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