Why is there a NURSE shortage?

Question

why? Terrible working conditions? or what?

Answer 1

Because there are not enough nursing schools training nurses to meet current demand. Also, despite efforts of importing nurses from other countries such as the Philippines, Canada and Europe we still are in desperate need of nurses because of high burnout rates.

Answer 2

One reason there is a shortage of nurses is the long hours and responsibilities nurses have. They work anywhere from 12 to 16 hour shifts, have most of the responsibility of patient care and should be paid more money.

The doctors make the big bucks but the nurses do 95% of the work involved.

Answer 3

There's a large number of nurses who aren't working as nurses anymore, having found better ways to make a living. As long as there are cost-containment measures in the medical industry (and that's likely to get worse rather than better in the forseeable future), nurse staffing at hospitals will be an area where the payroll is seen as an expense to be looked at carefully, and nurses will find alternatives with better hours and less stress.
I have an interesting thought experiment for you: How would you deal with enticing a nurse with ten or more years' experience into continuing to work night shifts and holidays when she could find another job that doesn't require either and pays nearly as much?

Answer 4

Overworked, underpayed, high stress working conditions, are just a few examples. Also, most nurses don't work in an ER where they perform "Fun" procedures. Many work in nursing homes or assisted living centers where they get to feed, bathe and clean-up after their patients. When people join the field because of what they see on E.R. or Grey's Anatomy and then find out what the realities of the job are, they don't last long.

Answer 5

Well, all of the above are correct. Most fields of nursing are ugly, under-paid, stressful, and life-consuming jobs. Nursing is also over-regulated and there is a ton of work, licensure, and legal liabilities one has to overcome, ultimately not ever even getting to use 10% of their techincal training.

However, the major reason is much simplier than that. Baby-boomers. There is a vastly higher percentage of senior citizens today than there was even 10 years ago. There are too many people hitting critical ages of health risks at once--faster than Nurses can be trained to deal with them. That's the real reason.

Answer 6

Comparitively low pay for the education required, shift requirements, stress. All lead to burnout.

Also, most nurses don't have loving and caring wives.