The Nursing Shortage -- Your Opinions

[lam]

[ QUOTE ]
nursinghumor said:
Freshman,

I don't want to make light of your ADD. However, Nursing is a difficult profession to practice. It is high stress and physically demanding. You need to be organized, efficient and emotionally available at the same time. \

It is not the place for someone with difficulties such as yours if, your disability will prevent you from giving adequate care.

The classes you are taking are designed to test if you have the ability to provide that care. Not everyone makes the cut, I hope you don't take it personally if you don't make it.


Lowering standards is not the answer if it will result in a decreased quality of care being given. I'd rather keep standards high and have patients get excellent care.

That's my two cents.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinga2z.com

[/ QUOTE ]
I prefer when standards are so high that they cannot be attained and I agree the best possble care should be rendered and if there isn't enough staff oh well at least we can say we don't have any below par nurses lol now we have the best nurses getting burn out. What happens when there are no nurses left?

[lam]

[ QUOTE ]
travelnurse77 said:
Nursing is the hardest job there is. You end up with a bad back and frazzeled nerves. Patients and their families think you are their maid. They get mad if you don't answer their call light within seconds even if you are just participating in a code blue in the room next door. Doctors scribble and laugh about it. Nurses have to guess what they write. The whole thing is a joke. Yet, we do it. Why?

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We do it because up until now we believe we have to take it, we are trained that is how it is "the nature of the beast" so to speak. and to a point that is true the problem is that there is no job security no real benefits (for most)if something happens and you can't do it any more you are left with nothing, after 25 years of nursing and raising 2 kids I have nothing to show for it and the younger nurses want to judge me, evaluate me according to standards set for say a 20 year old. come on people I am 52 years old and I can still do nursing may not be able to run around as quick as I used to. The nursing shortage is not going to get any better as long as the nurses in it are willing to accept the status quo and have tunnel vision. Nursing is so much more than what you do in a hospital and nursing home. It is a profession, a calling, a way of life. So when I see people judging other nurses or keeping people from attaining their goals because of total ignorance for the profession I get sick. I think of Jesus on the cross "Lord forgive them for they know not what they do" I don't think people including nurses really understand the "teachings" of Jesus yet they claim to be followers just like nurses who don't understand the profession go into it for the money, the title, for whatever reason they go into it. I think we need to be able to assess the over all person before we judge them as competent nurses. That is all I have to say

[nursinghumor]

[ QUOTE ]
lam said:
I prefer when standards are so high that they cannot be attained and I agree the best possble care should be rendered and if there isn't enough staff oh well at least we can say we don't have any below par nurses lol now we have the best nurses getting burn out. What happens when there are no nurses left?

[/ QUOTE ]

If standards were too high to be attained there wouldn't be any graduates. As is, we have plenty of new nurses graduating. It is safe to say standards are fine as they are.

When there isn't enough staff, and nurses realize they will not work under the crappy conditions, they'll cut back their hours, work less and let the hospitals, clinics fend for themselves.

I say "when" though this situation is playing out now.

The hospitals have three choices:

1. Close units, cancel elective surgeries and lose lots of money. Nurse will make themselves available for true emergencies.

2. Hire temp nurses and travelers to fill the gap.

3. Pay nurses what they are worth, give them reasonable workloads to entice them to come back.

Option #3 will solve the shortage and do a great deal to minimize burnout.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinga2z.com

[lam]

to dream

[Forshae]

removing information....

[lam]

There are still some LPN's out there that have never been to school. Many years ago before the LPN came along there were only aides and RN's. When they decided to create the LPN, aids were allowed to take the test and the schooling was waived, Some of these have never worked in a hospital until after this. Such a concept is possible but I would be afraid that people would be only learning what is on the test. After schooling when you pass the test it is a strong indicator that you are a well rounded RN. With out the schooling all it would prove is that you can pass a test. Would you really want to be that type of RN?

[cassioo]

there are programs here for LPN's that are a transisition to RN. They go for a short summer course then take the 2nd year of class Aug-May then are ADN graduates and can take boards. Shortage at my hospital is now less then 1% they only hired 10 grads this year with 36 graduating from the community college...however there are 2 larger hospitals within 15 miles (across state lines) they've all getten jobs at.

[nursinghumor]

Stillnotenoughnurses.ca, Ontario Nursing Shortage:"Ontarians are often told that health care costs too much and that Medicare, as we know it, might not be sustainable. In fact, our investment in the system, as a percentage of provincial and federal GDP, has declined for more than a decade. All major political parties have contributed to policies of retrenchment. In the mid and late 1990s, as the provincial Progressive Conservatives took advantage of cuts in federal transfers to seriously restrict public expenditure on health care, RNs lost their jobs and students opted to avoid nursing careers that promised only frustration and insecurity."
Ontario Nursing Association
http://www.stillnotenoughnurses.ca/
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Here's a website describing the situation up in Canada. Doesn't matter what country you go to, you'll find the nursing shortage is there.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.jocularity.com

[jennyj]

[QUOTE=medi]Speaking of the salary.. doesn't it make your stomach turn when you notice the hospital administration is perfectly willing to pay outrageous amounts for agency filler staff or travel nurses rather than look into increasing what it offers to it's own nurses and recruitment incentives?

The "outrageous amounts" is not true.

If you travel and want funrnished housing, insurance, etc, etc you can expect to make between $28-36 in most areas.

The "big bucks" come from not having insurance, finding your own housing and paying for ALL the costs of moving every 3 months and paying for your own travel expenses AND accepting the worst (and I do mean bad)assignments that exist. Doesn't sound like much fun.

As far as costs, please remember that each nurse hired costs about $5,000 in new hire costs, and from $10-15/hour in taxes, workmans comp., etc,etc.

That said, I travel because I love nursing, but was burned out from cold hearted management and dealing with nurses ripping each other up. Course, going to Hawaii for 3 months, then California for 6 and home for 3 weeks is pretty cool too.

[cassioo]

I'm not thrilled with hiring full time new staff at almost the same rate as the top out rate I'm at after being with the same hospital for 13 years. I wish they'd take off that top rate. We do get a bonus so the % of your evaluation will multiply by your pay from the previous year and you get a lump sum. I'd rather have more per hour with each evaluation then you get more for all of that overtime.