Stop the nursing shortage insanity

[PACNWNURSING]

We all have been hearing about the so called dreaded nursing shortage for the past 20 plus years. We are currently at a point where new graduates including myself cannot find employment. Yet with the economy and job losses, people are still being directed to go pursue careers in nursing. This is going to make an already clogged nursing education system even worse. The pool for unemployed nurse graduates is growing every month. If this trend continues I do not see a quick turn around with regard future employment.

Prior to this most recent recession many RN's worked only part time, but now that their spouses have lost their jobs they have had to seek out full time employment. We are not only competing with other new grads but with other experienced nurses.

Can we finally possibly stop this generalization of a "NURSING SHORTAGE" Lets point people to careers in other areas of medical care and stop the insanity.

[aura_of_laura]

Agreed - every time anything is printed about nursing shortages, there should be a very large asterisk attached.

* in impoverished areas and in nursing homes, and advanced practice roles requiring a minimum of a masters degree

[treysdaddy08]

Well, also realize that when the economy finishes it's turnaround, all the nurses that were retired will most likely re-enter retirement, plus all the nurses that were headed that way anyways. On top of which we have all the baby boomers hitting retirement as well. So all of these positions will be at a sudden loss, with a sudden influx of tens of thousands of geriatric patients. The good part being new nurses should have a lot more opportunity for work, the bad part being there will be a lot less experience to help guide the new nurse through the difficult times.

[MaxAttack, BSN, RN]

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/where-us-abroad-452995.html

if you're having trouble

[OC_An Khe]

Discussion about the nursing shortage is not insanity. yes there is difficulty in the extreme for finding nursing positions but that is a function of the economy and not an overabundance of RNs. Demand for RN care is artificially lowered because of economic consideration where many elective procedures are delayed, uninsured ranks are growing and people continuing to work ill and put off seeking medical services.

I have seen/expirenced many periods where new grads and seasoned nurses had difficult/impossible times obtaining employment over the last 40 years in this field. It will pass in time and then the pent up demand for nursing services will make job search easier.

Also the nature of nursing is changing. At one time over 80% of all nursing positons were in the hospital setting at the bedside. Today that per centage is less then 60% and continuing to drop.

[ItsTheDude]

it's all about biz (profit or nonprofit, they both want the $$$), nursing schools aren't going to freely cut back if they can keep students coming thru the doors (so they'll roll with the shortage propaganda) and health care providers love the massive pool of nurses that are building up (so they'll roll with the shortage propaganda).

bottom line, when the economy does pick up, nursing will pick up again and will be as it is now, one of the better jobs to have (says a lot about the lack of good jobs). however, the good old days of nursing are gone (have been for years) as health care continues it move more and more towards traditional biz models, patients are a commodity, not a person and nurses need to do more with less.

[Perpetual Student]

yes there is difficulty in the extreme for finding nursing positions but that is a function of the economy and not an overabundance of RNs.

According to the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission there has been a state-wide approximately 74% increase in new RN grads in a recent 3 year period. There IS an overabundance of new grads, if not experienced nurses. The current bad conditions aren't exclusively due to economic considerations. Things will likely improve, but until and unless the baby boomers retire in large numbers there will not be a nursing shortage.

[itsmejuli]

There is a shortage of experienced RNs in my area, there are lots and lots of jobs for nurses with that one year experience under their belt.

Now...to get that one year...that's another story.

[pennyaline]

Agreed - every time anything is printed about nursing shortages, there should be a very large asterisk attached.

* in impoverished areas and in nursing homes, and advanced practice roles requiring a minimum of a masters degree

There is no nursing shortage in nursing homes. They have cut back staff numbers just like everyone else.

[twinklex5, BSN, RN]

Oh get over yourselves! Just because it is hard to find a job you think people shouldn't go to school. If you're having trouble getting a job get your ACLS, do some internships and make it work. It is just ridiculous to hear complaining that more people are getting trained to do a job. The fact is the more educated people we have in the country the better, and the more nurses there are out there the higher the standards will be. Personally I prefer high standards when it comes to health care. I suppose you feel dooped because you were told you would have a job lined up even before you graduate, well the economy sucks. This is not a nursing thing, its a nationwide thing. IMHO there can never be too many nurses.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

There could be too many nurses.....which would drive down the wages....the standards of care (because then nurses have to work for less and put up with worse conditions or continue to not work at all) etc. When there is an overabundance of a profession, it does make for fierce competition, so yes, the better candidates would get the jobs, but they may not be able to influence like they would, since they could be easily replaced.

The other nurses point was that there tends to be this encouragement, in the media and among the general public that Nursing is this great-recession proof career, the perfect job is out there waiting for you and you make a lot of money, blah blah blah.

Everyone would like the media and general public to be aware of the actual facts which include less jobs because of the economy, and that nursing is not this job that should be placed on a pedestal as the perfect recession proof job.

Good luck to all those who don't have a job, and hope you get something soon.

[elprup, BSN, RN]

"Everyone would like the media and general public to be aware of the actual facts which include less jobs because of the economy, and that nursing is not this job that should be placed on a pedestal as the perfect recession proof job"

Thank you Nickilaughs, I believe those of us who feel this way should be sending off our stories in emails, faxes and letters to everybody (legislatures, editors, organizations, Oprah, and esp the Media) explaining what is really going on. I have written many letters and wonder if "everybody" else did a little writing too, then our story would get out.