Nurses and Shortages There is usually a demand for qualified nurses, especially in hospitals. There are more doctors now than ever before, and for every doctor, there is at least one nurse, and sometimes more. Private practice medical groups employ multiple nurses, with a mixture of LPNs and RNs. Consider all of the medical practice groups, including specialty practices. That is s lot of nurses, and there needs to be. It takes many nurses to keep a medical practice operating. Nursing Turnover Reasons On average, 17.5 percent of nurses leave their job within the first year. Many hospitals try to determine the reason for this, and offer exit interviews to have a shorter time nurse explain their reason for leaving. -
The number one reason new nurses leave their jobs within the first year is, they took the job to gain some experience. Hospitals are much more likely to hire nurses that have recently graduated. Most hospitals offer extensive mentor or training programs for new nurses, so they can receive on the job training even after school. Hospitals also need more nurses, and nurses that have just completed school are generally looking for Immediate employment. So why don't the nurses stay? Most have no idea what it's going to be like to be a fulltime nurse, so that first job with 12 hour shifts can be a shock in itself. In addition, when first graduating, you may not be sure where you want to work, so a hospital will often be the obvious choice until permanent decisions are made. Another reason, any nurses leave their job in the first year is their schedule. Hospitals operate 24/7, and not everyone appreciates the midnight shift. While some prefer this shift, most switch to a day shift if given the opportunity. Nurses often network, and with social media networking is easier than ever. Nurses that are aware of job openings share the information, and while perhaps they are not searching for another job, the information from another nurse, may sound appealing. Last, nurses are always in demand, so there is not as much concern in this profession about long term job history. For every job a nurse leaves, it's pretty certain there is an open position, waiting for them to go to. The regular changing of jobs with nurses can create short term shortages. Related: Most Popular Areas of Nursing
Technology & Nursing The advances in technology have improved nursing jobs, and made many things more efficient. The procedure now to match patient arm bands to medication orders have made a drastic drop in medication errors, and made the jobs of nurses easier. The changing of patient records to electronic has been a huge asset in the medical field, and for nurses as well. No longer do they have to look for a file, it is literally in their hands at all, times. With this change, however, there has been some resistance from nurses that are not fond of change. One hospital indicated 10% of their nursing staff resigned after the start of electronic records. Ironically, they may have found other jobs not yet using electronic records, but in the long run all records will be digital. Again, this can create a temporary shortage. For nurses that are employed by a hospital, there is a very good chance nights, weekends, and holidays are a regular part of your schedule. Taking a job in a private practice may eliminate the unwanted hours and replace them with banker's hours. Many nurses also face major burnout when they work long hours in a hospital. They may simply desire a more normal schedule with regular daytime hours. Related: How to Stay Awake to Study for Nursing Exams The fact is, most people change jobs 7 times during their adult working careers and nursing is no exception. Because jobs are so readily, available for nurses, it makes the lure of changing jobs even appealing. At certain times,it could create a shortage, if multiple people resign at one time, it could mean the hospital has to call in travelnurses. There is nothing wrong with changing jobs, just don't overdo it. A resume filled with multiple jobs could make a perspective employer think twice. Think before changing jobs, is it a better position, more money? When deciding to change jobs, always give adequate notice to your employer, it's always good to leave under the best circumstances. Essentially, there could be a shortage of nurses, but the hope is that morepeople will select nursing as a career, and that will help meet the demand. Related: Highly Regarded Registered Nurse Jessica Pougnault, RN, will be Spotlighted in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter