Economy delays expected nursing shortage

Though a national nursing shortage has long been foreseen, the economy seems to have delayed the shortage. According to the Missouri Hospital Association, the RN vacancy rate was down from 8.8 percent in 2004 to 4.1 percent in 2009. The MHA also reported a 3.7 percent vacancy rate in Southeast Missouri, compared to a 3.9 percent Missouri total vacancy. The numbers may be encouraging, but the shortage has far from disappeared, say local medical providers.

"The reduced turnover and vacancy rate in 2009 can be attributed primarily to the economy," says Wayne Smith, vice president of development and administrative services at Saint Francis Medical Center. "Many part-time or per diem staff increased their hours as a result of economic factors at home, such as a spouse's loss of job or reduced hours. Although the report concluded that the economy helped stabilize hospital turnover and vacancy rates, the problem is not going away in the near future and will become more urgent."

Karen Hendrickson, EdD., vice president and chief nursing officer at Southeast Missouri Hospital, has also found this to be true. Two to five years ago, she says, the hospital expected many nurses currently in the workforce to retire -- but for the most part, those nurses aren't retiring.

"With the economy the way it is, it's clear that it takes at least one income, preferably two, to maintain a standard of living," she says. The fact that so many are remaining in the workforce past retirement age is evidence of a still-struggling economy.

The average age of nurses in the United States is 47, according to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, released in March 2010 by the Federal Division of Nursing. At Saint Francis, approximately 26 percent of nurses are age 50 and older, says Smith.

"Due to the aging nursing population and impending retirement, by 2020, the U.S. will be more than 400,000 nurses short," he says. "As baby boomers reach retirement, the number of people needing more frequent medical care and for longer terms will increase."

To prepare for the eventual shortage, Saint Francis is using multimedia advertising to draw attention to www.yournursingfuture.com, a site targeting nurses in Cape Girardeau and throughout the nation.

"The campaign focuses primarily on nursing opportunities at Saint Francis and the quality of life in Cape Girardeau," says Teri Kreitzer, director of human resources at the medical center. "Just 12 months after Your Nursing Future campaign's launch in October 2007, Saint Francis had hired 120 nurses as a direct result." She adds that human resources personnel attend conferences to boost awareness of career opportunities at Saint Francis, and staff who help recruit nurses to the medical center receive referral bonuses.

Southeast established its College of Nursing and Health Sciences 20 years ago to ensure a steady supply of nurses to the area, and it has been very successful in doing so, says Hendrickson. Nursing intern/extern programs, clinical rotations, high school summer camps and job shadowing also serve that purpose.

"All of these have become feeders to the nurse workforce," says Hendrickson. In a 2010 Workforce Development report prepared by the Southeast Missouri Hospital Center for Nursing Excellence, numbers show a 90 percent hiring rate for spring 2010 graduates of the Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences, with 85 percent of them employed at Southeast, Saint Francis and local nursing homes and doctor's offices. Of the 22 spring 2010 graduates from Southeast Missouri State University's nursing program, 15 were employed locally.

However, Tonya Buttry, PhD., president of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, reports that registered nurse graduates had a more difficult time this year finding full-time employment in the area, and some settled for two part-time nursing jobs instead.

"Students report there are registered nurse positions available in hospitals; however, many require additional education and experience such as positions in critical care, supervision or nurse practitioner," Buttry adds.

As the population grows older, the need for more skilled nurses will likely be a constant trend.

"Upon graduation, nurses must be prepared to care for more acutely ill patients," says Donna Shirrell, EdD., dean of nursing at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. "Nurses will continue to assume more and more responsibility. I believe nursing will continue to move toward a more science-based or evidence practice."

Jeanne Fadler, vice president of patient care services at Saint Francis, also expects an increased demand for nurses trained in specialties .

"There is a shortage of qualified nurses across the board, especially of those who work at the bedside, the foundation of hospital care," she says. "Saint Francis always is seeking to recruit and retain experienced nurses in highly specialized areas, such as critical care."