So, what happened to all the nursing jobs?

Nurses General Nursing

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Can anyone tell me. "What happened to all the nursing jobs." For the last few years all you read was that there will be a nursing shortage till, at least 2020. That getting a nursing job was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Articles were saying that even in a recession nursing would be immune because people still need healthcare.

So, what happened. Is it really the economy? Have all the vacancies been filled? What about the huge bonuses nurses were getting to sign with a hospital? Some of my own relatives got these bonuses so I know they were real. Now some of them are seeing their hours and benefits cut. Besides the recession (which is a big thing) are there other factors involved?

The nursing profession is starting to remind me of when they encouraged everyone to become programmers...and then the outsourcing began. You can't really outsource nursing, but it's the same situation. Encourage young people in droves to go into a profession, but then a few short years later the field dries up. It's a shame, really.

Ray

Specializes in Medical surgical.

Just found a source Linkedin.com, there is a posting there for nurses need 25 to work in texas ASAP Peeds paying 49.00/hr, try that, will pay for relocation.

Well, for one thing...the USA seems to have something against hiring it's own native-born citizens who happen to complete their BSN within this great country. Of all the rotations I have completed, in my city, I can honestly tell you that at LEAST 75% of the hospital staff was foreign. :( ....but I know RNs with their BSN and 10-20 years of experience who are having trouble finding a position.

Before you label me as "racist" or anti-anything, please understand that I am a highly educated individual with highly educated and intelligent RN friends, watching most of us struggle to make ends meet. I am seeing people suffer and watching places turn around to hire nurses who didn't even graduate from a school here.

On another note..our colleges and programs are CROWDED beyond belief. Just like there are residency rules, I truly believe that citizens should have first dibs on everything. It's a sad day when our unemployment rates are this high and we are watching jobs being dished out to others.

"if even half of us would demand there be no new h1b visas until the current citizen new grads get jobs we might see some improvement."

though i understand the need back in the day of hiring foreign nurses, the time is has come now to hire within and give opportunity to those who have sacrificed family time and money to follow their calling. please do not misunderstand me, this is not an anti foreign feeling, is just that now our hospitals need to give us a chance.

couldn't have said it better.

Half the nurses at the hospital i work at are foreigners. It is happening especially in rural areas.

More than half are foreigners, where I'm at. This is not hearsay. I wish it was. It's one of the most frustrating feelings to know this.

Specializes in LTC, Acute care.
More than half are foreigners, where I'm at. This is not hearsay. I wish it was. It's one of the most frustrating feelings to know this.

The reason I asked for a fact-based answer is because I went to nursing school in a small town and throughout my rotations and during the times I worked at this hospital and the other one, I can tell you that at least 95%, if not more, of the nurses working there are Americans (born, bred and buttered,lol). This is not disputing the fact that it may be different in some of the towns that many of us reside in, I just wanted to hear from someone living in a different locale from mine who is not just saying things that they heard. Thanks.:nurse:

Definitely understand. What town is this that you live in? I have been everywhere from Maine, NYC, Houston, and California..and more times than not, this seems to be a dilemma. I would love to work somewhere that hired this country's citizens. :(

Specializes in Community Health, Clinical Instructor.

In Detroit, a high percentage of the nursing staff come from Canada. It's nearly impossible to land a job there if you are from the US. Started with the "nursing shortage" in the 80's but continues today.

In Detroit, a high percentage of the nursing staff come from Canada. It's nearly impossible to land a job there if you are from the US. Started with the "nursing shortage" in the 80's but continues today.

I will never understand why our country sabotages its own citizens so much. You would think this economic crisis would be a "kick in the rear" wake up call. I wonder how long this nonsense is going to go on. It's so backward, it's infuriating.

i think hospitals still need nurses but they can't afford them. i'm always hearing about dangerously low nurse to patient ratios. i'm not sure if this is how it's always been. it's crazy all the hype that was created about the huge demand for nurses-it's still out there too! i'm like, "where are you getting these figures? no one is hiring!!!" lol i'm hoping by the time i graduate things are better but it's not looking too good =/

I think it's less about WON'T afford than CAN'T afford. Healthcare is now a moneymaking biz, if you can get by with less nurses you'll pump up the bottom line. Needs to be laws about nurse to patient ratios, cuz the big corporations aren't going to volunteer to hire more nurses themselves.:nurse:

The Big Corporations are NOT going to resolve the Problems of Today's Nurses unless they are pushed to do so. That is a Fact. Nurses must organize and recitfy their problems in a large national unified voice much like the Construction Industry's Tradesmen have done through their Unions. We could learn from them, its not like the Nursing Industry has to reinvent the "Wheel' the Template is already here...What goes in Nursing today hardly occurs elsewhere, material for Ripley's Believe it or not.:cool:

Specializes in ICU.
Older nurses who have been working for decades entered the profession when the pay was much lower. So after sacrificing income for strikes and paying dues all this time why would they retire now when it finally pays well? There is a study being funded right now about what to do about the non-existant shortage. That money should be put towards training new grads. Right now i am applying for a refresher course that is paid for with government money which reserves half the spaces for "foreign born" and preferences them for the other half! Frankly with so many Americans having invested years of their life and precious financial resources I think that all H1B visas should be stopped until there Depression is over (the definition is in the length of time and I believe that has been passed, correct me if I am wrong). The Bush family is setting up a program which is like a medical peace corp so maybe that would be a place where some new grads could be of use. The call for relocation makes no sense since it seems to be everywhere.

I am very interested in this. Do you have additional information? Is this a domestic or international peace corps?

The Big Corporations are NOT going to resolve the Problems of Today's Nurses unless they are pushed to do so. That is a Fact. Nurses must organize and recitfy their problems in a large national unified voice much like the Construction Industry's Tradesmen have done through their Unions. We could learn from them, its not like the Nursing Industry has to reinvent the "Wheel' the Template is already here...What goes in Nursing today hardly occurs elsewhere, material for Ripley's Believe it or not.:cool:

Unfortunately I've seen a lack of motivation with the students I was in school with. Nobody wanted to go to Lobby Day, they would roll their eyes when the professors talked about nursing issues like ratios and mandated overtime, and the type of nurses' union at any particular hospital was the last thing anyone was concerned about (way behind $, training, benefits, days off, shifts, commute, hospital reputation, even uniform colors). Unless nurses organize and demand better, we're not going to get it.

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