Answers from 100 nurses needed: Which state has the most nursing shortage? - page 4

Everyday, Newspaper talk about nursing shortage. But some nurses in the certain areas can't even get a job quickly or under paid. I wonder where is the shortage at? I want get a good summary to help those nurses who are have... Read More

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    I know hospitals in my area are always running ads for nurses, but still turning down nurses that apply for jobs (c'mon, some of those applicants have got to be qualified ... ) Some of them list so many openings for staff nurses that I can't see how they're managing to keep the hospital operating! I think it's a kind of game that the hospitals play, but I've never really figured out what the point is (I'm not particularly administration-savvy).

    I truly don't believe it's a matter of a nursing shortage as much as it is just a maldistribution of nurses. There are plenty of nurses to go around; it's just that too many of them all want to live in the same few places -- those places are saturated, and other, less desirable areas can't get enough people. Also, we're not even talking about the hundreds of thousands of licensed RNs in the country who just aren't working at present ... The "shortage" is a myth.
    CP1983, Jessy_RN, and TheCommuter like this.

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    There's def. not a shortage is southeastern PA, not for new nurses at least. Every time I turn around another school is creating a new accelerated nursing program.
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    Anyone from Utah,NC, NM, Seattle?
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    Any more answers? Thank you.
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    I'm north of the border in Ontario, and the shortage is in a crisis state. Just RNs alone, there are approx 20,000 due to retire this year and only 3,200 new grads pumped out. The average age of a nurse here is almost 50, so the shortage is going to only get worse, with the average age of retirement of nurses here being just above 55. Currently, across Canada, the projected national shortfall of just RNs two years from now is approx 78,000, and by 2015 is projected to have a shortfall of 115,000 RNs. The crisis out in the western provinces is causing recruiters to raid what nurses we do have left in my province, offering huge bonuses to relocate. Sad, since my daughter is entering the BScN program in September.
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    Quote from John123
    Anyone from Utah,NC, NM, Seattle?
    I'm in NC, and, according to the NC Center for Nursing, the state-funded agency that tracks nursing workforce issues in the state, there is officially no nursing shortage in NC, and there hasn't been for several years.
    barefootlady likes this.
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    The degree of shortage or if there is even a shortage would depend on who answers... nursing or the hosptial. Unless there is a state mandated ratio, I would venture to say most nurses would say they work short. Hospitals that have to follow staffing ratios would have to admit to shortages if they are below the mandated numbers. However if no mandated ratios, then the hospitals will want to work with the least amount of overhead (nurses in their eyes) and not staff adequately and feel there is no shortage since to them it means more money in their pockets. The bottom line is money not the true patient care issues.

    The new medicare billing in October will make it very interesting to see if hospitals will begin to care about actual patient care or just sacrifice what is left of nursing. Nurses and adequate staffing will either be held in higher esteem and valued or they will be blammed and then there will indeed be a shortage. There is a storm brewing.

    emtb2rn and tsalagicara like this.
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    I live in Detroit,MI and I got a job as soon as I graduated. There are many hospitals in michigan that are hiring nurses with and without bonuses. The payscale is pretty competitve, but fair in most hospitals here. I don't think I will ever have a problem getting a job here, if I wanted to switch hospitals.
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    Iowa is another state that seems oversaturated with nurses. 8 years ago when I was going for my first nursing job, it was so easy, so many options. However, shortly after I graduated, several more nursing programs opened up which quadrupled the number of nurses graduating each semester. So every three to four months, finding employment becomes more and more difficult. Even in the bigger cities, which I have lived in all of them! So I would really like to know where, other than Arizona, this "nursing shortage" is. I'm having a hard time even finding weekend work!


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