1 year, 6 months ago
Is the nurse shortage crisis real or a hoax?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$2 Answers
Sadly... it is not a hoax. Currently the demand for registered nurses is greater than the supply. This is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for healthcare sky rockets.
The links listed below go into more detail on how we got into this predicament through hospital restructuring and insurance downsizing, just to name a few.
The links listed below go into more detail on how we got into this predicament through hospital restructuring and insurance downsizing, just to name a few.
images:
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
The recent nursing shortage was caused by a mixture of events that changed the perception of the profession and also the nature of work. First I would like to begin by thanking you for asking such a good question. The answer to this question is complex and not based upon one factor.
Imagine wearing scrubs and uniform and going from one room to the next in a hospital while writing up a previous patient's records in one hand and at the same time bring a tray of food to a burn victim in another room. There is no doctor around and the burn victim keeps ringing the buzzer. You reassure the patient that everything is fine, but the patient continues to request a doctor and ignores your plea. Now imagine all this after working a double shift, which consists of 16 hours straight. Welcome to nursing. From the example provided there are three factors exposed here:
1. The amount of work can vary and given the curernt economic climate nurses work per diem as hospitals slash budgets or use more doctors, who have more authority in patient care.
2. Lifestyle changes and the rise of women at various levels in the workforce imply that females do not have to choose the safe area of nursing anymore. They can be doctors or pharmacists, which are professions that are more highly regarded.
3. Sadly, through no fault of anyone, the failure of the education system to expose students to the math and sciences early on has caused science based professions, such as nursing, to be low in staff. Not enough people want to endure chemistry, math, and biology in school, all subjects needed to excel in nursing. Even if they have the ability, science based professions, such as engineering, are not as practical as ten years ago.
If someone tells you they area journalist or a writer or a CEO how do you feel about them? Like many others you become intrigued by what they do. If someone says they are a doctor, do you immediately feel a sense of pride that this person is clearly intelligent in math, science and devotes their life to saving others? Probably. If some one says they are a nurse is the pride exactly the same? Not as much, but it is still there. Over the years the nursing profession has declined in the eyes of the public due to its linkage to unsavory women and lazy workers. Why spend 2-4 years becoming a nurse, which depends upon working in a hospital or with patients when becoming a writer or even accountant is just as versatile and transferrable, without the agony of having to deal with angry patients and their family. Many people are finding alternatrive ways to make a living without the hassle of going into fields which are not creative and seen as unrewarding.
To finish the response, the nursing shortage is real not a hoax. The following are informational pieces if you choose to pursue this question on your own time.
Nursing Shortage, Wages and Tasks Grow - New York Times
Shuttling between incubators in the hot, cramped neonatal intensive care ward at Kings County Hospital, Florence Cheri, a registered nurse, rarely enjoys a ...
www.nytimes.com/1989/12/04/nyregion/nursing-shortage... - Cached
New York State Nurses, Nursing Shortages, Short Staffing ...
New York State Nurses, Nursing Shortages, Short ... work full-time so weekends are one of the only times they can effectively recruit.
Nationwide the nursing shortage ...
www.nursefriendly.com/.../new.york.state.nurses.htm - Cached
If Plastic Surgery Won’t Convince You, What Will? - NYTimes.com
The nursing shortage is part of a worrying global trend that doctors and nurses ... Find your dream home with The New York Times Real Estate
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/world/europe/25iht-nurses.html
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: New York's Nursing Shortage
8, 2009 We have a serious nursing shortage in New York State and right here in New York City. ... number of times that has happened to me and I have been a nurse for a LONG time.
www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-kirsten-gillibrand/new-yorks... - Cached
Growing Nursing Shortage Threatens Patient Care ...
The nation's nursing shortage 'is becoming so severe that it threatens patient care,' a front-page article in the Sunday New York Times reports. Peter Buerhaus ...
www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?dr_id=3931 - Cached
Nurse shortage replaced by job shortage in New York - Nursing ...
Nursing News / Nurse shortage replaced by job shortage in New York ... It’s about time! If more of the mainstream media outlets ...
allnurses.com/nursing-news/nurse-shortage...450222.html
Imagine wearing scrubs and uniform and going from one room to the next in a hospital while writing up a previous patient's records in one hand and at the same time bring a tray of food to a burn victim in another room. There is no doctor around and the burn victim keeps ringing the buzzer. You reassure the patient that everything is fine, but the patient continues to request a doctor and ignores your plea. Now imagine all this after working a double shift, which consists of 16 hours straight. Welcome to nursing. From the example provided there are three factors exposed here:
1. The amount of work can vary and given the curernt economic climate nurses work per diem as hospitals slash budgets or use more doctors, who have more authority in patient care.
2. Lifestyle changes and the rise of women at various levels in the workforce imply that females do not have to choose the safe area of nursing anymore. They can be doctors or pharmacists, which are professions that are more highly regarded.
3. Sadly, through no fault of anyone, the failure of the education system to expose students to the math and sciences early on has caused science based professions, such as nursing, to be low in staff. Not enough people want to endure chemistry, math, and biology in school, all subjects needed to excel in nursing. Even if they have the ability, science based professions, such as engineering, are not as practical as ten years ago.
If someone tells you they area journalist or a writer or a CEO how do you feel about them? Like many others you become intrigued by what they do. If someone says they are a doctor, do you immediately feel a sense of pride that this person is clearly intelligent in math, science and devotes their life to saving others? Probably. If some one says they are a nurse is the pride exactly the same? Not as much, but it is still there. Over the years the nursing profession has declined in the eyes of the public due to its linkage to unsavory women and lazy workers. Why spend 2-4 years becoming a nurse, which depends upon working in a hospital or with patients when becoming a writer or even accountant is just as versatile and transferrable, without the agony of having to deal with angry patients and their family. Many people are finding alternatrive ways to make a living without the hassle of going into fields which are not creative and seen as unrewarding.
To finish the response, the nursing shortage is real not a hoax. The following are informational pieces if you choose to pursue this question on your own time.
Nursing Shortage, Wages and Tasks Grow - New York Times
Shuttling between incubators in the hot, cramped neonatal intensive care ward at Kings County Hospital, Florence Cheri, a registered nurse, rarely enjoys a ...
www.nytimes.com/1989/12/04/nyregion/nursing-shortage... - Cached
New York State Nurses, Nursing Shortages, Short Staffing ...
New York State Nurses, Nursing Shortages, Short ... work full-time so weekends are one of the only times they can effectively recruit.
Nationwide the nursing shortage ...
www.nursefriendly.com/.../new.york.state.nurses.htm - Cached
If Plastic Surgery Won’t Convince You, What Will? - NYTimes.com
The nursing shortage is part of a worrying global trend that doctors and nurses ... Find your dream home with The New York Times Real Estate
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/world/europe/25iht-nurses.html
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: New York's Nursing Shortage
8, 2009 We have a serious nursing shortage in New York State and right here in New York City. ... number of times that has happened to me and I have been a nurse for a LONG time.
www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-kirsten-gillibrand/new-yorks... - Cached
Growing Nursing Shortage Threatens Patient Care ...
The nation's nursing shortage 'is becoming so severe that it threatens patient care,' a front-page article in the Sunday New York Times reports. Peter Buerhaus ...
www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?dr_id=3931 - Cached
Nurse shortage replaced by job shortage in New York - Nursing ...
Nursing News / Nurse shortage replaced by job shortage in New York ... It’s about time! If more of the mainstream media outlets ...
allnurses.com/nursing-news/nurse-shortage...450222.html
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
This answer was just copied and pasted.
Please see the rules about copy and pasting on Mahalo. Thanks.
http://www.mahalo.com/mahalo-copying-and-pasting-guidelines
Report Abuse
There could be some reasons for this @pucca84. With forums it is hard to tell. Some nurses might be having problems because they live in a more rural area. I do know that the larger the city... the higher the need.
I recently moved to Mobile and have many people who are currently studying nursing. As with any occupation... I could see hospitals letting go of tenured employees in exchange for cheaper (fresh out of school) labor. Sadly, this occupation is not as highly regarded as it should be.
thanks for the answer bunnyphuphu, I was asking because I was on a few nursing forum and you see nurses talk about not being able to find a job and so on.