“The shortage, right now isn’t as much as it will be in the future when we know our nurses that we have with that great experience are getting ready to retire,”

We can stem shortage (AZ)http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2009/01/08/20090108thur2-08.html

The nation needs to increase the capacity to train its own nurses. It also needs to make it easier for foreign nurses to become part of America’s health-care system.

Nurse Shortage (LA)

http://www.fox44.com/news/local/37245634.html

Baton Rouge is no exception to the country’s need for nurses.  Deborah Ford from Our Lady of the Lake Hospital says the problem is twofold.  “We have a double whammy in our state: faculty shortages along with the exit from Katrina that we are still recuperating from.”

(HCU commentary follows…)

Happy New Year, and wishing you the best in your career this 2009!

In the midst of the current economic recession, there is still something to look forward to in your career. I wanted to start the year’s blog with tidbits of new from different areas/states, just to show how the nurse shortage is a continuing challenge for facilities all over.

Signing bonuses, incentives, foreign hiring, are just some of the ways that facilities do in order to attract nurses. But in the midst of the current recession which we can foresee will stay for a while, it can go both ways for the nurse:

(1) Stay put and secure with one’s current job. – This is very understandable and practical for those who have their own families and for those who have worked for their emploeyers for several years. Though one thinks that she has the advantage, being a healthcare professional in demand, one cannot help think that there is still a risk factor of losing one’s new job, in case the new emplyer all of a sudden decides to downsize its operations. “Why would I leave and not just stay put and sit out the recession?”

(2) If the demand is that strong, I know my market value and will find a better career opportunity. – Young nurses, those who don’t have children, those who are not that satisfied with their current jobs but haven’t taken steps to explore new positions – these are the nurse who may look into find a better career opportunity. One can even decide to search by oneself, trusting her skills and capabilities. However, I suggest for one to open herself to working with a recruiter like me so I can help look at more fitting opportunities.

I’ve been monitoring CNN’s economic reports, and the analysts are always encouraging investors to buy and realize that there is still an opportunity in the midst of this recession (i.e. buy low).

And this is also what I encourage you to do. Don’t stop yourself from exploring possibilities. Staying put too tight might also mean possibly losing a better job to someone who decided to take a calculated risk. At least please think about it. And if ever you still decide to stay put, at least you know you have looked into this thoroughly.

(HCU commentary follows…)

From the article:

The United States, with its growing population, history of migration and a health sector that has no parallel in terms of the scale of health expenditure, is expected to play a central role in the migration of health workers in the future.

The US has a shortage of pharmacists and nursing staff, especially among registered nurses. It has been estimated that a 6-percent shortfall (110,000) out of 1.89 million registered nurses in 2000 could increase to a shortage of 800,000 registered nurses in 2020.

At present, only about 100,000 nurses in the US are migrants. About a quarter of doctors are graduates of foreign medical schools.

For many Filipinos the United Kingdom is often their stepping stone to North America. They prefer the US because many already have relatives there.

LubbockOnline.com – Lubbock,TX,USA – http://lubbockonline.com/stories/111408/loc_355869321.shtml

(HCU commentary follows…)

This is a scary one…

“When you have too many patients there are a lot of near misses, lots of near misses,” Leonard said. As a result, “at least 78,000 patients will die unnecessarily this year nationwide because there are not enough people like us, nurses.”

Would we rather save costs to increase risks of unnecessary deaths, which can possibly lead to liabilitiy costs, OR is it worth reducing the nurse/patient ratio in order to provide better care to patients and in the bigger picture, save on settlement costs due to unnecessary lawsuits?

I’m sure it’s a very complicated issue, and this is hoping lawmakers and the government can address this serious problem soon.

(HCU commentary follows…)

Time and again, it seems that nurses will always be in demand, not only periodically or in cycles. And the reasons have been clearly laid out in this article. 

For some, this increasing demand may not seem too evident because you may not immediately know or hear about open positions. And that’s why we are here to assist you find better career opportunities according to your plans, both professionally and personally.

So allow us to help you make your job search convenient and efficient. Let us do our job for you, so you can continue to focus on your work, and not on the nitty-gritty details of jobhunting.

Sun-Sentinel.com – Fort Lauderdale,FL,USA – http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/columnists/sfl-flzmarcia1113sbnov13,0,17604.column

(HCU commentary follows…)

If you want to purchase the book, 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs by Laurence Shatkin, which was mentioned in this article, I found the following sellers online:

Half.com – $10.50++ – http://product.half.ebay.com/150-Best-Recession-Proof-Jobs_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ66837203

Amazon – $11.53++ – http://www.amazon.com/Best-Recession-Proof-Jobs-Laurence-Shatkin/dp/1593576234

And with the current market conditions, you can share this book with your friends who are looking at alternative careers.