What is your opinon of the nursing shortage?

SierraN · Feb 26, 2009

I want to thank all those you replied to my question. I am sure that your input will spark some interesting discussions in class!

chicarn, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

this link said it all about chicago area

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/hea/1050474638.html

nursing shortage, yeah right !

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Feb 27, 2009

Here in Boston, there is only a shortage of experienced nurses. New grads can't find work anywhere. That plus the high cost of living have college-educated people leaving in droves. Charlotte and Austin have a lot of ex-Bostonians.

I am in Alberta Canada, and we have a nursing shortage. Due to cutbacks in the 90's we are missing an entire generation of nurses, in the 30's to early 40's age group, since they all moved to the US. I went to school at the age of 31 and there are few nurses my age in this area. The shortage affects me in many ways, #1 being never able to guarantee my hours, getting stuck on double shifts and not being able to take days off when needed due to no one being available to take the shifts.

I read an article about a year ago about the labor shortage in Alberta. Apparently, the oil industry is recruiting Americans because it's easier for them to assimilate into the province. Why isn't the Alberta Provincial government recruiting American new grads? I wouldn't mind working in Canada; I even speak some French (not that I would use it there).

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

I am in Alberta Canada, and we have a nursing shortage. Due to cutbacks in the 90's we are missing an entire generation of nurses, in the 30's to early 40's age group, since they all moved to the US. I went to school at the age of 31 and there are few nurses my age in this area. The shortage affects me in many ways, #1 being never able to guarantee my hours, getting stuck on double shifts and not being able to take days off when needed due to no one being available to take the shifts.
I read an article about a year ago about the labor shortage in Alberta. Apparently, the oil industry is recruiting Americans becuase it's easier for them to assimilate into the province. Why isn't the Alberta Provincial government recruiting American new grads? I wouldn't mind working in Canada; I even speak some French (not that I would use it there).
Hmmm. Sounds interesting. So there are jobs in Canada for nurses huh? I could live on the eastern side and travel to the U.S. for RedSox games. Woo Hoo, here I come Canada.
Eh, maybe not. I hate hockey.

SierraN · Feb 27, 2009

Just wondering why some of my friends are traveling all over the country to fill positions in states like California. Is it cheaper for the hospitals to pay the travel nurses? We do not use travel nurses at my hospital so I have no idea how this type of employment works.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

Although there are jobs in CA, there are not nearly as many as before. And, a lot of them get cancelled before the 13 week contract is up. It happened to me in WA, and it was happening in CA long before it got to WA. Most places are trying really hard to get rid of travelers/agency.

Travelers do have their place in that they take on the positions/shifts that just for some reason never seem to get filled. We are there for 13 weeks to help out best we can, then move on. If your unit has a flux of vacationers, if a couple people retire.........whatever is causing the schedule to be incomplete, travelers can plug the gap. They are not meant to be a long term solution. A lot of hospitals, unable to retain staff for this and that reason, did have to use travelers long term.