NursingLink

I rest my case: these comments below from across the US show beyond any doubts that there is no such thing as nursing shortages. What exists now and before is that nurses do not get paid enough for the nature and value of the work they do. If nurses were paid higher professional wages as they should there would be always enough nurses to do the jobs. The cry of nursing shortage is a smoke screen to increase nursing programs, crank out more nurses, so salaries won't grow. Some places are paying now less than 10 years ago! What does that tell you? I wouldn't be surprised that soon nurses will have to work for food! This grim scenario would be very different if the only access to the nursing profession were by means of a Master's degree, like Physical Therapists. At least a BSN. However with RNs being often replaced with LVNs no wonder salaries are so low. Little countries in Europe like Portugal for instance made the Master's degree in Nursing the only port of entry into the profession. Why can't the US with much greater resources elevate the quality of the profession? The profession lies probably in the inertia of nurses leaders and the obstruction by Administrations and Capital which will always have to try to crush Labor even when it compromises the quality of health care delivered. There is been a lot of opportunism by health care administrations in the current economic situation. They are increasing their nurses work loads, putting a hold on hiring, despite the fact the need for health care services are the same or higher. They are essentially acting just like the banks, hoarding cash at the expense of harder labor by those employed and the suffering of those unemployed.

DO ANYONE KNOW THE STARTING SALARY FOR NEW GRADS IN MANHATTAN, NY?

always great too know since i am looking into relocating from nj to pa. :)

Let's not forget budget cuts in NY. Maybe someone else mentioned it but the "demand" is not what you may imagine in our fine state of NY. Paterson is putting freezes on EVERYTHING. Public freezes equal less private sector jobs. Additionally there are those ready to retire RNs that just cannot do so because of financial insecurity. RECESSION. My psych patients don't even have extra napkins right now... Remeber what they said about Stats? They can be used to sensationalize and manipulate information. No offense to whoever wrote this little blurb on what's happening in the real world BUT I think you should do some more research and validate what is actually happening. The article is misleading and confusing to new nurses who cannot find work. I feel like I'm reading an advertisement but I can't seem to find the fine print... BTW a hospital in Miami offered me 21/hr-- I made more than that selling eye cream at Bloomingdales.

FL???? No way. I would make alot more money moving away from FL. When I started being a dialysis tech here, I was hired for 75 cents LESS than I made in Rhode Island 10 years ago. A major med ctr here hire new RNs off the street at 18.75/hr. In 1992, Boston Children's and Brigham and Women's Hospitals were BEGGING for RNs for weekends, starting at 45/hr. I'll be graduating in May 09 also, and seriously looking outside the state.

to SLL_04 there is another place to go for school funding just for nursing students go to http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/nsl.htm This is a resource for student loans. I hope this helps you.

To the person living in Arkansas, Where do you work? You must be a CNA, because, I've flipped burgers for Min wage, and I make 60,000 as an RN. Quit griping and go back to school.

I currently work in a nursing home in the state of AR. I love what i do for aliving as far as getting to care for the people but its pretty bad that you can now get a job flipping burgers at the local Mc Donalds making the same pay as we do without having to go to college and not having to deal with the stress level we do!!!! We Are Unappreciated. To think you would pay the person fixing your food more than the person keeping you alive. Comments are welcome on this subject...