Oversupply of RNs

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Is there an oversupply of RNs in:

USA?

Canada?

UK?

Australia?

NZ?

UAE?

Saudi?

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In many areas of the US, the market is completely saturated with RNs -- new graduates are finding it extremely difficult to find employment, and even experienced RNs are having trouble (and all the nursing schools are continuing to pump out big waves of new grads every year). There are some areas, primarily the less popular or desirable areas to live, that are still looking actively for RNs. There is plenty of information and conversation about this all over this site.

However, if you are talking about coming to the US from another country to work as an RN (and, from your question, it looks like you are), there is also the issue of retrogression and whether or not one can get a visa to work. Employment and immigration are two entirely separate matters.

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There is an oversupply of RNs in the US. Chances of working here are slim to none. Reality is, focus on another area.

I heard Canada is also experiencing something similar.

As for Australia, I heard some have recently been able to migrate there.

In Saudi, you need several years experience from what I heard.

The others mentioned I have no clue as I haven't really heard anything.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

The most telling data (based on 2009 stats) I've seen that supports an oversupply of RN's in the US is the EMSI data at http://www.economicmodeling.com/2010/06/11/comparing-the-output-of-nurses-with-estimated-demand/

This group came up with this table that shows the large number of new grad nurses in majority of states against a backdrop of decreased number of available RN openings. Granted that the new grad data includes those who are completing their BSN after having been already practicing as an ADN nurse, the table still clearly shows the reverse ratio of supply and demand that we are currently experiencing:

Nurses_Openingsvs.Comp_09-thumb-320x995.jpg

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Jobs in the UK are not brilliant, there are cost cuts and financial problems in most of the hospitals in the UK which means that they are not employing nurses from outside their own area let alone country.

If you do a jobs search on the NHS jobs site with a job title nurse limiting salary to £20 - £30K (which would be a band 5 nurse) there are 800 vacancies, and that is for the whole of the UK. Think then of how many graduate nurses will come out of universities this year and there are not enough jobs for the nurses.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I wouldn't say that there is an over-supply of nurses in Canada, but more that there's an UNDER-supply of positions available at the moment. This is especially true in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia where hiring freezes, whether identified as such or not, have been a fact of life for about 18 months. That doesn't mean that there isn't a shortage of nurses but more that budgetary constraints have prevented positions from being filled.

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Thanks for the answers. Can we focus more on Au and NZ?

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Well my hospital went to the UK and Ireland last month to recruit and so did the nursing agency that I used to work for in Sydney.

There are still jobs available in Australia especially in rural and country areas, as new grads apply for grad programs in the metro areas.

Not sure what the situation is in NZ as a lot of Kiwis jump the ditch to Oz as the wages are better here apparently.

Ireland is saturated with nurses as well. Friends of mine that have graduated in the last year or 2 are having to work in nursing homes as they are unable to get jobs in the acute sector.

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Rural areas in Australia, need experienced nurses not inexperienced. Local graduate nurses take up the local country hospital graduate programs and usually there are not enough places for the locals now, 40 places this year 70 applicants, thanks yet again for another debate, glio

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thank you elkpark, juan, nursecuban, janfrn, and karenmaire for the replies. they are very practical, pertinent and important

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