Talk to a recent nursing program graduate and you may find him saying “Nursing shortage? You’re kidding right? I can’t find a job!”
So what’s the deal? Is there a shortage — as so many people have been shouting — or not?
Yes, there is. But it’s hidden now in the recession. In fact, the recession possibly has made the coming nursing shortage worse.
An opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer in June put it well:
…“in fact, the recession has given us a temporary reprieve, due to lower demand for elective health services and lower production of nurses.”
The recession has caused some hospitals and other health care facilities to close their door, while nurses who worked part time have upped their hours to full time (due to a desire to make up the income from the job of a laid off spouse).
“As a result,” the opinion piece states, “we are seeing a temporary increase in the ranks of nurses and a decline in nursing vacancies, which is making it harder for some unemployed nurses to find jobs.”
But the day when hospitals will be literally begging for qualified nurses is just around the corner. Hospitals and other health care facilities already know it and are fretting big time that potential nursing students may have changed their minds about entering the profession because they’ve heard that the shortage is exaggerated.
Or, as the Inquirer piece explains it:
“But a long-term nursing shortage persists, and the economic downturn threatens to exacerbate it in the coming years. That’s because the recession is creating the false impression that the shortage is over, generating complacency in the health-care industry and prompting aspiring nurses to think twice before enrolling in nursing schools. That’s precisely the opposite of what needs to happen to avert the crisis.
“The shortage is real. A large portion of the nursing workforce is nearing retirement, and older nurses who stay on the job for a few extra years or return to work after retirement will soon leave the profession as well. When they do, they will take decades of wisdom and expertise with them.”
So recent nursing graduates should take heart — many employers will be pounding on their doors soon enough.
