One of the famous questions among foreign nurses now is, “ Can I still work as a nurse in the U.S?†The retrogression for almost five years now plus the recession of the economy is making some nurses despair. These feelings of uncertainty are pretty normal especially since people are always on the lookout for what's best in their careers.
To shed some light on this question, Nurses' E-Learning Center has gathered some statistical data about the current and projected indicators of the nursing shortage in the United States.
In the Economic News Release of the the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (December 2009), the Nursing profession ranked 5th among occupations with the largest job openings.
What is even better for foreign nurses is that Floridian Representative Robert Wexler has proposed a bill that would allow for the extension of 20,000 visas to foreign nurses every year for the next three years. Should the bill in its current form not pass through the Senate, legislators plan to add an immigration reform package to Obama's healthcare reform to give immediate relief to the current shortage.
A significant report last July 02, 2009 revealed that the healthcare sector added 21,000 new jobs. In that same month, 467,000 jobs were eliminated from other industries. In September 2009, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that 544,000 jobs have been added in the healthcare sector since the recession began.
This data shows that despite job losses from nearly all major industries across the U.S, the healthcare sector continues to grow. Since nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare sector, RN and LPN/LVN will need to be hired to fill these positions.
The contributing factors compounding the nursing shortage in the U.S at present include:
1. Very low growth in nursing school enrollment
The American Association for Colleges of Nursing reports that in order to meet the current demand for nurses, the U.S needs a 90% increase in their nursing graduates compared to a 2.2% increase in 2008. This demonstrates that nursing schools have reached full capacity already. At that rate it would take over 40 years for the US to catch up! Obviously there needs to be a better solution.
2. Shortage of nursing school faculty
AACN reported that 49,948 qualified applicants were turned down in 2008 due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraint. This is due to US nursing schools reaching maximum capacity.
3. Baby- boomer nurses
By year 2012, the projected average age of RN’s in the U.S are expected to be in their 50’s. They would become the largest segment of the nursing workforce, almost one quarter of the total RN population. 55% of surveyed nurses reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020. The majority of those surveyed were nurse managers. This means a faster chance of promotion for those just entering the profession.
One more factor that can add to the nursing shortage in the near future is Obama’s Healthcare Reform. This healthcare reform can insure more Americans by millions. Without major changes made soon on the current nursing shortage, the vacancy rate may quadruple. It is already impossible to fill the vacancies to be created by the baby boomers with the resources at present. America does not have enough nurses to fill the demands. At some point, the U.S would have to open her doors to more foreign nurses.
Research has shown that the inadequate levels of registered nurse staffing pose a significant threat to the safety and quality of patient care. Moreover, insufficient staffing is raising the stress levels of nurses, impacting job satisfaction, and driving many nurses to leave the profession.
So if you ask, “Can I still be a nurse in the United States?†The answer is a resounding, “YES!â€. Considering all the factors mentioned above, the United States of America can not afford not to hire more foreign nurses to meet their nation’s healthcare needs.
Click here to view the Latest Employment Projections for 2008- 2018 by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SOURCE: http://nurses-blog.ph/2010/03/22/168/
cc: Nurses' E-Learning Center
To shed some light on this question, Nurses' E-Learning Center has gathered some statistical data about the current and projected indicators of the nursing shortage in the United States.
In the Economic News Release of the the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (December 2009), the Nursing profession ranked 5th among occupations with the largest job openings.
What is even better for foreign nurses is that Floridian Representative Robert Wexler has proposed a bill that would allow for the extension of 20,000 visas to foreign nurses every year for the next three years. Should the bill in its current form not pass through the Senate, legislators plan to add an immigration reform package to Obama's healthcare reform to give immediate relief to the current shortage.
A significant report last July 02, 2009 revealed that the healthcare sector added 21,000 new jobs. In that same month, 467,000 jobs were eliminated from other industries. In September 2009, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that 544,000 jobs have been added in the healthcare sector since the recession began.
This data shows that despite job losses from nearly all major industries across the U.S, the healthcare sector continues to grow. Since nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare sector, RN and LPN/LVN will need to be hired to fill these positions.
The contributing factors compounding the nursing shortage in the U.S at present include:
1. Very low growth in nursing school enrollment
The American Association for Colleges of Nursing reports that in order to meet the current demand for nurses, the U.S needs a 90% increase in their nursing graduates compared to a 2.2% increase in 2008. This demonstrates that nursing schools have reached full capacity already. At that rate it would take over 40 years for the US to catch up! Obviously there needs to be a better solution.
2. Shortage of nursing school faculty
AACN reported that 49,948 qualified applicants were turned down in 2008 due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraint. This is due to US nursing schools reaching maximum capacity.
3. Baby- boomer nurses
By year 2012, the projected average age of RN’s in the U.S are expected to be in their 50’s. They would become the largest segment of the nursing workforce, almost one quarter of the total RN population. 55% of surveyed nurses reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020. The majority of those surveyed were nurse managers. This means a faster chance of promotion for those just entering the profession.
One more factor that can add to the nursing shortage in the near future is Obama’s Healthcare Reform. This healthcare reform can insure more Americans by millions. Without major changes made soon on the current nursing shortage, the vacancy rate may quadruple. It is already impossible to fill the vacancies to be created by the baby boomers with the resources at present. America does not have enough nurses to fill the demands. At some point, the U.S would have to open her doors to more foreign nurses.
Research has shown that the inadequate levels of registered nurse staffing pose a significant threat to the safety and quality of patient care. Moreover, insufficient staffing is raising the stress levels of nurses, impacting job satisfaction, and driving many nurses to leave the profession.
So if you ask, “Can I still be a nurse in the United States?†The answer is a resounding, “YES!â€. Considering all the factors mentioned above, the United States of America can not afford not to hire more foreign nurses to meet their nation’s healthcare needs.
Click here to view the Latest Employment Projections for 2008- 2018 by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SOURCE: http://nurses-blog.ph/2010/03/22/168/
cc: Nurses' E-Learning Center
