Real shortage of nurses or bogus?

tthaker · Sep 5, 2017

I'm in Los Angeles and we definitely have a shortage.

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2017

I'm in Los Angeles and we definitely have a shortage.

The shortage is regional. The area I live has a shortage but the rest of the state has too many nurses. Over all, there really isn't a nursing shortage, just pockets of it

PixieRN1 · Sep 9, 2017

Sigh...the actual answer is that there is no nursing shortage as we speak right now. There are a few areas that need nurses and I have heard that the Dakota's are in sort of a boon there for housing and nurses.
This is a complex answer and I think that the horrible economic conditions have improved some in the country. Initially there was panic in the ranks about this huge shortage of nurses on the horizon. There was a huge age group of baby boomers that were going to retire and leave a huge empty slot of nurses but of experienced nurses. The shortage never happened.
Us baby boomers lost big in the market crash of 2008 stealing all of over 401K lifetime savings. When the stock market crashed many spouses lost their jobs...the nurse spouse did not retire and those who were at home returned to the workforce for money and insurance.
Now...with all of these record unemployment numbers that rivaled the Great Depression an opportunity in the "Medical Profession" that was in the midst of a "Major Shortage" (not really)...The government unemployment paid for people to be re-educated. In nursing. Now here in the US we have 3 education levels to become a nurse. Many saw the 2 year associate degree....went to school....and went to work. Mankind never at a loss to take advantage to make money had all of these "For Profit" schools pop up all over the US. Many of them only State accredited...which means the state nursing board approves of the schooling but another state may not approve of the education....they did not care.
There was an almost frantic proliferation of programs to fulfill the demand of students wanting to become nurses. Soon there was a plethora of schools and graduates. This led to the next problem. The one year and out group.
The one year and out group. These are the nurses who looked at getting hired in the ER, ICU Tele areas so they could move on for the "Real Money". Many hospitals began making nurses sign commitment contracts that they would stay for x-amount of time.
Eventually there will be a bit of a shortage but it will not be as big as they projected. Eventually Old Bats like me will have to eventually leave our positions....many of us who now support our children and they cannot find jobs (I am a late bloomer and mine are in college)...that will be when we are pronounced at the bedside. I am concerned about all of those going into Nurse Practitioner. Not everyone will land a six figure position/practice and the more that flood that position their value will decrease. But that is an argument for another day.
I hope this helped. Go to the search box and type in nursing shortage and no nursing shortage and you will have more than enough to read on the subject.

::clapping it out::

That was eloquently written and accurately put; very well done and an interesting read.

Thank you!

guest2117 · Sep 12, 2017

Here is an example. I work for an HCA facility in the Southeast. We are grossly understaffed, and management keeps telling us they are trying to bring more staff on board. I work on a step down floor. What they've done now is downgrade is to a "medsurg telemetry" unit with a 6-7:1 ratio, even though we get cardiac drips (amio, lidocaine, dilt, dobutamine are the 4 main ones I've seen on our unit). I'm fairly certain this is to save on the budget. Many For-profit facilities don't get a crap about patient safety or employee satisfaction. All they care about is the bottom line (MONEY) and will stretch their staff as much as possible in order to make a profit while giving some crap excuse that they just can't seem to get any staff hired.

Now, there are some places (like in Alaska in the small towns and rural areas - Anchorage and it's surrounding areas is well equipped with nurses) that are legit short on staff and rely heavily on travelers.

If you work for a union facility or in California with state mandated patient:nurse ratios, then the **** staffing ratios shouldn't be as much as a problem. I miss my union job in Alaska and the 3:1 ratio on step down.

tthaker · Sep 12, 2017

6/7:1 wow í ½í¸³. That's so dangerous

guest517 · Sep 12, 2017

In my area there is a shortage, in fact in the next 4 years, the shortage will double. There's a rapid growing elderly population and they outweigh younger population so generally, It does make sense for most areas to be experiencing a nurse shortage

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2017

There is no nurse shortage where I live. Wages have remained stagnant over the last 5 years. The usual indicators of shortage, such as hire on bonuses and want ads, just aren't here now. As others have pointed out, it's probably geographical.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 13, 2017

First, it is incumbent on people entering nursing to do their research. You need to research job prospects before entering any career! It is not up to nursing schools to do this.

Second, there doesn't have to be a shortage for one to find a job. There are always nurses who quit, retire, etc.

Third, yes, location does matter. But even then, if you are a good candidate you can find a job. I see posts on here from new nurses in Southern California, supposedly a highly competitive market, who get multiple job offers!

Finally, research where there is a demand for nurses.

217's Best & Worst States for Nurses | WalletHub®

Here is a resource to find RN shortage areas in California. I'm sure other states have similar lists.

Registered Nurse Shortage Areas in California

People, you need to do research! Google is your friend!