before they even get to that point because they are tired of, what they will tell you is, all the bullshit. well, s--t happens and if you step in it all the time instead of going around it, you will end up getting frustrated.

i'm not saying all this to put you off to nursing. i'm saying it to let you know that there is a reality behind the ethereal part of it and you should be aware of it. it's not all bad. i will tell you that i've survived some rotten things that were done to me over my career. it hasn't stopped me, however. if it's within your being to give unconditional service to others, you've come to the right place. and, oh yeah, the paycheck ain't too bad either.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Dec 3, 2005

this nursing shortage you're hearing about is the same nursing shortage we had 32 years ago when i started going to nursing school! i can't imagine it ever going away. i'm betting that with us baby boomers flooding the hospitals as we age, this shortage is going to be around a lot longer than 20 years! my mother told me 32 years ago and now i'll tell you, as a nurse you will always be able to find a job.
if you want a meaningful, well-paying career you've chosen right. let me tell you why i think the shortage persists despite the line up to get a spot in a nursing school. i believe that a good many people go into nursing with their priorities wrong. it's ok to do it for the money, but if you do it primarily for the money, you are going to be disappointed. you have to want to help people. you have to want to be in service to your fellow human beings. if you can't do the jesus thing and turn the other cheek to people who can find the wherewithall to make your job hard while you are merely trying to help them, then don't apply for this job. the reason for this is because you will discover that you have to put up with people at their worst to earn this money--and not all of them will be patients. some will be co-workers who are having trouble handling it all. so, if you have a work ethic and come from a background where you were taught that a day's pay is equal to a full day's work you'll survive. there are a good many who go into nursing, however, thinking that it is much the same as any other profession and it's not. i do believe that one of the reasons that religious groups such as nuns took over ministering to the sick was because no one else wanted to do it. it truly means being of service without any strings attached. although our society holds nurses in esteem just listen to what people say about taking care of the sick. i can't tell you how many times i've heard, "i don't know how you can do it", from people who are not in healthcare.
as a hospital nurse this is what you can expect. then decide if this is something you can do. you will be on your feet for most of your work shift. work shifts have gravitated to 12-hour shifts although some places still do 8 hours shifts. when you work 12 hour shifts it doesn't leave much time for you to do things when you get home. you will be working with all kinds of people and all kinds of personalities, both patients and co-workers. you have to get along with them all. part of being an rn is what i like to call "stamping out fires" all the time. you will wear many hats. you'll be a nurturer, a mother, a parent, a sister, a disciplinarian, a policeman, a counselor, a social worker, and this list goes on and on. you are problem solving and taking care of hundreds of little problems that pop up all shift long. you will be a leader and supervisor although it won't say that on your nametag or on your job title. you work holidays and weekends. you'll frequently get called and asked if you can work an extra day here or there because the facility is short staffed. for all this you won't always be recognized and praised for what you are offering of yourself because everyone else is in the same boat. some patients won't appreciate that you are helping them and may even tell you that just to be ornery and goad you. but, every once in awhile, something good happens to stoke our ego that makes up for all the aggravation and confirms that we are in the right profession. to top it all off, it takes a few years out of nursing school before you start to feel confident in the job you are doing. the really big bucks come when you have a couple of years of experience under your belt, and then it's glorious. but, it takes time, effort, and endurance to get there. i see a lot of the newer, younger people petering out and quitting before they even get to that point because they are tired of, what they will tell you is, all the bullshit. well, s--t happens and if you step in it all the time instead of going around it, you will end up getting frustrated.
i'm not saying all this to put you off to nursing. i'm saying it to let you know that there is a reality behind the ethereal part of it and you should be aware of it. it's not all bad. i will tell you that i've survived some rotten things that were done to me over my career. it hasn't stopped me, however. if it's within your being to give unconditional service to others, you've come to the right place. and, oh yeah, the paycheck ain't too bad either.

i have to say this is probably the best, most well thought out post that i have ever read on this board and i hope the op reads it thorougly and soaks up the obvious wisdom and experience. thanks daytonite!

:bowingpur :bowingpur :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :bowingpur :bowingpur