The nursing shortage that won't die

I know there is tons of discussion on this site about this subject. I also don't personally see a nursing shortage. I just received a document from the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence that proclaims yet again that Colorado is under an 11% nursing shortage. Regardless of how you feel about this issue or where you live, please take this incredibly short survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J8ZSPWP. I promise to re-post results if I get enough respondents. I'm having trouble understanding why the press, government, and researchers insist on this shortage when there are so many nurses on this site having trouble finding work. Maybe that because all the working nurses are too busy working to blog about it! Anyway thanks!
This website has some very good reports on the numbers of nurses needed in Florida, the most recent report takes into account the current economy.http://www.flcenterfornursing.org/

From what I can tell, the shortage is overall in the US but it really depends on the area. For example, I know where my family lives, in Western, MA there is no shortage and its very hard to get a job there but here in Washington, DC there is a huge shortage. All the major hospitals in the area have tons of "critical need" postings that are all nurse positions.

I think the nursing shortage mirrors the primary care provider shortage. Few people (physician, nurse, dog walkers, whatever) want to live in disadvantaged/undeserved areas. Highly desirable communities have plenty of everything.

Also the current hiring problem expirienced by RNs across the country is recession/economy related. Once the unemployment rate starts to recede RN hiring will begin. Generationally the boomers haven't started to retire in big numbers and this will drive the need for RNs over the next couple of decades.

OC_An Khe - good point, the baby boomer retirement will be a big strain, not only on nurses retiring themselves but the also the need for nurses to care for the retired. That will affect education tremendously too.

Also, sometimes the "critical need" postings are for specialized positions where they want someone who already has the skills. Training up nurses inexperienced in that speciality, especially total newbie nurses, requires sufficient staff already on hand available to train, which a facility may not have.

The tight RN job market isn't just something you read about here. Talk to RN's and new grads in your area and you'll see there aren't as many jobs for RN's and the ones who have jobs are expected to do MUCH more with fewer resources and less help.My first jobs as an RN in a hospital and in a nursing home were both a cake walk compared to what hospitals and LTC's expect out of new grads today. Personally I don't see more RN jobs opening up for many years to come. My rationale? Most boomers I know CAN NOT afford to retire. What would we live on???? Our 401K's have been depleted. The cold reality I see is many boomer RN's will have to work until they are physically unable.

Quote from itsmejuliThis website has some very good reports on the numbers of nurses needed in Florida, the most recent report takes into account the current economy.http://www.flcenterfornursing.org/

Quote from lindarnMy edeucated guess, is that if Florida IS suffering from a nursing shortage, it is from their own doing- lousy pay, lousier benefits, lousy working conditions, "right to work, (for less), mentality, etc. JMHO and my NY $0.02.Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRNSomewhere in the PACNW