Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know people laughed at me for choosing the nursing profession (as a male). But I never had to worry about finding employment. Sure it's stressful, manually intensive, often thankless work - but you have to find your niche in the profession - there are so many different opportunities if basic Med-Surg nursing doesn't suit your needs.
That story has already be covered and discussed on professional nursing websites; and is widely held to be a lot of flannel.
Leaving aside the picture of nurse Lacy Russell whose attractive looks and flowing long hair make it seem as if she's more on photo shoot than patient care, a bulk of that CNN piece is poorly written and seems to make assumptions put together via (limited) research.
When you come down to it nursing employment has been and still is a local market. Here in NYC, New Jersey, Conn, and Boston area newly licensed nurses are having a *very* difficult time finding full time employment. This is for those with the now much desired if not mandated BSN degree. Those with associate/ADN degrees are really out of luck, especially far as hospital work goes. Those that cannot get into a nursing home/LTC/rehab (while they are going back for their BSN), more likely than not head to areas of the state or country where there *is* a shortage of nurses (upstate NY, the south, parts of mid-west, etc...).
Where you do see a shortage of nurses it is wise to examine reasons why; and top of that list is two things; location and working conditions.
Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, West Virginia (all areas mentioned in article) may very well be nice places to live or whatever, but all may not be top destination for nurses (or anyone else) seeking to relocate. That means like nearly every other employment sector relying upon locally educated and licensed nurses.
Unlike say doctors, who via their post graduate or other experiences often end up practicing away from where they live and or attended medical school, nurses by large majorities tend to stay local/at home. Not every nurse can or even wants to pack up and move half way around the country. Those that do for various reasons (usually new grads seeking experience) then to go right back home after two or three years working elsewhere.
Aside from a few certain times in this country (WWII comes to mind), there has *NEVER* been an actual shortage of nurses nationwide in USA. What there is was a shortage of nurses willing to work under conditions on ground, and or that met/meet whatever standards this or that hospital is laying down.
Case in point you notice this CNN article only mentioned a general shortage of nurses. Well anyone who knows anything about the profession will tell you that over the past decade or so hospitals have been pushing strong BSN only policies. That is *all* newly licensed nurses must have a BSN degree, and or those holding an ADN (even with experience) must complete a bridge program to obtain the BSN.
The other side of coin is hospitals are more and more wanting nurses who are experienced, with less emphasis on training new graduates (residency/orientation).
When a hospital today says there is a "shortage" of nurses; they usually and probably do mean they cannot find nurses with a BSN degree that have "X" amount of years experience in exactly the area or areas they have openings.
For those that doubt what am saying, go to any of the employment websites for hospitals listed in this CNN piece and look at professional nurse openings. Am willing to bet you'll find "BSN" only or required along with "X" amount of years preferred.
I know people laughed at me for choosing the nursing profession (as a male). But I never had to worry about finding employment. Sure it's stressful, manually intensive, often thankless work - but you have to find your niche in the profession - there are so many different opportunities if basic Med-Surg nursing doesn't suit your needs.
My ex is an RN, and she says the profession has changed so much that she is glad she only depends on it for supplemental income. She complains that the paperwork you have to do keeps you from doing the work you really signed on for.
It is still a good profession, but not like it was 20-30 years ago, IMO.
My ex is an RN, and she says the profession has changed so much that she is glad she only depends on it for supplemental income. She complains that the paperwork you have to do keeps you from doing the work you really signed on for.
It is still a good profession, but not like it was 20-30 years ago, IMO.
Document just enough for the hospital to get paid, but not enough for them to be sued.
Because of way healthcare is largely practiced in this country (fee for service) hospitals get paid by how much they "do" to patients. But it isn't enough to just carry out the various tests, treatments and so forth; it has to be backed up with documentation. That is where nurses and doctors notes come in.....
During my uncle's stay at a rehab,I marveled at:
(1): the barcodes utilized for patient documentation. From medicine to patient status. Nothing was hand written or typed.
The nurse (RN) grabbed her scanner and viola! Within seconds all was documented.
(2) patients are objects,number data,and profit material.
(3) only time a nurse wrote anything was when she had to give us the WiFi password to the complex.
I commend today's nurses for being tech savvy. For being geared to the modern tools available. Gosh knows with the hippa rulings every note is vital and secured. Long gone is the Florence nightingale style of nursing. So while I tend to favor the compassionate and regarding nurse,I find it almost non existent in today's numbers game.
I often think the nurses are stuck in the middle of translating doctors orders to fielding patient quirks. They are the link. Most that I have come in contact with carry an air of such indifference to the patient (jaded perhaps?) That paying them $18-40 per hour deserves some level of care. But I'm not their employer....just a patient thinking I am a living being and not a barcode.
and dont forget how many nurses are imported from the Phillipines. there are more job seekers than jobs available in pretty much all major metro areas and the suburbs around the metro areas..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
