Where is the Nursing Shortage?

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The majority of my classmates from nursing school was unable to get hired, even a year later. And I know a great many nurses, both new and experienced, searching hard for nursing jobs right now. Yet people outside the field keep telling me they hear repeatedly about a nursing shortage. I have yet to see one. Anyone know WHERE there is a nursing shortage? Is there such a thing at the moment?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Depends on the area and the specialty. For instance, rural places may have a shortage while urban areas may not, especially where there is a saturation of educational and research centers. As for the specialty, places like home health have a high turnover, rate, creating a shortage of quality nurses giving care to pts that prefer to stay in the home and may otherwise not afford quality nursing care in a long-term care facility. Even nursing education is rumored to have a shortage-which even includes staff development, clinical instructors, etc...there is a demand for nurse educators to provide support for new and experienced nurses when they need clarification on a procedure, assistance with keeping up certs, etc. There are people leaving the profession, burnout, reduce work hours for work-life balance,disability, and retirement...there will be a demand soon, and they will be hiring nurses soon enough-nursing goes through cycles of peaks and valleys concerning hiring.

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The majority of my classmates from nursing school was unable to get hired even a year later. And I know a great many nurses, both new and experienced, searching hard for nursing jobs right now. Yet people outside the field keep telling me they hear repeatedly about a nursing shortage. I have yet to see one. Anyone know WHERE there is a nursing shortage? Is there such a thing at the moment?[/quote']

It's also hard to get a job as a new nurse because a lot of people hire based on experience and don't necessarily want to invest in training. I suggest finding a hospital system that offers a residency program, like Versant, geared specifically for new nurses.

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Thanks for the replies. I've been fortunate enough to be working as a nurse. I was just curious about this "nursing shortage" I hear about but don't see.

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