Nursing and the Economy

Browsing through blogs tonight I caught a post on http://realityrounds.com that really struck a cord. The author is also a NICU RN and her blog is quite interesting. I find that I agree with this post of hers and am irritated when people casually mention that they will "just become a nurse" so they can get a job right away because the economy is tough. GRRRRR.....it's frustrating! Thankfully I'm not the only RN feeling this way...

Do You Want to Make More Money? Become a Locksmith, or a Nurse!
Posted by realityrounds on March 6, 2009

The economy is in the tank, unemployment is at 8.1%, a 25 year high. There are 4.4 million unemployed, with countless others who are underemployed. So what are the media pundits solution? Become a nurse!

I have to admit, this rubs me the wrong way. It is a huge pet peeve of mine. I read quotes from CNN of a former real estate agent becoming a nurse because it is “a more stable job”. I hear the Governor of Michigan talking on “Meet the Press”, saying a solution for all the recently unemployed in the auto industry, is to retrain them in health care.

Yes, there is a nursing shortage that will only get worse because of the aging of the population. Yes, we need more nurses. But, no, we do not want people going into nursing because it is a “stable” job, or they are desperate for work. The media pundits make nursing out to be a job that any sucker can do.

Nursing, by the way, requires a college education. You cannot become a nurse through a Sally Struthers training catalog. “Do you want to make more money? How about a career as a locksmith, TV repairmen, or a nurse!” It takes two years to complete an Associates Degree in nursing, and four years for a Bachelors of Science degree in nursing. Hopefully, we will be out of this recession/depression in two years.

Please, do not apply for nursing unless you have the following qualifications:

A love for science and the scientific process
An academic mind, with good problem solving skills
A love of medicine, health and social sciences
A good attitude
Not minding long hours on your feet, working weekends and holidays, and off shifts
A genuine desire to help others maintain health, gain health and promote health
A desire to promote the image and professionalism of nursing.
It would be great to have a new pool of nursing candidates who can bring some of the above qualifications to the profession. But, please do not apply if the only reason you want to be a nurse is because you can’t find a better job. Just become a locksmith then!

RR