[unionnurse]

I live in New Jersey and the shortage is being felt strongly here. How is it where you live? Any suggestions on why and what we as nurses can do about it?
Our shortages are mainly due to working conditions and poor retirement compensation packages.
My suggestions include getting politically active and trying to force legislation regarding set maximum ratios. For those of us who have been doing this for a while, we know that since healthcare has become a business, our working conditions have declined in the name of saving the bottom line.
I also think we should have a support system in place in the hospitals for staff who are feeling the stress of our jobs.
What do you think?

[KrissR]

Is that you -jt?

CONGRESSMAN
FRANK D. LUCAS
Sixth Congressional District, Oklahoma


This release is also available on the OPA bulletin Board and at
www.house.gov/lucas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jim
Luetkemeyer
June 4, 2002
(202)225-5599

LUCAS SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO NURSE SHORTAGE
Oklahoma Shortage is Among Worst in Nation


Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sixth District Congressman Frank Lucas is
cosponsoring a bill that creates new initiatives and redirects funding to
combat a growing national shortage of nurses, which is particularly severe
in Oklahoma.

"We're desperately hurting for more nurses - both in our rural and urban
areas," Lucas said. "I've heard from clinics and hospitals across the Sixth
District about their dire need for more nurses, and these new statistics
only reiterate the severity of the problem."

Lucas said a 2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, recently
released by a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, shows
that Oklahoma has an average of only 635 nurses per 100,000 citizens, which
is the sixth-lowest ratio in the nation. Oklahoma needs more than 5,000
additional nurses just to meet the national average.

The greatest factors contributing to the shortage are an anticipated surge
in nursing needs as baby-boomers grow older, and a lack of young
professionals entering the healthcare field.

In Oklahoma, the number of new registered nurses has declined by 25 percent
within the past three years.

"Keeping rural hospitals open is vital to keeping our small towns on the
map," Lucas said. "And one of the most important parts of keeping rural
hospitals open is luring well-trained professionals to work there."

Rural areas in Oklahoma are especially needing more nurses, where the number
of nurses to serve the population is particularly low.

Lucas is cosponsoring a bill, H.R. 1436, authored by Rep. Lois Capps, that
will provide new initiatives to increase enrollment in nursing training
programs and create a National Nurse Service Corps Scholarship program. The
bill would also direct Medicare funding, the largest public source of
financing for nursing facilities, to rural health clinics. Lucas is urging
his colleagues in Congress to support the bill as well.

Lucas has also assisted rural hospitals this year by urging support for a
bill that addresses the lower Medicare payments rural hospitals receive
compared to their urban counterparts.

Lucas is a member of the Rural Health Care Coalition in Congress, a group of
members of Congress focused on the health issues and concerns facing rural
areas.

[PedRN]

In Iowa here we are also experiencing a shortage. I think a lot of it is due to the increase in patient load and the critical nature of the patients on the General floors these days. The nurses are just tired of not being able to give the type of care these patients deserve and worried about the legal aspect of what should happen if one of their 8 to 10 patients has a problem they will be liable for.
In the past the hospital has always covered themselves instead of admitting it may have been caused by poor coverage. They change our manning tables so that on paper we are no longer short staffed, how about that to the answer to the nursing shortage, and insist on everyone picking up maditory extra shifts instead of hiring additional help. Working 16 hours shifts increases the chance of making an error and eventually the nurse just burns out and quits.
I am almost to that point myself after 23 years of nursing. I am actively voicing my concerns about safety issues at work and feel like I am hitting my head on the wall. I am tired of being told I have to improve my attitude about being worried about the ways cuts are endangering the safety of my patients. I have never had a bad review and worked management for years in the past, so I thought I was making constructive points and suggestions, not being a trouble maker. Being alone on the floor with 3 trauma patients plus 4 very sick medical patients is just unsafe.
So anyway, enough of my frustrations. If there are any real solutions out there, short of quitting, I am open to suggestions. The bottom line is you can't take short cuts where human lives are at stake.

[KrissR]

I hear you and validate everything you are saying. I support your efforts to make yourself heard. You will not catch me talking about "whining" like some people.

[Weinstein]

You think there is a shortage? It is just a scam by the HMOs and insurance companies! Wait 18 months, you won't be able to find a job!

Check into the H1-A visa program that grants work visa's to foreign nurses. Have you missed all of the recent Congressional hearings?

The H1-B program has brought over 2 million tech workers into the country over the last decade. Now here is 17% umemployment in the technology sector and the INS is still bringing in 200,000 per year.

Nurses are next with the 'H1-A' visa. -- expect millions of 'H1-A' nurses.

In a couple of years, you will not be able to find a job, imported
nurses will be working for half of what you are currently making.... and they will be happy to have that!



links on the techie issue
http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B
http://www.nomoreh1b.com
http://12.252.154.110/protest/links.asp
http://www.it-usa.org/

[canamsue]

"BINGO" on lack of new professionals entering the nursing field. Why? About 10 yrs ago I read an article outlining salary growth from year 1 through year 10 comparing nursing, accountants and attorneys. They all started at relatively the same salary but by year 3, the accountants and attorneys salaries had doubled. We don't even want to talk about the 10 year mark!!!! And yes, benefits are an issue as well. With those kinds of figures it isn't surprising which avenue of career choices people are making. As caregivers we often sacrifice ourselves for the sake of our patients. I personally am extremely happy as a nurse ~ but that is because this is what I love and what I want to do. As a single mother there is an awful lot lacking in my ability to support my family with my income etc. Would unity in the form of a union help? I don't know ~ there seems to be a surplus of nurse who are not unionized that employers can utilize during times of disputes.

[H2OHead]

You hit the nail on the head. We HAD a nursing shortage until the corporation discovered Puerto Rico was an american provence. AHA...Florida just figured out all you have to do is buy those folks a plane ticket. No paperwork involved at all. We just got 15 nurses from P.R. Most don't speak any english. But really....whos needs to communicate with a patient anyway. I think it was a brilliant move. Okay...so there might be a small language barrier....now get this.....these are critical care nurses for ICU and open heart recovery.

You are right. There wont be ahsortage before too long. Our older population is hard of hearing to begin with. They should do really well when the entire staff speaks functional english with a thick accent. I predict wonderful outcomes.

Only problem with nursing is that it's always time to go back to school or get screwed. See ya when i get out of CRNA school.

[Betty]

Just a note to address the shortage issue. I attended college in the 70's receiving loans because of the nursing shortage. After graduation, and a few yrs later, Nurses from the Phllipines were brought into our hospital because of that nursing shortage. Please do not take offense but those who came had a hard time passing boards because of language. Also, foreign nurses had priority in hiring over those who actually applied for nursing jobs during that time. And the employer did not give raises during that time. The nurses that were brought in were given housing by the hospital as well. I think that we have a shortage but I also think it will open the door again for some problems that were encountered at that time. With a shortage, they should encourage more people to enter the nursing field in my opinion. We had other countries besides the Phillipines.

[All41]

I totally agree that "they" need to encourage more people into nursing, but who would "they" be? As long as nurses beat each other up and are alive to tell someone how beat up they are, NO one will want to go into nursing usless they have the same attitude as the bullies. I think that management (Nursing that is) is the major problem. We lack leaders and have too many "managers". I know over the 26yrs. I have nursed that a great majority of my managers were in it for themselves and would not take up for staff if it meant their going against administration. The other problem is non-nursing management. Nursing Leaders need to step out and speak up. I worked with master's prepared MBA graduate RN and she was absolutely wonderful. Where did she end up? Run off because of fragile egos. I know there may be loads of nurses who disagree but have you seen the posts about all the nurses who have delighted in leaving the profession?