Another part of the problem to the nursing shortage (now and in the future) is the insufficient number of nurse educators. The forecasts for nurse educators over the next 12 years is alarming and maybe the cause for the nursing shortage panic and the potential shortage of nurses. It is true that many potential qualified nursing students are being turned away due to schools of nursing being filled to capacity.

The industry is in need and is seeking/calling experienced nurses that maybe ready for a change in their career path or lifestyle to consider becoming a nurse educator. This could be especially rewarding to those that are looking to recommit to their vocation by perpetuating their unique gifts and talents to hundreds of future nurses.

It may also be an option for those that have left the nursing field ready to return.

For those in Pennsylvania, please see my blog and the "Futures in Nursing" weblink below.

http://pennsylvanianurses.blogspot.com/
http://www.futuresinnursing.org/aid/...ducators.shtml

You bring up very important points. I make more money at the hospital than I could has a nurse educator at one of our local colleges. We need more money for nursing education.

MJ

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Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com

The statistics are alarming concerning the shortage of nurses, not only now, but in the immediate future. I live in Pennsylvania and our problem (not unlike most other states) is that our nursing schools are turning away potential nurses due to the lack of nursing educators.

There is an organization in PA that is offering financial assistance, scholarships, and grants to current nurses looking to become nurse educators.

If you live in PA and are looking for a little change in direction with your nursing experience, you should check out the PHEF.

http://www.higheredfoundation.org/programs/index.shtml

Dear MJ,

How do we remedy? I do believe there are nurses that would trade off the money for a better quality of life and something more fulfilling; it's a matter of awareness for those potential candidates. Having said that, I don't dispute the disparity that exists. How do we close the gap? My immediate thought is some kind of co-op between schools of nursing and neighboring facilities. I have some ideas, but I don't know what would be fair and equitable. I believe both could benefit with some kind of program that would divert funding into a co-op.

Jenn

I really don't know what would be the first step to solving the nursing shortage. Nurses living in a single parent household need the money in order to support their kids, and nurses like me can't afford to retire because of the cost of living. I'd love to trade off money for a better life, but I can't. That's the one thing that keeps a lot of people in nurse.

Back in the old days of nursing, every nursing school was tied to a hospital. We worked our butts off, but in return we received a great education at an affordable price. More students could go to nursing school because it wasn't overly expensive to attend.

MJ

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Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com

The problem we seem to face is the value placed on nursing. While nursing practice has become ever more complex and challenging, while we have taken on greater responsibility the value placed on us by others seems to have reduced. Equally little value is placed upon those who teach nurses, in the UK a job in nurse education would likely lead to lower pay than at the bedside or in management.

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Julie
http://www.lifeinthenhs.wordpress.com

Is that not just reflective that the course they provide is generally crap? And that post-grad preceptors tend to get the new grads up to speed on the reality of the situation?

I'd be happy for nurse educators to get a decent pay - for a decent job done. I'm not sure what the pay difference is - as my nurse educator is on a higher rate than me (I'm upper supervisor level - he's lower management) - but I take home more due to shift loading etc. Plus I earn more than he does.

I am not sure that it would be true to say that all nurse educators are 'crap' or that the courses are equally rubbish. It would be true to say that if better quality people were attracted into education or into combined practice / education roles then courses could be better than they currently are.

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Julie
http://www.lifeinthenhs.wordpress.com

I feel that one of the key reasons that there is a nursing shortage is that people other than nurses are making decions about how nursing work will be done, what nurses are worth, and how nurses and nursing are portrayed in the wider world. When my mother started her hospital based nursing training in about 1958 the choices for womens work were more limited, you could say most women felt they could choose from a handful of careers including nursing. These days both young women and men can choose from any and all careers so nursing needs to seen as a fulfilling alternative in all ways not just the personal satisfaction of providing excellent care.
My fav concept is participation, that is in order to make improvments, to create change one has to participate in things. This begins with working as a nurse, this is participation, so you are then the "expert" in your area who has insight and can comment on what is good or bad, what works, what doesn't. If you then become involved you can create improvements from the ground up so to speak. It might be that you use your vote to influence govt, (in New Zealand nurses have a poor voter turn out), you might belong and be active in your union, you might be an educator, invoved in quality improvment and so many more ways to be involved (as so many nurses already are). The more of us standing together in support of one another the easier it will be. I truly feel if nurses organised how nursing was managed and payed and staffed and described to the world it would be a more satisfing job with less frustrations and burnout and we would attract more young nurses.
In memory of a dedicated, passionate, inspiring nurse who tragically passed away this week but who had participated vigorously and inspired me to do the same

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we don't know how lucky we are
Jacqui Bee

Hello. I was wondering if anyone knows of any types of nursing models on perhaps a med/surg unit to where the NT/CNA's actually have a Charge Tech. One who works daily, without a patient assignment. Job tasks would be to answer call bells, meet and greet and even do the patient admission for the tech part that is. Relieve others for lunch. Help with q2 turns, run to the bed alarms ringing. Be as a mentor to the new techs to help with organizing and looking at the whole patient rather than just being task oriented.. the list could go on. I see this as a reduction on wounds, patient falls, staff disatisfaction, patient complaints and the list again could go on and on. I would like to see this on my unit but would LOVE to find a model to mirror to help with making this happen. Someone please do share!

Thanks so much!
Eholistic