RN shortage

DoGoodThenGo · Apr 15, 2017

There are many nursing programs that aren't from private universities, at which tuition is $20,000 or less per year. I would say that if someone is graduating from nursing school with $200k in student loans, they're doing something wrong.

Well yes, and no.

Here in New York City and State the cheapest options for a RN degree (ADN or BSN) would be the City University (CUNY) or State University (SUNY) systems. Both have vastly far more applicants for each incoming class that can be accepted. So what does one do?

In New York City there are only two undergraduate CUNY BSN programs; Hunter-Bellevue and Lehman College. The latter has some funky admission requirements leaving Hunter as the only real option for many. Good luck trying to get into that program! *LOL*

IIRC only around 100 to around 140 students are admitted each semester for Hunter's BSN program, and that is split between generic undergraduates, RN Pathway (RN to BSN),*and* second degree/ABSN students.

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing Program — Hunter College

Long story short unless you have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or close to it and or ace the NLN your chances of getting into either of Hunter's BSN program are nil. Even those who have the requirements have often not made it in their first, second or even third application. So what does one do then?

I shall tell you, many can and have gone onto a private school like NYU, Pace, LIU, and so forth; were admitted to nursing program, completed, graduated and were licensed instead of sitting around cooling their jets at Hunter. Yes, NYU et al are more expensive and thus many ended up with debt, but you have to weigh all the options carefully.

NYU takes huge classes for their nursing program (undergraduate and second degree), something like 300 students. Yet they manage to have a very high NCLEX passing rate, IIRC higher than Hunter Bellevue's.

In this day and age where nursing programs are putting caps on how far back one can have taken science and some other pre-requisites, who has one, two or more years to sit around waiting for Hunter-Bellevue (or any other public university) to deem them worthy for acceptance? This does not even address the fact people need to complete a nursing program, graduate, pass the boards/get licensed and start working.

Years ago when NYC hospitals would hire ADN graduates, the above didn't matter so much, but those days are largely over. Most all NYC hospitals want the BSN at least for new grads, when you consider a handful of healthcare systems (Mount Sinai, NYU, NYP, Northwell (formerly North Shore-LIJ), virtually dominate the New York City healthcare market, it doesn't really matter where you go, the requirements are same.

DoGoodThenGo · Apr 15, 2017

It really comes down to local conditions on the ground regarding any so called "shortage of nurses.

Just read the other day New York has a surplus of newly licensed nurses and that trend is expected to continue for the near future.

OTOH also read that Georgia in particular the Atlanta area is having a really bad time finding and retaining professional nurses. Ditto for some other states such as Florida.

IMHO much of this breaks down along the lines things always have; areas viewed as highly desirable to live, with strong economies and offer decent working conditions/wages normally do not have shortages in many if any areas of employment. New York City like much of California fits this bill.

What often gets lost in the debate over a "shortage of nurses" is that when facilities say this they are speaking today of particular specialties and or areas of practice. For various reasons it seems more and more young nurses want nothing to do with the bedside. Everyone wants to get their NP or move onto something else that gets them away from that area of practice.

Would have to research it further but one *thinks* the reason you are seeing many places bring in foreign nurses (again) is that they can truly say there is a "shortage" in that newly licensed nurses are hired, barely remain after their orientation/residency and are gone once they have the magical *two years* experience. Then they are either off back where they came from (but couldn't find a job as a new grad with no experience), or enter NP school.