Discuss 'Nursing jobs harder....'

[cougarnurse]

Discuss this story Nursing jobs harder to find: economy? here.

[Aaron C.]

Nursing Jobs are definitely tough to come by right now.

I still believe there is a nursing shortage in a booming or stable economy.

Right now, hospital censuses are really low because people are putting off medical procedures, elective ones anyway, because they can't afford to have them.

And with nurses taking additional shifts to make ends meet along with nurses who have gone back to work in the field, there just aren't a lot of jobs available.

It will turn around, but as I have said several times recently, this won't happen overnight and it could likely be six months or longer before there's much light at the end of the tunnel.

Of course, a swine flu outbreak living up to the hype our government/media has provided us with, would change the job outlook almost overnight. I do not believe that will happen.

[Last Nurse Standing]

I think the popular idea that the economy will turn around in six months is almost humorously hopeful. Not that, you are Aaron, it's just that it's a popular opinion out there.

The fact is, the crash may stop by the end of the year. Then the economy will increase slightly as a bounce back but just up to a significantly depressed level compared to the prosperity of the past. Jobs will be very hard to find and may be hard to find for some time. In order for "prosperity" to return, there has to be a new profitable, self-sustaining industry (e.g., like computers, communications, internet etc. was in the past).

Consider housing: Today, they report there is a slight increase in new home contracts that have been signed. But these are from first time buyers who are taking advantage of greatly depressed prices. That particular kind of buying does not inflate house prices. In fact, it ingrains the low price on all houses of that type. It destroys the hope of a rebound. If those same buyers were buying as housing prices were going up, it would have the opposite effect, but that boom ended in 2007.

As for nurses: there is a nursing shortage and it will grow, but in order to remain profitable, hospitals will not fill empty positions unless they absolutely have to. New grads are in the worst possible position, especially since a good three month orientation is needed after one first gets their license in order to no longer be "a new grad."

The one thing nursing boards can do is up the requirement for a nursing license to that of a BSN. That would bring the supply down more to the level of demand. I don't like that. I'm not a BSN (I have a B.Sc. in Liberal Arts). So, I hope they grandfather us. I don't believe a nurse needs a BSN. But it would help stem the supply of new grads.

Don't believe everything you hear in the news. Believe what you see around you. The government is only going to release information that will prop up buying in the stock market. They will only release data that will show everyone is buying houses. They will lie to try to fix the economy. I would, if I were them, because spending won't do it. Neither will lying of course, but it's a short-term fix.

The best thing nursing students can do right now is continue on to their BSN, or even an MSN before entering the market. Or, they can try the old fashion way and work there way up. I worked as an aid at a nursing home, then I got a job as a tech on a cardiology floor, then I got hired as a nurse on that same floor, then I got my ACLS after a year and went traveling where I got ICU experience. One might even volunteer while they are in nursing school at a nursing home until a CNA job comes open.

Read stories about the Great Depression. Read what they did to succeed in those times. Remember: 75% of them had jobs.

My God, if I get started on economics I can't stop...someone stop me!

[OldSquidNewNurse]

As the article talked about (it from my home town and the head of my college's nursing department was interviewed for it) that jobs can be found in the two area's most nurses choose not to go into (i.e. mental health and long term care). In fact the local VA and most VA's have $5000 signing bonuses for those positions.

[Aaron C.]

I wasn't necessarily saying that the economy will be back in six months.

In fact, I think we could be in trouble for some time to come. I have absolutely ZERO faith in President Obama and the Democratically controlled Congress (specifically Reid, Pelosi, et. al) but I don't want to make this into a political discussion.

I simply believe healthcare is a necessity that you can only neglect for so long before you have a backlash. I don't think the economy needs to make a huge jump for things to get back to normal, and combined with a seasonal increase in census during the winter influenza and pneumonia season next year I think you'll see things improve.

I'm not an expert on the topic by any means so it's just conjecture, but I enjoy pretending to think I know what I'm talking about. We will see I guess, and heck based on a myriad of variables just about anything could happen between now and next year.

[AmandaWIRN]

I have been searching for a permanent position for the last 2 months, so far no luck, and I'm an experienced nurse. Like others have said, it's not that there is no need for nurses, it's that hospitals are trying to do with less, so they are not filling vacant positions. As people leave or retire, they are not being replaced. As Aaron said, hospitals can only do this for so long before it becomes unsafe, or before their nurses can't take it anymore and demand relief. I also agree that, while the economy may take years to recover, the lack of nursing jobs will start to turn around by the end of the year.

[Jo Dirt]

Originally Posted by OldSquidNewNurse

As the article talked about (it from my home town and the head of my college's nursing department was interviewed for it) that jobs can be found in the two area's most nurses choose not to go into (i.e. mental health and long term care). In fact the local VA and most VA's have $5000 signing bonuses for those positions.

The nursing home where I work turns away nurse applicants daily. We're filled to the brim with nurses, have been for about a year.

[cougarnurse]

My facility could use nurses, but not many (if any) are applying. One problem is the pay rate. Several co-workers have 2nd part time jobs to supplement things.

[SoldierNurse]

Originally Posted by OldSquidNewNurse

As the article talked about (it from my home town and the head of my college's nursing department was interviewed for it) that jobs can be found in the two area's most nurses choose not to go into (i.e. mental health and long term care). In fact the local VA and most VA's have $5000 signing bonuses for those positions.

Sometimes I think back to when I started my nursing career and almost went psych nursing. Interesting both the civilian & military community has a need for psych nurses. Although, the reasons are vastly different. However, Army Psych RNs are highly deployable just as are Army Critical Care RNs are highly deployable.

Sorry, got a little off topic.