Nursing Shortage

[Ekanive23]

Hello, town of less than 100 k in Indiana and we are always having nursing issues. I mean staffing issues by that. The ones we have are wonderful but being worked insanely hard.

is this a rural thing only?

the ratios are rough. The elective surgeries are being slowed down. There’s new protocols for hospitalists to report to leadership anticipated discharges to know how to staff the next day.

anyone else care to divulge?

I know travel nurses where I am aren’t paid a ton compared to other places. I was told it’s still 4600 for 4 12s. 🤯

im a Hospitalist so this would have to get a lot worse to affect my bottom line personally in the immediate future but the surgeons are losing cases on top of changes (assumption not known) due to the Medicare payment alterations.

in the long run if surgeons aren’t doing their thing, it will affect me. The way I see it, they make money, hospital makes money, I see some of it too.

[StarTrekDoc]

All over the place. Academic center -- minimal travel staffing. Pool nurses not volunteering. Retiring and early retiring nurse. Few backfilling inpatient.

[Rando]

Same here. Looks like Delta is coming and the trouble looks like it will be nursing staffing, not ICU beds and vents.

[JBME]

nurses much more likely to refuse the vaccine than doctors, so if health systems start to mandate it, the nursing shortage will get much worse

[FunkDoc83]

nurses much more likely to refuse the vaccine than doctors, so if health systems start to mandate it, the nursing shortage will get much worse

Surely this would represent a small percentage of why there is a nursing shortage right? How many RNs can be against the vaccine? Where would they go work, everywhere is going to mandate it eventually.

[CordMcNally]

This is becoming the norm everywhere. I’ve yet to see it publicly discussed near as much as COVID cases, etc. I’m not sure if there’s an outpatient shortage but there’s definitely an ED and inpatient shortage. The ones that are showing up are rapidly burning out.

[Ekanive23]

Surely this would represent a small percentage of why there is a nursing shortage right? How many RNs can be against the vaccine? Where would they go work, everywhere is going to mandate it eventually.

I think we’re losing the equivalent of 27 FTE from tech to LPN to RN potentially

[Ekanive23]

Would a market reset just fix this? Pay increase? I don’t see how demand isn’t changing this more rapidly, missing out on OR time is a big thing

[CordMcNally]

Would a market reset just fix this? Pay increase? I don’t see how demand isn’t changing this more rapidly, missing out on OR time is a big thing

The pay increases and bonuses during COVID are part of the problem. When someone gets used to a certain level of pay they don’t like to go back to their previous lower pay. You can increase the pay and you’ll be right back where you’re at now in a year. They need to get rid of the administrative bloat, get rid of all the unnecessary tasks and charting, and get out of the way for nurses to do actual patient care.

[JBME]

Surely this would represent a small percentage of why there is a nursing shortage right? How many RNs can be against the vaccine? Where would they go work, everywhere is going to mandate it eventually.

I have an admittedly biased view because my wife has two cousins who are nurses and they are totally down the rabbit whole all-conspiratory about the vaccine. Worse, one of them works in a children's hospital. I firmly believe she is killing kids and I hope she's fired and never allowed to be a nurse again.

That said, while this is certainly a crude approach, people who are lesser educated are more likely to refuse to get the vaccine, and nurses are less educated than doctors. Crude measure, I know! I certainly hope 99% of nurses are for, and have already gotten, the vacinne

[burritos]

Too many sick people with no end in sight.

[pierre]

How many RNs can be against the vaccine?

Just over 50% of my department and the hospital in general are not vaccinated.

[Zaphod]

The pay increases and bonuses during COVID are part of the problem. When someone gets used to a certain level of pay they don’t like to go back to their previous lower pay. You can increase the pay and you’ll be right back where you’re at now in a year. They need to get rid of the administrative bloat, get rid of all the unnecessary tasks and charting, and get out of the way for nurses to do actual patient care.

I think we fix climate change first, fission, etc....

[Eye3md]

I read somewhere, recently, that many young nurses are not becoming RNs with the purpose of serving on the floors, ORs, or offices. Instead, many of them see the RN/BSN as a path to higher income as a CRNA or NP. It’s hard to argue with them on this point (though I am scared to death by the explosion of online NP programs, and the potential product being put out). They can be an RN, and deal with staff shortages and abusive pts/families, or they can be a CRNA/NP and not have to put up with this as much and makes 2-5x the salary (and pretend to be a doc)

[Craigslist]

To answer OPs question, this will not affect hospitalist, but only benefit them.