What is going on in Toledo????

lyela · Nov 26, 2008

No nursing shortage here in NW Ohio. Sorry to have to tell you but it is looking pretty bleak for employment in the health care industry. I graduated last May and had to get a job 3 hours away. Many of my classmates did the same. Some, who took jobs locally, have been laid off. As the economy worsens, this trend will spread as nursing schools continue to ramp of their production of graduates. The schools (at least the Profs. I have talked to) don't have a clue about the job market. Toledo area schools will graduate over 700 RNs and LPNs next May- just where are they going to work when the UT medical center just announced they will be lay off up to 50 people. Hospital websites that used to lists 100s of full-time nursing jobs have scaled back to mostly "internal" jobs and part-time. Bonuses and other enticements for employment have been cut or eliminated.

I have a very good job, but I worry about the economy getting worse and as people start to move to where the jobs are, the population base of the "Rust Belt" will continue

to shrink as had been the trend over the last 25 years. Without people we have no clients to serve.

Sorry for the assessment, but what is more alarming is to total lack of news about this in academia! :confused:

Good Luck:wink2:

amjowens · Nov 29, 2008

I'm graduating from an LPN program in about a week, and start my RN program in about a month. I'm in Toledo, and thought it would be great to get my LPN since I had a wait for my RN. It made sense to gain experience and earn money while in RN school.

I agree with the previous poster-there are too many schools for the relatively small Toledo/surrounding population. The economy is an additional burden, but more so would be the number of nurses in this region. I'm getting my license in Michigan, as my instructor has said graduates are finding jobs there, but not in NW Ohio. If only economy, wouldn't be the case, as the pverall economic conditions in Michigan are well known.

Today, actually, I was supposed to precept. I precept with an RN at a med-surg unit, and arrived this morning to not find her there. A really informative unit clerk let me know how low the census has been, and that RNs were regularly being called off. She was pretty dramatic in telling me this. Also, during my clinicals, at one hospital a wing of the med-surg unit closed (again I observed quite a reaction by employees), and my group consistently has fewer patients than was normal just because there weren't enough patients to divide 3 or 4 for each of us!

I hear the situation is similar in Columbus. I've heard Dayton/Cleveland-area are okay. It's so regional, the "nursing shortage". I think I'd research the number of nursing schools, the number of hospitals, and the population, then go from there and see if you find a pattern as I am. Good luck.

lyela · Dec 5, 2008

As a postscript to the above information the president of UT stated that the UT Medical Center will be closing a whole unit and the layoffs have increased to 70. Don't say you haven't been warned.

StarsYellowLB · Dec 7, 2008

It's true, University of Toledo Medical Center is closing a full unit--but its geri-psych which the hospital has been losing money from for years, mainly due to the Medicare payments dont come close to meeting the cost of care. The layoffs know no limits--even RN's which arent even being reassigned in the hospital

Although its slightly off topic, but interesting to note, the president of UT just took a HUGE ($450,000?? Bonus) about a month ago..........same as all these other corporate jerks. And dont be fooled--there IS an RN shortage in NW ohio, its just hospitals not wanting to pay for a good ratio of care.

NW Ohio is also saturated with new grad RN's with six major nursing schools (UT, BGSU, Mercy, Owens, Lourdes, & U of M) all within an hour of each other.

Best bet, is to go directly into HR to apply, not rely on online postings. Good luck to you!

amjowens · Dec 7, 2008

It's true, University of Toledo Medical Center is closing a full unit--but its geri-psych which the hospital has been losing money from for years, mainly due to the Medicare payments dont come close to meeting the cost of care. The layoffs know no limits--even RN's which arent even being reassigned in the hospital
Although its slightly off topic, but interesting to note, the president of UT just took a HUGE ($450,000?? Bonus) about a month ago..........same as all these other corporate jerks. And dont be fooled--there IS an RN shortage in NW ohio, its just hospitals not wanting to pay for a good ratio of care.
NW Ohio is also saturated with new grad RN's with six major nursing schools (UT, BGSU, Mercy, Owens, Lourdes, & U of M) all within an hour of each other.
Best bet, is to go directly into HR to apply, not rely on online postings. Good luck to you!

You sound to understand the number of new grads for the population of Toledo, but you said there is a nursing shortage in Toledo. Between clinicals and precepting (twice now preceptor told not to come in due to low census), I'm seeing that hospitals aren't hiring. As I'm thinking of getting my license in MI due to the number of nurses competing for (what I see as) few jobs in Toledo, I'd really like to hear more of your take on the nursing shortage in NW Ohio. Do you mean that hospitals need nurses, but just won't hire to save money? I'd really like to work here, as I plan to continue school here and hopefully live here.

Nenja · Dec 16, 2008

I'm a UT student and did clinicals at UTMC this semester...my last week was pretty high-stress for many as they were told of lay-offs. I also read of the president's bonus and felt that was a bit ridiculous considering the circumstances, but what do I know?

As for the reference to Columbus following suit, recently I was sent a news release about Nationwide Children's adding 2400 permanent jobs over the next 15 years. I can't find the direct link at the moment....