Nursing Shortage of Tomorrow Creates Surplus Today
The Predicted Nursing Shortage Has Left Many Licensed Nurses Unemployed Today
According to CNNMoney.com there is going to be a nursing shortage as the baby boomers retire. This has been a prediction that has been around for quite some time now. Displaced workers and high school grads have been encouraged to enter into the nursing profession as there is expected to be a big hole in the nursing field when the major portion of baby boomers enter into retirement. Even with nursing schools already at max capacity, the numbers do not add up to be able to replace the nurses that will be leaving the field. Also the tremendous amount of baby boomers that will need nursing care will be far exceeding the available licensed nurses.
The problem lies not only with the lack of enough space to train people wanting to get into the nursing as a career, but also with the fact that we are now in a recession were the numbers of unemployed has forced many hospitals and doctor offices to cut their staff due to decrease in patients. People are electing to postpone elective surgeries and preventive care because of lack of health insurance or reduction in health care coverage. Many new graduating nurses are finding a difficult time acquiring work in their field due to budget cuts.
Granted that there will be a nursing shortage within the next decade, but until then there may be a big gap before the current graduating nurses will find employment. Adding more nursing schools now may help get enough qualified nurses ready for when they are needed, but what will all these licensed nurses do until they can garner positions? It has also been noted that many health care facilities require anyone applying for nursing positions have at least 2 years of nursing experience. When the supply is lower than demand these restrictions will ease up but until then it does not look promising for new graduating nurses.
source:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/17/news/economy/nursing_shortage/index.htm
Published by Denise Nuttall
Denise Nuttall has been an active freelance writer and online business entrepreneur since 2006. Denise has also been very active in citizen journalism for well over a year and owns her very own hyper-local b... View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentI really like this article a lot because it is straight to the point.
As an new/old grad RN, i've been looking for a job for almost 2 years now without success. Most facilities wanted a new grad fresh from school, not someone who is unemployed for more than a year because of the loss skills. Unlike other jobs, nursing is unique because without any experience, you'll be out of luck with no job offers. I just wished that I switched majors before hand. Maybe becoming an engineer or accountant. At least in those fields, there is no required 1 year of experience. I really feel sorry for us, especially to those with really expensive school loan. I dont think its going to get any better anytime soon. So i'm preparing myself to pursue a higher degree so they can still consider me as a fresh grad from school. In some ways, I am glad that im not currently working right now as an RN with high patient ratios, back breaking long hours, poor working conditions, and management BS. I always t
The article above was only partially accurate. The HUGE market crash last year caused many nurses talking about retirement in the near future to postpone it until the market (and their 401 K's) recovered. More significant is the fact that when 500K-850K people were being laid off every month for the first 6 months of 2009, many of them had spouses who were RNs that were working part time or not working at all. This had the most significant impact on new grad nurses like me since many of those RNs went back to work FT or PT or simply increased their hours to make ends meet. This virtually eliminated any possibilities for new grads to claim any open slots vacated by more experienced RNs.
In my RN program which is excellent (97-100% NCLEX pass rate), only 25% have obtained jobs in hospitals in our area (Southern Calif.) since graduating 6 months ago. One new grad is so discouraged and desperate that he has applied to Target to stock shelves-- Hey, it pays the bills (provided he gets th
I'm a male RN with a BSN. I have been looking for a job in the midwest region. It's been more than 6 months now, and a few hundred applications later. Nobody is interested... my professors seem unaware of this problem, hospitals say "keep checking our website", and even nursing homes never respond to my applications. The only shortage is a shortage of jobs!
I'm in my first semester of nursing school and my professor told me that there is no nursing shortage in NJ. Needless to say the economy is the biggest problem. I graduate at the end of 2011. I hope this recession begins to improve by then!
I'm excited to see that someone has taken notice to the fact that there are no jobs to be had right now for a new graduate. I have been searching for a full time position for 7 months now. I have not recieved a single call back from hospitals or LTC facilities. It's very discouraging.
Their also is going to be a bigger shortage because of hospitals mandatory 12 hour shifts as baby boomer nurses get older and may have to possibly retire sooner because of the toll of the long hours on their bodies. These hospitals do not care about how stress and the physical demands, and long hours takes its toil on a person's body and being 60 years old and working 12 hour shifts is a long time to work. Hospitals do this to conserve money because it takes less nurses to cover 2 shifts rather than 3. I think it is discrimination to make a nurse work mandatory 12 hour shifts or else you do not work at all. Also, they cut out nurses aides so nurses have to do everything including lifting and hauling patients. How can older nurses do all these things? These hospitals know this but they do nothing to change it. I was an RN for 16 years and nothing ever changed except to get worse and to continually put more demands on the nurse.
I would see a new grad come in with a smile on her face
As long as the health care industry continues to manipulate the nursing labor market, with the assistance of the US Federal government, in order to maintain poor working conditions, poor job security, and low wages, nurses should, will, and have leave nursing.
The following is the URL of a Wikipedia article on the nursing shortage which is probative of the aforementioned statement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_shortage