what is the real score in nursing shortage??

Yosemite, RN, ASN, EMT-I · Nov 24, 2010

I am not going to comment on the United States as a whole, but I suspect, except for certain areas, there is NO nursing shortage. There certainly is NO NURSING SHORTAGE in most of California.

Here, new graduates are having, for the most part, a hard time getting jobs. Nurses returning to practice are all but out of luck. Want to switch specialties? That is hard to do, also; employers want at least 2 recent/current years (sometimes more) experience in what ever specialty the position is for.

Full time positions are becoming rare. It is even becoming difficult to find positions in long term care and psychiatric nursing (two direct patient care specialties NOT covered by the nurse ratio act, hence nurses are worked like crazy in these positions).

A nursing shortage will likely come to pass in the next 10 to 20 years as a large portion of the older working population retire, but like the original poster, most of the world, let alone other states, want to come and work in California. Those who are familiar with economics should suspect that when a product or service supply exceeds demand, the cost/worth of that will go down (i.e., nursing wages will likely not increase or increase more slowly). Nursing will likely be more of a part time position with most nurses working two jobs or hustling for more shifts (as is happening more and more currently).

I predict the future of nursing will be the nurse practicioner as general practice/family practice physicians will, more and more, be relegated to supervising the NP's (much as RN's supervise LVN's and CNA's today).

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 25, 2010

Moved to the international forum

Currently many countries are suffering high unemployment issues, this may change in the future so all i can recommend is continue to gain nursing experience that will enhance your abilities to find a employer in the country you wish to live and work

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Nov 27, 2010

hello everyone... i have some query. is there anyone so kind to enlighten me. i'd like to know, what is the real score of nursing shortage in US? is it true that there is nursing shortage? was confused, i watched from tv and read from newspaper that US will be opening/hiring nurses in few years. but when i researched and google about it, i figured out that there is no really nursing shortage, there are A LOT american nurses that is unemployed. so, is there no chance for us foreign nurses??

First, see: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/Economy.pdf

This article may be biased a little as it comes from an organization that represents nursing educational institutions but I think it did a good job in giving a scenario of how the US nursing shortage appears to have eased up, for the time being as the article alleges.

As far as foreign nurses, the biggest reason for the lack of opportunities for nurses coming to the US from other countries has been retrogression for many years now. There's just not enough visas being released to foreign RN's and the sheer volume of applicants from foreign countries (including those who have had pending applications from years back) just makes it seem like there wouldn't be much hope on the horizon for this to change in the near future. I would even venture to guess that this will not change many years from now especially since we are now seeing unemployment among nurses who are already here in the US. These nurses should receive priority for jobs if the economy improves.

and also, i read that there are issue in health insurance in US, does it affect the nursing employment? how?

are you referring to the new Healthcare Act signed by the President this year? Personally, I think the results of that is yet to declare itself as the provisions do not take effect until 2014. In addition, there are still resistant camps in the US Legislature who feel strongly against this law. These lawmakers may even go as far as to attempt to reverse this act though the current President has the power to veto those if they do happen for as long as he is in office.

If healthcare does becomes a right to every citizen of the US (as it should be) and every person is required to be insured by law, there is talk about needing more primary healthcare providers (such as the pediatricians, internists and family practice MD's, we typically see in clinics for our general health care needs). On the other side of that coin, nurse practitioners are also being touted as potential primary healthcare providers who can answer this call. However, there are barriers in the laws of most states and even the federal government that is preventing this from full fruition. As far as your typical RN's, I don't see how this new law would affect staffing in hospitals where the bulk of the nursing workforce in the US are found.

im a nurse, here in asia, i graduated last year,and i already passed the NCLEX. i am currently working also in hospital here in our country.
i just wanna know whats the real score/status now of nursing employment in US.
thanks

quite grim if you ask me. Stay where you are and be thankful you have a job.