What The Bleep Happened To The Shortage?

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i live in boston, i graduated from a well known school of science with a bs in health sciences and then got my adn . i am more than qualified to work in a great hospital but i still can't find a job where i want to work so i have to ask...what the bleep happened to the shortage???????? :argue: every time someone says "oh, you won't have a problem getting a job as a nurse, there's such a demand" i just wanna kick them in the stomach but instead i say "oh no my friend, there are more nurses in ma than the states knows what to do with". i feel a little betrayed, schools don't tell you that the shortage is over in ma and go get a bsn because thats what hospitals really want and that's if you can get them to look at your resume :down:. does anyone else feel this way or am i just bitter that there is no shortage! :banghead:

The reason why states like Michigan have shortage is because the pay their nurses ****, and want them to work their butts off at the same time. The same is true for all the Midwest and South.

Sorry, but many facilities in MI actually have excellent pay rates, not sure where in MI that you are talking about.

What do you actually have to back-up what you are stating?

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My backup is someone who works with me now but worked as a RN in MI before. But if you have a different information please share.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I CAN substantiate the fact that pay is lower in the South....I make quite a bit less than my Northern friends....(I use to live up North but moved South for less $$ but nicer weather) cost of living is lower down here, also so it may balance out...........

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Did you actually calculate your living expenses here and there? What do you include in the cost of living? Does it mean that you can buy gas, clothing, food, air tickets, timeshares, cars, electronics, etc. in Texas or Alabama 50% cheaper then, lets say, in California? You don't have to answer, because the obvious answer is "No". And there is no reason why Mass nurse should get paid 50% less then Cali nurse.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
Did you actually calculate your living expenses here and there? What do you include in the cost of living? Does it mean that you can buy gas, clothing, food, air tickets, timeshares, cars, electronics, etc. in Texas or Alabama 50% cheaper then, lets say, in California? You don't have to answer, because the obvious answer is "No". And there is no reason why Mass nurse should get paid 50% less then Cali nurse.

I sold a 1600 sq. ft. wood frame home and was able to purchase a 3,000 sq. ft. gorgeous home on the water down here for about the same $$$$.

And I never said that I earned 50% less, I said the salary was lower in the

South....Do you know the prices of homes in California????? I sure hope their pay is more than here in the South....otherwise no one could buy a home out there !!!! It has been common knowledge for years that southern salaries are lower than their northern counterparts, and property is lower, too....I am talking Southeast, don't know about Texas....and I also did not say that I believed this was fair.....it is just the way it is...

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Actually, I would like to update you on the situation in California. In some areas real estate prices are as much as 70 percent down. Just to ziprealty.com and check it out. With a starting pay rate of $34/hr for new grads in Central Valley, housing here is more than affordable.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

well, of course, all this has just recently changed due to the economic and mortgage situations......

male nurse I work with from Cal. is moving back to his med-surg floor for 50.00 hr. our starting pay for all new employees is 24.00/hr. regardless of experience, etc.

see what I am trying to get across?

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I live in Michigan and there are many jobs opportunities but they're mostly for midnight shift positions. As for the question re. a shortage, what I have noticed is more of an attempt on the part of hospitals to save money by short-staffing.

I agree with your statement 100%, jobs are the midnight shift and yes short staffing saves money...

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Did you actually calculate your living expenses here and there? What do you include in the cost of living? Does it mean that you can buy gas, clothing, food, air tickets, timeshares, cars, electronics, etc. in Texas or Alabama 50% cheaper then, lets say, in California? You don't have to answer, because the obvious answer is "No". And there is no reason why Mass nurse should get paid 50% less then Cali nurse.

but nurses in Calif should be making more or they can't live...

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Specializes in ICU Neuro.
There's no shortage, never has been. People are finally starting to see that. And with the huge flood of nurses from overseas that should be coming in 2009 d/t changes in immigration laws, pertaining mostly to nurses, there is soon to be a huge surplus, imo.

Valerie, forgive me because I agree with you so often, but here you are just wrong. There is a nursing shortage. The last count conducted there were 126,000 unfilled nursing positions in the US. According to recent studies conducted for AACN the projected shortage by 2025 will be 500,00 unfilled nursing positions. You can follow the link bellow for more info.(http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm).

Also, it does not matter if there are 10 million nurses not working now, there is still a shortage because they are not working. The projections take into account "baby boomers" retirement, large segment of population aging into retirement of the next 20 years, the current nurse attrition rate, and the number of new graduates the schools can produce.

Saying there isn't a nursing shortage because you are not personally experiencing one is short-sighted. Ask one of those Alaskan nurses if there is a shortage. Better yet, come to my 1000 bed hospital and pick any unit. You can work 7 days a week if you want to and half the staff there are either resource or agency.

As a profession we need to quit this nay-saying. This will be a problem and it may be huge. Ironically, while most nurses ask for higher wages as a way to reduce the nursing shortage, it is the nursing shortage that will most like force a salary hike through competition for competent staff.

Again, really sorry Valerie I just feel strongly about this topic.:imbar

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I can't believe you think there is NOT a nursing shortage. More and more people keep piling into our country, and then there's the illegals and the country is experiencing an ever increasing population growth.

What does that mean for us. JOB SECURITY my man. Do the math. More people means.... more people need health care. It's that simple.

Do you see doctors having a hard time getting patients? Yes, when they first start out, but once they get all that experience under their belt and a few patients, they are well on their way.

Being a new nurse right out of school is not a CAKE WALK. Grades won't help, but EXPERIENCE does. To train a new nurse cost the facility a lot of money, but if they hire an experienced nurse it cuts cost in half or more. Simple economics.

Sometimes, I think young people have had the good life. No struggle, no hardships and bingo....the job is suppose to land in your lap. I don't think so. That experienced nurse will gain over you every time. You have to pay your dues and suck it up and take whatever you can. Quit wining that there is no nursing shortage. Don't use that as an excuse. Get out there and work your butt off, work your hands numb, and run your a__ __ off till you don't even know your own name. That is what it will take to be a good experienced nurse. You will be one if you are creative, hard working, learn the ropes and do develp a thick skin. But be compassionate, be kind to your fellow worker, because that is why you went into nursing, right?

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Come to Canada. We are desperate. Our nursing shortage is so bad I don't even think we care what kind of education you have. I feel like we take everyone who still has a heartbeat. We are looking for about 1000 staff at the hospital that I work at. We offer lots of orientation and on job education. Each unit has a clinical nurse educator to help staff both new and old learn and gain comfort and confidence. The job is unionized with one of the Countries strongest unions. Pay ranges from $24-$42/hour. We look for all shifts and are offering both parttime and fulltime. This is an acute care hospital that does L&D, ICU, CCU, NICU, Neuro trauma, neurosurgery, and many subspecialties. Edmonton is a great place to live the housing market is in a slight decline right now so houses are a little cheaper right now then they were last year. The oil industry keeps us very stable. Anyone who wants to hear more can let me know.

What a change I am a victim of the canadian health system. Since the hospital are moslty all government run whenever they need money they closed units and hospitals the result last in first out due to seniority not experience. Not to mention the fact that once unemployed, no other hospital can hire you until they rehire their own first. And finally in order to continue to get unemployment insurance, you have to apply to every possible nursing job in your hospital and endure a 1.5 hour question and answer interview with 3 other peopel, only to have the job taken by someone more senior then you. I was in that situation 3 times and would not wish it on anyone that is why many nurses left to go to the states and will not return to Canada because of the treatment they recieved from the wonderful Canadian Government and the great union they paid into.

As for Youville I recieve at least one of the Youville Victims in my ED every day they are train wrecks and everyday they are septic in the cold stage. Not sure about their care, but if they are any indication I would stay away not to mention that when we call for report noone speaks english.These are not the chronic patients. When you are starting out you should not care what the pay is, In my experience, most MA new Grads wants to work in Boston for the higher pay and many new grads want to work on days in specialty areas instead of the evening shiftsand night shifts on the Med Surg floors

You pay your dues take the crap and once you get experience you can get a better job.

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