This makes me SOOOOOOO mad!!!!!!!!

[cajjj]

I have been trying to get readmitted into a nursing school right now, and I have found it is so much harder to get into nursing school then it used to be (I was as nursing major right out of high school but changed majors). I am still trying to get in. People are turned away left and right from being able to enter into a nursing program across the US. I was talking to my father in the last week and he said he'd read in the newspaper or seen on the news where the government is going to start bringing in nurses from other countries (with lower pay expectations I am sure) to help with the nursing shortage. IF THERE IS SUCH A NURSING SHORTAGE, WHY WON'T THEY MAKE IT EASIER TO GET INTO NURSING SCHOOLS???!!!!!!!! I am frustrated and really angry about that. Do you know what's going to happen to nurses pay when that happens? I am a medical transcriptionist and of course as most of you know now days because of the Internet a lot of work gets sent overseas to India, Pakistan, etc, where they are paid peanuts, and thus effecting American MT pay in a negative sense by lowering our wages. Something needs to change. They need to open more nursing schools, focus on nursing education funding, etc. I don't see this as a good thing and I am sure will effect American nurses pay if that becomes the answer to the nursing shortage.

[Athenas83]

Cajjj, I am a medical transcriptionist too! They have been sending our work overseas and they can pay us less. It's so sickening, and is why I have been pursuing nursing. In medical transcription I work for a company that is actually 100% US based, and they even advertise that to the hospitals. It is such a sad state of affairs in this world that our medical records are being sent overseas. It is such sensitive information. My god, it's so infuriating.

I hear a lot of computer jobs are being sent overseas also, like IT and computer programming. So sad for them because they've earned DEGREES.

I'm not too worried about foreign nurses driving wages down. There is such a crucial need for nurses and will be even waaay more so in the future that hmm I'm trying not to get worried. I used to want to go to school for computer science, but some of those jobs are going overseas. I think I made the right choice as far as job security and something that will be needed more than anything as I get older. Nothing is for sure in this world though.

It's insane the amount of applicants at nursing schools these days. Try looking into accelerated BSN programs. I got into one here in SC, and they require a cumulative 3.0 in prereqs, 1000 on the GRE. If you keep trying you'll find something! PM me if you ever want to talk about transcription or anything!!

[SharonH, RN]

There has been a concern over the projected nursing shortage and the baby boomers becoming elderly-- the government is proposing as an answer to that shortage to bring in overseas nurses, which would be a lot more than ever before. Yes, I am sure there have always been nurses coming in from overseas, but not in the large numbers that the report insinuated.

Yes I know. Because once again, this threatened huge number of overseas nurses has been in the pipeline for years. And yet every few months, someone sounds the alarm bell about how "foreign" nurses in large numbers are coming over here to put us out of our jobs.

I am not turning my anger at immigrant nurses, hey, I know the possibilities of what could happen if that situation does occur, with my being a medical transcriptionist. I am saying I know there are hundreds of able QUALIFIED (I didn't say warm bodies) applicants trying to get in that are turned away for lack of space. When it's upon us and it's on your doorstep and your losing your job to someone who's willing to be paid half if not a quarter of your current pay, etc ,etc, it'll be more relevant.

I really don't think you can accurately compare the two situations. For one, when you send the work overseas, the workers can accept the work for less pay because the cost of living in their countries is lower than here in the USA. Once a nurse immigrates here, he or she usually adopts the standard of living of this country and thus will require a salary which can help achieve or maintain that standard.

Over the years, I have probably worked with hundreds of immigrant nurses from the Phillipines, Korea, Thailand, Ireland, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and the Caribbean. I have yet to meet a single one of them who was eager to accept a lower wage and thus drive pay down for the rest of us. If anything, most of them are passionate about preserving or improving work conditions and pay level.

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hey, I used to be a medical transcriptionist too. I also got out of it because I couldn't make enough money to live on anymore. And yeah, then can pay people in India half of what they pay US workers and still they are richer than anyone in their families.

But I digress. Here is another reason why there are not enough spots in nursing school.

Imagine you are in charge of a college. You have, oh, 20 or so departments. Each department has been promised so many spots for students. Let's say the nursing department says "we would like to add another hundred spots to our department." Next thing you know all the other departments want to add spots in their departments too. Then you have to figure out the budget, staffing, space, additional parking, etc., etc., etc. So that leaves you with telling the nursing department they can't have that many spots, but maybe 10 or 20. So it's not just that they can't find enough instructors, they just don't have the resources to open up more spots.

So it's a very complex issue. Hospitals and sick people don't get to make decisions about how many openings a college will have.

Keep trying though. It took me four years to get in. I keep running in to some of my old classmates who gave up and went on to different things, only to wind up not being happy and starting the process over again. People kept telling me I was wasting my time, but I persisted and it paid off. For as much as I hated waiting that long, every day I go to a job I can't stand (working as a dialysis technician) it reminds me of why I worked so long and hard to get in.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

Waiting can be hard but it will pay off in the end when you are finally in the program. :)

[FlashGrad]

I understand how frustrated you are. I had to wait about 11/2yrs to get into nursing school, and would of waited another year if I didn't transfer to to a regional campus (same university though). The regional campus I am at has only a few nursing instructors/clinical instructors which is problematic if unforseen things arise --which you know they do. Good luck and stay focused if nursing is really what you want to do!

[Jo Dirt]

The bringing in of foreign nurses - they are pawns to their government. Nurses here, like most Americans, I guess, are victims of intentional globalization. Someone very powerful and very wealthy, someone who controls the country and the world pretty much wants it that way. It's all about the bucks, as you stated. :wakeneo:

But for you personally, either you must persist or you must find some other line of work. I wish you the very best.

The government and its prostitutes could care less about the lower class of working people--we are uneccesary eaters and breeders and there are plenty of us for them to use as they wish and discard when no longer needed.

There is nothing we can do, really. They will keep doing what they want and as they see fit and the world will keep going on to suit their agenda. In spite of our rage we are still only rats in a cage.

[Morphine]

I'm not too worried about the influx of "nurses from overseas". Many of them are not qualified, or able to work in the U.S. In Arizona, a fairly large number of Phillipino nurses attempted to come over to work. The Az State Board of Nursing only allowed these RN's to work only as LPN's until they can pass the NCLECX-RN. The majority of them have taken, and failed the NCLEX multiple times. Many have thus retured to the P.I.In regards to the nursing shortage and schools turning away students....well, all I can say is that the real problem does appear to be clinical space, and willing instructors. The Governemtnt would indeed be better off spending money to suppliment instructors and hosptials. However, I don't know how things are in other states, but out of 400+ people who attemted to get into my class, we accepted only 43 (small school). The majority of the prospective students failed the entrance exam anyway. We graduated only 17 and three of those 17 were pick ups who had dropped out before at some stage. I seriously doubt the nursing field will be over loaded from new or overseas nurses anythime in my lifetime.My advise to you cajjj is to try a private school. They are alot quicker, and more costly, but are worth it.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

my RN school had 400 applicants and took 86

[kasia2]

My school had 1000 apllicants took 60, I was lucky cause they give the priority to the candidates who live in district. Howver to make sure I stand decent chance like it or not I had to take Psychology over to improve my pre-requiste gpa, going from 3.0 to 3.6 ( an advice from a secretary from nursing schools, such simple question maybe saved my butt ).

[ChristyMNOP]

I agree to go with a private college. My tuition is about 3000 a semester but they have programs in place to help you, including tuition deferral based on employment contracts (I know, I know, but hey, some of us have to do it anyway). It is not that difficult to get into my program, and maybe this is why. I don't know, I'm always surprised on this forum, it was incredibly easy to get into my school compared to some people on here (granted, 4 years ago).

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Yes I know. Because once again, this threatened huge number of overseas nurses has been in the pipeline for years. And yet every few months, someone sounds the alarm bell about how "foreign" nurses in large numbers are coming over here to put us out of our jobs.

I really don't think you can accurately compare the two situations. For one, when you send the work overseas, the workers can accept the work for less pay because the cost of living in their countries is lower than here in the USA. Once a nurse immigrates here, he or she usually adopts the standard of living of this country and thus will require a salary which can help achieve or maintain that standard.

Over the years, I have probably worked with hundreds of immigrant nurses from the Phillipines, Korea, Thailand, Ireland, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and the Caribbean. I have yet to meet a single one of them who was eager to accept a lower wage and thus drive pay down for the rest of us. If anything, most of them are passionate about preserving or improving work conditions and pay level.

I don't mind if the immigrant nurses come here and work for what an American nurse makes. But we have some "international nurses" at my work place, and they pay them through the nose. 1) Housing is paid for 2) the IN in my dept doesn't drive, so she gets a cab voucher EVERY night to take her back to her apartment. 3) she has about 2 years experience but gets about 30.00 an hour-more than some of our nurses that have been there close to 10 years. Her friend who came over here with her husband was a new grad and was given 30.00 an hour because that was what her husband was going to be making..Nothing personal against her though-I'm more PO'd at the hospitals that refuse to treat their "native nurses" well and then wonder why more and more of us are going the traveler or agency route. Many hospitals like these nurses because they are grateful for the oppourtunities so they won't back talk or say something when they see stuff going on.

[middleageNP]

I agree about the numbers of applicants --- my school took 500 applications for 125 spots.

Our instructor told us our school received 800 applicants for the 100 that was admitted. 20 accelerated and 80 traditional students. But I understand they are doubling the number of admittances next semester. I do believe schools are trying to accommodate the nursing shortage and the number of applicants.