A rumor is buzzing that there is not a shortage of nurses anymore. This seems to be prevalent among new grads and young people entering college. Listen to the conversation in restaurants, shopping malls etc., and many young people can be heard to say they had been thinking about becoming a nurse or a teacher, but there are no jobs.
Facts About the Nursing Shortage
The truth is that the average age of nurses is 46.8 according to a survey in 2004. By 2010 (next year) it is expected that 40% of nurses will be over age 50 and that between 2010 and 2020, the largest group of nurses will be between 50 and 60 years of age. The projected shortage of nurses by 2020 ranges between 280,000 to over 580,000 depending on the source.
The population is growing and aging and will demand much more medical care in the next few decades which means the need for nurses and other health care professionals will continue to grow. With health care reform, the need for more nurses is assured.
New Grads Need to Open Their Options
New grad nurses may indeed have difficulty finding jobs in some markets now, but this is a temporary problem, and if they are willing to relocate, there are many jobs available right now all across the U.S. Some hospitals have stopped using travel nurses because of the higher costs involved, but it does not mean they are not hiring nurses.
Indeed some hospitals have issued a hiring freeze, laid off some nurses or closed entirely due to the economic slowdown. With fewer patients seeking elective procedures, hospital census have been low this year. The economy has kept many from seeking medical care.
Nurses Forced out of Retirement by Recession
The economic downturn forced many nurses out of retirement or semiretirement this year due to the loss of income from spouses being laid off, the reduction in retirement funds such as 401K funds, and rising expenses such as gasoline prices.
Nearly 250,000 nurses have been hired this year and over 50% of them are over 50 years old. Immigration accounted for 48,000 of these nurses. The U.S. Congress continues to believe that the way to solve the nursing shortage is through immigration of nurses, but the nursing shortage is not confined to the U.S. It is a worldwide issue.
Given the choice between hiring an older, experienced nurse and hiring a new grad, many employers have opted to hire the older nurses and new grads have had difficulties finding jobs in some markets.
Mass Exodus May Occur
When the economy recovers, hopefully in the next couple of years, it is expected that there may be a mass exodus of older nurses who will retire. Nursing programs continue to be impacted and each year since 2000, have turned away increasing numbers of qualified applicants due to a shortage of nurse educators.
The number of nurses who have earned a Masters or doctoral degree are very low. In 2000, only 1% of nurses had a PhD in nursing and 9% held a Master’s degree. These numbers have not grown significantly since then. Nurse educators need to hold at least a Master’s degree, and unfortunately, they can make significantly more money working in the industry than teaching.
Student Nurses Will Find Jobs
For the young people worrying about whether they will find jobs as nurses; the answer is still a resounding yes. Although the recession has slowed the nursing shortage temporarily, it will take these students at least 2 to 4 years to complete a nursing program and by then there will be an increased need for new nurses.
The fact that they may have to spend a year or longer on a waiting list to get into a nursing program means that there will be an even greater need for nurses by the time they graduate and take their board exams.
Resources:
RN or LPN What's the Difference?
American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) Fact Sheet Nursing Shortage” Updated June 2009. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm
Dr. Peter Buerhaus et al. “The Recent Surge In Nurse Employment: Causes And Implications.” Health Affairs July/August 2009.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-9.
Kathy Quan - Kathy Quan RN BSN has been a home health/hospice nurse for over 30 years. She has authored five books and writes for several online ...
