Kimberly
New Member
Posts:2
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| 10/05/2009 11:39 AM |
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Totally Agree! My Hospital has suspended all new grad programs, begun hiring only from within. I was hired one year ago with a $5,000.00 sighn on bonus, the person whom referred me was never given their finders fee even though I named them directly in the application. This hospital had a $16 mill profit last year while our local San Jose Community and other Hospitals Closed their doors or were Nearly Closed (thanks to california voters still have a few.)
We have a shortage of positions, not nurses. We do need more nurses and more positions for them in all fields!
less students in search of Nursing Careers.
Budgetary concerns have caused a domino effect:
Employers cut back spending = less positions=Less students enroll in Nursing Programs= decrease in University and College Budgets for Nursing Programs because student enrolment accounts for the grant and federal fuding available to the colleges and universities= less accredited programs available with increased $$$$ prices= less nursing students (our most valuable asset in the body of nursing as a profession) = Staff RN increased patient ratios & staff burn out, (remember we are still absorbing the patients from the closed hospitals.)=Poor Patient Care, increased medical mistakes, more punitive action against overworked RN's. "Plus, who will take over when I leave?"
Dont Give Up, there are new emerging fields of medicine. The largest is wound care, jobs for RN's range from{Hyper Barrack, "forgive my spelling," O2 dive chamber RN techichian} to in and outpatient wound care. It involves tissue grafting (assisting, with ), and assistance with bedside surgery, wound grading, treatment and it is not at all boring! there is a little something for every interest. Critical care, med-surg, and clinical based treatment are all a part of Wound Care.
Every hospital in the country is scrambling to adopt a wound care program or department of some sort to offer because it is $$$$. Ride the wave and hang in there. Nursing shortages come and go, impacted programs come and go, dont believe anything, think outside the box like your scientific mind is programmed to do, and make your own decision. The economy and job types, availabilities and nurse practice law (what we are allowed to do) expand and contract year to year. The economy may be suffering but rich facilities are making profits and we are on the edge of a major change in the way health delivery and insurance companies must deliver service. Preventative care will be a focus of all insurance plans in the comming years, and this will facilitate need for RNs. Chin up & Best of luck to all
Kim Camisa, RN, BSN, PHN
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Debbo
New Member
Posts:1
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| 10/05/2009 12:52 PM |
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| I believe it is a myth.. I have put out applications in 3 states and have excellent references. All 3 have said we want to hire you but we are experiencing a hiring freeze. I have many friends who are over worked and screaming for help but their agencies will not hire to give them a much deserved break. I think the hospitals will regret this freeze to save money when pts. or their families sue due to lack of or insufficient care. |
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Susan
New Member
Posts:1
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| 10/05/2009 2:10 PM |
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Having same problem in Colorado Springs; moved here from Arkansas in June and still don't have a job - after 12 years in Oncology! Signed with a temporary (unfortunately not Nursefinders - yet) and in 4 weeks have worked one shift as an LPN, with LPN pay (but did RN work???); Almost ready to move back to Arkansas but have now invested $200,000 in home here and nothing is selling. It's getting very depressing! |
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Linda
New Member
Posts:4
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| 10/06/2009 7:42 AM |
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Must be! I'm a psych nurse amd as you know we are the rarest of the breed. Moved to Oklahoma and have put out dozens of apps in both OK and TX with no response.
lINDA (lORRIE) |
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Linda
New Member
Posts:4
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| 10/06/2009 8:21 AM |
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iT IS NOT A MYTH. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING MY BACHLORS IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT, WHICH WILL ALOW ME TO MARRY MY MEDICAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE SOCIAL SERVICES SIDE OF PT CARE. THIS I BELIEVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRACTICE HOLISTIC MEDICINE WHICH IN MY FIELD OF PSYCH IS SOOOOOO IMPORTANT. AFTER GRADUATION I WILL BE DOING CASE WORK AND MANAGEMENT. BY THE WAY, IDIDN'T GRADUATE FROM NURSING SCHOOL UNTIL I WAS 50 Y/O SO IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND HAVE A PASSION FOR.
LINDA (LORRIE) |
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fotogrllt
New Member
Posts:4
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| 10/27/2009 10:21 AM |
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| I do not think there is a nursing shortage and I don't think it is going to improve any time in the near future. Reason being is, as an example, here in Michigan, there is a Michigan works program that is paying for layed off auto & related industry workers to receive educational retraining. So now at community colleges & a few select private schools, (as I understand it does not cover the university programs-too expensive) there is an explosion of people vying for the nursing & other medical programs. This is great, except one of the common themes I hear is, "Nursing is a good paying secure job with benefits". Of course, when a person came straight out of high school, spent 10-20 plus years on an auto assembly line, earning a good living without spending two years studying hard, having to use critical thinking skills, & not being under pressure when taking care of patients, that would be the understandable mindset. However, the reality is when those people actually get into a program will they stay or go find another carreer? Maybe they should, because nursing is more than just good pay, security & benefits. |
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universalRN
Experienced Member
Posts:100
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| 12/07/2009 2:07 PM |
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We are starting to do more hiring at our place. I have heard rumors that 2010 the facility is changing their focus with the pending shortage coming back into place. With all of the new nurses being turned away, they may not be there in the future.
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DaymonF
Active Member
Posts:59
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| 12/07/2009 2:15 PM |
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| No...it's definitely not a myth. Search on "nursing shortage" on Google and you'll be shocked at just how bad it is and (even worse) just how bad it's going to get in the short term and long term. |
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Christina
New Member
Posts:1
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| 01/12/2010 5:05 PM |
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| Sometimes I think it is a myth. I started looking for a position in Montana area for the last 6 months, I wanted a permanent position in the Great Falls area where I have family. There is only one hospital system in that area. There were listed jobs, I applied for them and got no response. Went through a travel agency and finally got a position 3 hrs south of the area with a lot of problems. One of the problems was that my former employers could not give me a reference or a charge nurse could not give the reference either at several of the jobs I had previously. I wanted to scream.
I dont know why that is when I tell them that I am looking for another position. |
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DaymonF
Active Member
Posts:59
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| 01/12/2010 6:10 PM |
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| It's not a myth from the information that I see every day. The issue is that the biggest need for facilities currently is for experienced/specialized nurses versus newer/inexperienced nurses. |
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applynclex
Junior Member
Posts:22
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| 01/12/2010 9:33 PM |
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The reason so many believe that the nursing shortage is a myth is that in larger cities and in major corporate hospitals the hiring is on freeze or slowdown and this is what they are seeing and experiencing.
The fact is that NATIONWIDE there is a massive nursing shortage. Most of the positions come from rural and small city hospitals and clinics; since this is not where a majority of people live, this is not what a majority of bloggers are seeing and talking about. |
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nurse25
New Member
Posts:1
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| 02/27/2010 10:49 PM |
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| I believe that nursing shortage is a reality but with the economy and what is going on in the world, institutions prefer to be short on hiring new nurses. Plus even when they are short in staffing, nurses tend to do the job all the time, and I feel sometimes they are taken advantage off. |
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Advisor
Experienced Member
Posts:143
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| 03/02/2010 10:11 AM |
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Tips on getting references:
My suggestion is to ask for references along the way during your employment rather than at the end of it. When are recognized for something that happens on the floor, most of us are too modest to make a "big deal" out of it. I always think, this is the time to ask for a nice reference --written preferably.
Another tip as you are now traveling-- always stay in contact with at least a couple of nurses you have worked with during an assignment. These are the nurses that you can network with along your professional career as a traveler. Also, ask your agency who is considered a reference? A charge nurse may be considered a reference-- as these are the nurses who have worked directly with you. Some nurses (because they work the night shift) may never see the NM who may only work days.
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ejacksonrn
New Member
Posts:1
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| 03/26/2010 10:54 AM |
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| As a travel nurse I have worked at several hospitals. I have seen several places that are in extreme need of nursing staff. I work in two different states currently and the issues are same on both sides of the river. When I work as a travel nurse, there are months on end where I have many many hours due to low staff. On the other hand there are many months where I have no hours because the staffing is okay. I would say that the shortage comes and goes and that is why they say it is a myth. I can say that when I do not get hours because of adequate staffing, it is short lived. When people begin to be stressed or overwhelmed with their work, they will leave...thus increasing the hours of a travel nurse. |
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Tom
New Member
Posts:2
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| 03/26/2010 9:49 PM |
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| I donot believe it is a myth although we have a large amount of nurses looking in the DFW area and not many postings. |
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rcranern
New Member
Posts:2
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| 03/27/2010 11:21 AM |
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| Excellent point! The specialization of the future will be....geriatrics. That has to be the case with the number of baby boomers who are beginning to age. (I say "beginnning" because I am one of those!). Anyway, preventative medicine, complimentary therapy, home health, hospice, and geriatric nursing will continue to grow for all the obvious reasons. Look at your options as an RN. We can work in any setting, including nursing education, sales, insurance company case management, etc. I am 58 years old and I have changed specialities 9 different times, not because I had to but because I wanted to. I can honestly say I have now found my passion and yet, here I grow again, I'm working on my master's in nursing education. Sure I'll be old when I graduate. So what, I have a vast amount of experience to add to the job that will prove invaluable to whoever is lucky enough to hire me and others like me. Those newer/inexperienced nurses have to get their experience somewhere and the hospital is the best place for them to start. Everyone should experience hospital nursing to round out their education and get a feel for the reality that is nursing. Someone above mentioned that nursing students are entering the field for the wrong reasons. Believe me, I've seen that kind come and go. They won't last. Nursing is a calling, not a career...something we all should remember from time to time. |
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Bonny
New Member
Posts:2
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| 04/15/2010 6:10 AM |
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| I have to agree that nursing is a calling not a career. I offer nursing externships for nursing students who are in their senior year or for new graduates. The focus learning experience is diabetes. I know almost immediately who is going to do well and who is not in nursing for the right reason. |
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Barbara
New Member
Posts:1
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| 04/20/2010 11:18 AM |
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| Yes and no. Here in Denver (and probably nationwide) there are shortages in Med/Surg and in nursing homes. I was a staff nurse in a large specialty clinic (more of a physician extender) when, in August 2008, all of the nurses were laid off and replaced by Medical Assistants (with 9 months training). I've lost count of the number of interviews I've been on and, unless I want to finish my MSN, the outlook is bleak. |
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Susan
New Member
Posts:1
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| 04/22/2010 5:25 PM |
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| I believe the nursing shortage is a myth at this time. Because of the economy, where it is today(not doing well), facilities are not posting their vacancies and are not hiring.I live in western N.C. I have completed 16 applications for hospitals throughout the state. I have 23 years nursing experience(med/surg,orthopedics,psych,rehab and corrections). I only had 3 interviews. I called one hospital and spoke with a unit manager who had a vacancy advertised. She was accepting applications but was not going to fill the position until September. I do not know what the nurses that are graduating this year,are going to do. Because of decreased vacancy positings, there is increased competition for that position. A nurse really has to sell her/himself to stand out in a group applicants. Hospitals are stretching their staff to prevent posting the vacancies. Making do with what they have, nurse managers are able to save money for the hospital.If there is a nursing shortage, I do not see evidence of it in N.C. I wish all the new nurses luck in finding a job. |
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RogueRN
New Member
Posts:6
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| 04/22/2010 8:49 PM |
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| There is definitely a shortage of surgical RNs. It seems like there is a high demand for OR nurses, specifically in 1) open heart/CV, 2) orthopedics, and 3) neurosurgery. OR nursing isn't for everyone, but if you are willing to give it a shot there is plenty of job security! Surgery is a big money maker for hospitals, so they can afford to hire people in that department. Once you get your experience, you can go anywhere! |
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