I'm thinking about going to nursing school but I am confused by the job market. I see wild, crazy numbers like California will be short 1 million nurses by 2018, but I also see that nurses are getting laid off and new graduates are working like dogs to find a job and are having to wait 6 months or a year or more to find a job.
I guess one of my biggest questions is whether these "shortage" numbers are based on staffing ratios of 4 patients to 1 nurse, while in the real world it is more like 8 or 10 patients to 1 nurse. Am I right that we will never again see staffing ratios that have historically been "normal"?
If it makes no sense, it must be healthcare and that is normal.
I can say the numbers can reflect staff turnover and nurses getting fired.
Good article in the Jan Nursing2012 book about horizontel violence. I've seen it happen, and been a victim myself. Staff wanting to 'protect' their position, tell tales, 'make up' to the ones in charge. Management has their own agenda, and who knows if what they say/do are really part of what Corporate says?
Oh, and if the facility is part of a chain, a nurse cannot be hired at any sister facility, no matter what. This really can be a drag on finding a job, also.
Many times, new grads get out in 'the real world', and find that there is a BIG difference between what they were taught and what is 'the truth'.
I think that the shortages are for experienced nurses rather than newly graduated nurses. There is definitely not a shortage of nursing students which is why new graduates have such a hard time finding a job.
When you say "a nurse cannot be hired at any sister facilitiy, not matter what." do you mean if they have been fired or if they have left the facility by choice?
MissMelissRoths03 wrote:I think that the shortages are for experienced nurses rather than newly graduated nurses. There is definitely not a shortage of nursing students which is why new graduates have such a hard time finding a job.
When you say "a nurse cannot be hired at any sister facilitiy, not matter what." do you mean if they have been fired or if they have left the facility by choice?
The answer to your second question usually referrs to one who is fired for cause - After all if you were a problem at your last facility why give you a 2nd chance. This happened when I got fired after I tried to commit suicide with stolen benedryl. There were three other sister hospitals and none of them will hire me to this day 7 years later. But that's the consequences of my choices and I have to own that. Plus it ultimately led me to the job I have which is where I was meant to be at least for now.
With some chains, even if you do quit properly, there can be a 'no hire' at sister facilities.
