General Forums >> Ask A Nurse >> Nursing Shortage 2 Nursing Overcrowded field????????????
Nursing Shortage 2 Nursing Overcrowded field????????????
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Posted about 5 years ago Can someone explain to me why almost every college has waiting list for nursing majors. And why everyone's mom, sister and aunt is going to school for Nursing? I feel that in a few years the Nursing shortage will be an overcrowded field which will reduce Nurses salary. Does anyone feel this way? |
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| Posted about 5 years ago It goes in cycles. A few years ago there were too many nurses and pay was low then those nurses retired, burnt out or just changed careers and now we have a supposed shortage. If there is such a shortage why did it take me three to four months to find a job and I had to take a job 80 miles from home? I don't forsee and over abundance of nurses anytime soon because all the baby boomers are getting old and some of them are nurses who will be retiring. |
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| Posted about 5 years ago MD1NURSING - I feel that there aren't enough nursing programs to support the interest in the nursing field. My local Community College has 33 spots for nursing students while more than 300 applications were received during one final filing date. I think it's great that people want to head into this field; the government needs to recognize the need for more nursing programs and get funding for it . I'm sure there is more to it than this though. I am prepared to apply at as many commutable nursing colleges as I can until I get accepted. My husband's co-worker finally got accepted in a nursing program after 5 years of applying and waiting but I have no idea if she just applied at that one college or at several. I want to know what your and others' experiences have been in waiting to get accepted into a nursing program - did you apply at several colleges and still get passed over? How long did it take for you to get accepted into a nursing program? |
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| Posted about 5 years ago It does seem that everyone suddenly wants to be a nurse. That is because the nursing shortage has received so much attention in the media lately and many are flocking back to school “because you can always get a job” and “nurses make good money” The shortage does go in cycles as you said. There was a time when nurses could not buy a job. Two problems with the nursing programs now are a lack of faculty. Also, in even the finest universities, the nursing school is always the red-headed step-child and they literally get the hand-me-downs and are just left out when the budgets are reviewed.
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| Posted about 5 years ago Unfortunately, the nursing shortage also affects nursing professors, so even though schools are courting nursing students because of the shortage, they can't take as many because of the lack of teachers. |
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| Posted about 5 years ago Probably not going to affect anyone anytime soon. Many of those who try will not make it through the programs, so that's one reason. Another reason is the average age of an RN currently is said between 52 and 57. In ten years or so perhaps sooner, these baby boomers of which I am one, will have retired. These are main two factors why I think nurses won't be affected. As to why some have to travel 80miles, it's where you live. Huge cities are screaming for nurses almost everywhere in this country. Why do I know this for sure? I'm an independent healthcare recruiter who can't find nurses in particular, to fill these positions. Other healthcare jobs in demand are radiology techs, MRI techs, CT techs, OR techs and many more. |
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| Posted about 5 years ago Well in Maine where I am, there is a serious over crowding of schools. Not enough clinical sites offered and lots of programs churning out nurses. That being said, the public sector isn't remotely competitive to the wages offered in private sector. I don't think the cycle will get better. There aren't enough programs, the median age of nurses is very high (many retirees), lots of baby boomers+population growth the shortage is going to continue on for decades. Some areas will do better than others (like Mine) but eventually demand will exceed supply. |
