We’ve been hearing for years that nurses are in short supply.
But the economy has put a damper on that notion. Contrary to that popular belief, nurses looking for a job are having a hard time finding work. The recession has forced nurses close to retirement to keep on working, and part-timers looking for more work.
At one hospital near Washington DC, there were precisely zero openings, something that hasn’t been seen in 20 years.
The good news is that the recession will eventually end, and that the underlying shortage of nursing staff hasn’t changed. I suspect that within a year, we’ll see newspapers again trumpet how dire the nursing shortage really is.