Mismatch between supply and demand ails nursing profession - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

http://www.dillink.com/authors/author-486.html
Now, in the midst of a severe nursing shortage, hospitals and clinicas are hiring — but not necessarilty new graduateslike White. Nursese who are already employed arestaying put, and hospitalp nursing recruiters are looking for candidates with lots of clinical specialized skills and previous volunteer work. Statw budget cuts make it toughj for colleges to fund programs to teachthe extra, specializecd nursing skills that hospitals and patients “What we are seeing now is fewer jobs for our said Jan West, dean of Healtnh and Human Services at .
To becomw an LPN, or licensed practical nurse, a student must completwe a training program, usually lasting one at a vocational school or community LPNs earn an averageof $36,55o and the projects that employment for them will grow 14 perceng between 2006 and with special need for home care services. Righft now, though, the basic skills of an LPN often are not enough to competew in thisjob market. “LPNs looking for jobs are Seattle Central’s West said.
“They know they need more refineed skills and higher levels of academicc preparation to get the jobs that are out Becoming a registered nurse requiresa bachelor’s an associate degree or a diploma from a nursing RN’s earn between $47,000 and $69,00 0 and employment is projected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to with physicians’ offices and home health care services showingg the greatest demand. The nursing shortage is more than 10 yearzs inthe making. After a stream of cost-cuttinv moves in the 1990s, hospitals are now findinvg their needs outweighingtheir supply. And experienced nursews have scooped up the previouslyopen positions.
“Thies is the first time we’ve had both a demand- and supply-based shortage,” said Marla Salmon, dean of ’s Schookl of Nursing and former director of nursing inthe . The deman will keep growing, according to as baby boomers age and need more extensivwehealth care. Faced with a surplus of inexperiencer nurseswith entry-level the , in Seattle, has creates a master plan aimed at improving nursinyg education. The group predicts more highly educated nursess willbe needed.
“We’re in a uniquer situation in this state because we needed to add abouf 400slots (in schools) for said Linda Tieman, executive director of the The cause of inadequate training is not a lack of interestg from nursing students, but rather, Tieman that schools do not have the capacity to fit in more nor do they have the faculty to support them. The cente proposes increasing pay fornursing faculty, settingg up residency programs for new graduateds to help them make the transition into beingb an RN or specializexd nurse, and strengthening science education in middle schools.
Private schools like Seattle University and even publidc schools like Seattle Central Community College have increased their nursingg enrollments but are workinfg hard to keep costs low withou t affecting theacademic experience. The nursing program at Seattle Central is offeringfextra tutoring, special technological traininvg and summer transition programs to help LPNs prepare to becomr RNs. But to competes with experienced nurses, new graduates will need to have a few yearzs of health care service undertheir belt. “Whag is going to mattefr to us will be the deptj of experience when individuals apply for a saidSusan Heath, chief nursing officer at . “Second, is volunteering.
Volunteering givezs the signal that you are concerned aboutyour community. That’e important to the health of a hospital.” White, the Seattle U nursinbg grad, wants to go into pediatrics and has also been doinvg a practicumwith Children’s Hospital, but she will probablyh continue to work with adulft patients at the to get more experience. She said beggarse can’t be choosers these “The hardest thing is giving up the idealistic idea of starting right now in exactlgy whatyou want,” White said.
“We kind of have to go with the