The Truth Behind the "Nursing Shortage"

Published

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

The article captures the situation quite well, I think.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.

Interesting.........I personally am an RN and looking for work.....I am only doning per diem now as I could no longer handle being being mandated to work a min. number of night shifts--mentally and psysically--so I am working as much as I can when they call me in but I can't find anything FT that won't require any nights......I have been in psych for a while now so I am a bit limited there but am so desparate I am looking outside psych and STILL can't find anything!!

The number of ads for nurses is getting less and less everyday. And my panic gets more and more everyday! Shortage?!?! Hello nurse here...no jobs....they just make due with what they have to save money despite that meaning rediculous nurse/patient ratios! Its all crazy!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is the reason Philippine Nurses do well in USA.

As described in this article about the working condition is normal and standard in PI

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Just have to clarify: Teachers have as bad working conditions as nurses for many of the same reasons. The issues are just different. I have yet to see teachers placed on 'pedestals' as the author suggests....one of my big pet peeves. Both jobs require the employee to be responsible for too many things that are totally out of his/her control. That makes for very disgruntled workers, regardless of the field. Otherwise, pretty much agree with the author.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC,ICU,ANESTHESIA.

I love articles about nurses that only use the word "she". Destroys all credibility. If you do not like being a nurse.. by all means LEAVE.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is the reason Philippine Nurses do well in USA.

As described in this article about the working condition is normal and standard in PI

You have no direct knowledge of working the floors in either country from what you have posted across this forum.

I work with nurses from the Phillipines who hold BScNs and are working as LPNs here. They struggle each and every shift. Their scope of practice is very different in Canada than it was at home and I suggest that it may be the same in the US.

From those of us who work in the hospital on a daily basis, we know what we are talking about. We know the disrespect shown to us by patients and their families, we experience the lack of supplies, late medications from pharmacies, the sick calls not having a replacement nurse to fill the line.

Only when you or your wife survive a shift on any active treatment floor or LTC unit can your opinion be valid.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

work conditions in a lot of countries could be seen as bad in the eyes of those that work there. i worked in the uk and was normal to have 2 rn for 28 patients on the ward i worked on in a busy general hospital. each country will have their own rules and regulations on how a nurses can work.

can we please refrain from making this thread a 'x country does better than y country' as each country is different on how to work

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is the reason Philippine Nurses do well in USA.

As described in this article about the working condition is normal and standard in PI

I believe the article is referring to nursing in the US--it doesn't mention anything about the Philippines, so I am not quite sure why you are bringing it up. The US is not a Third World country. US healthcare facilities need nurses who will stand up for decent pay and working conditions, not nurses who will accept lower standards since that is what they are used to! :banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is the reason Philippine Nurses do well in USA.

As described in this article about the working condition is normal and standard in PI

I am not sure we both read the same article.

Do nurses in the Philippines have to complete daily insurance reviews for continual approval? Do the nurses have to complete large referral forms when a patient goes to a nursing home or Hospice ( I was under the impression those services were not available in the Philippines). Are the nurses rated and the ratings posted on a government web site? Do the Philippine nurses have to protect patient privacy and sign papers saying they will abide by those regulations. Do the Phil. Nurses have to assign patient level acuity on a daily basis. Do they have to document on the computer......

If the Philippine nurses learn all this in school that is great but based on my observational experience the Philippine nurses are no better or worse than their American counterparts./

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You have no direct knowledge of working the floors in either country from what you have posted across this forum.

I work with nurses from the Phillipines who hold BScNs and are working as LPNs here. They struggle each and every shift. Their scope of practice is very different in Canada than it was at home and I suggest that it may be the same in the US.

From those of us who work in the hospital on a daily basis, we know what we are talking about. We know the disrespect shown to us by patients and their families, we experience the lack of supplies, late medications from pharmacies, the sick calls not having a replacement nurse to fill the line.

Only when you or your wife survive a shift on any active treatment floor or LTC unit can your opinion be valid.

Fiona I think you set the bar low the so called nursing shortage is when experienced nurses leave nursing, When Ms. Redranger has worked 5 years and is the senior person on the floor will Mr Redranger be able to cite her opinion.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Orthopaedics / Medical Oncology.

I'm sorry guys, you seem to be under the impression that redranger is stating the PH nurses are better, no, that's not it. All he's saying is that the situations here in PH is also bad and this stems when the management and the general public just doesn't care about their nurses. I think he's just sharing his sentiments about the topic.

It's true, we don't have nursing homes and we don't have much of the insurance documents to worry about, we do have poor working conditions and you'd be depressed to see them (I am and I wouldn't want to be admitted in a government hospital). Unlike in the US setting, we don't delegate tasks since we don't have LPNs here and we have very few nursing aides. We don't document on computers, yes, we document manually, how horrid and sometimes hand writing is difficult to discern and not to mention that doctors (who act like they should be worshipped) do their rounds quite often and reprimand nurses in front of clients and families. In general hospitals, sometimes the ratio can go as bad as 2:60 (I'm not kidding) and the media, hungry to expose medical professionals who would make a mistake is always on the prowl interviewing patients and their families about their "terrible" stay in the hospital.

US healthcare facilities need nurses who will stand up for decent pay and working conditions, not nurses who will accept lower standards since that is what they are used to! - You're absolutely right! I'm sure people who are used to bad working conditions would gladly help you in your cause but not while they're under a temporary status and can be sent home anytime if their employer says so. The agencies here promise a minimum of 25USD/hr and I'm not even sure if thats decent in your standards but thats definitely better than 226USD/month :cry: for a far worse situation.

I agree with the article and it speaks of conditions not just in the US but internationally (I guess nurses in most liberal countries are treated badly). I really admire nurses who can survive these stressful situations. Currently, with a large surplus of nurses locally, I am unemployed but I know a lot of people who are RNs but decided to leave the field due to harsh experiences with the patient and the family, the doctors, senior nurses, and the management. It's really harsh while other industries offer a [much] better pay without demanding so much. We do have an organization fighting for nurses and we support it but it goes on deaf ears with the government.

I sincerely hope that the world will understand and treat us nurses with a little more respect. :wink2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion