Nursing Trend Watch: Get Ready for Change

By Linda Beattie, contributor to NurseZone.com

"What does the future hold for nurses and the country’s health care system? It certainly won’t be “more of the same.” From high-tech advances to economic downturns, nurses will need to keep their eyes on a number of trends if they want to be ready for the changes ahead."
Click on the title to read the full article ~ but note one set of statistics for job seekers to keep in mind:

The projected growth rates for RN jobs in the largest areas of employment are:
Physician offices ~ 39 percent
Home health care services ~ 39 percent
Outpatient care centers ~ 34 percent
Employment services ~ 27 percent
General medical and surgical hospitals, public and private ~ 22 percent
Nursing care facilities ~ 20 percent

Caribbean Nursing Statistics

Table 1:
Number of Registered Nurses, Vacancies, and Vacancy Rates by Country.
Table 2:
Registered Nurses' Resignations with Declared Intentions to Migrate to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, or Canada, by Year and Country.
Table 3:
Health Workforce in the Caribbean Region per 10,000 Population.

Managed migration: the Caribbean approach to addressing nursing services capacity
Health Services Research, June, 2007, by Marla E. Salmon,
Jean Yan, Hermi Hewitt, Victoria Guisinger

Addressing Nurse-to-Nurse Bullying to Promote Nurse Retention

Rocker, C., (August 29, 2008) "Addressing Nurse-to-Nurse Bullying to Promote Nurse Retention" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing; Vol 13 No. 3.

"Nurse-to-nurse bullying in the workforce is contributing to the current nursing shortage. The literature reveals both victims and witnesses of bullying suffer silently and are often confused as to what to do when presented with bullying behavior. This confusion frequently contributes to nurses leaving their chosen profession."

"Some Examples of Nurse-to-Nurse Bullying:
Interactions:
~ Withholding information.
~ Posting documentation errors on bulletin boards for all disciplines to view and others to critique.
~ Intimidating others by threats of disciplinary procedures.
~ Writing critical and abusive letters or notes to co-workers.
~ Verbalizing harsh innuendos and criticism.
~ Using hand gestures to ward off conversation.
~ Rolling eyes in disgust.
~ Having personal values and beliefs undermined.

Power Disparities:
~ Using shift/weekend charge positions to direct/control staff assignments/breaks.
~ Controlling co-workers’ behavior by reporting them to their supervisors for perceived lack of productivity and assistances.
~ Placing others under pressure to produce work and meet impossible deadlines.
~ Withholding knowledge of policies and procedures to get co-workers in trouble.

Actions:
~ Yelling at co-workers.
~ Demanding co-workers answer the telephone, NOW!
~ Refusing to mentor and guide new staff in their practice.
~ Refusing to help those who struggle with the unknown and uncertainty.
~ Refusing to help others in need of assistance.
~ Giving public reminders of incomplete/missed documentation or work."

Full article available at: www.nursingworld.org

RNCareers: Ontario's Premiere Career Site for Nurses

"To aid nurses in their search for career opportunities, the RNAO [Registered Nurses Association of Ontario] hosts the most extensive job search available for nurses in Ontario.
This career site offers a job and resume posting service that is beneficial to job seekers and nursing employers.
Nurses have the opportunity to search for jobs and their resumes to employers while remaining in control of their confidential information."

What Nurses Want

Recruitment Plans Focus On Working Conditions Over Financial Rewards
~ Washington Post ~ Sept 13, 2008
by V. Don Haynes

"As it turns out, many nurses want better working conditions more than they do extra money. Hospitals now are responding by introducing technology to dramatically reduce paperwork, offering more flexible hours, reducing caseloads, paying for advanced training and giving them more authority."
Click on title to read full article...

The Numbers Game

Nurses Respond to Questions about Salary
article reports on notable findings in nurse's earnings by region [US].

"Of the almost 75% who responded to the question on salary, the average salary was $62,618."

by Lorraine Steelfel on Nurse.com website, posted Sept 8, 2008.

News of our IUON Students in Colorado

Some encouraging words from our nursing student cohort now at University of Colorado - Pueblo!
"I just thought I would pass on that all is well with the Colorado group. We love it here in Pueblo. I want to pass on a thank you. Thank you for all that IUON gave us. We are excited and know that we are ready for the next step in our education. Thought we would send some pictures of what we are up to, hope you enjoy.
Thank you again, Melissa"

All the best to Danielle, Melissa, Elizabeth & Sheryl (& Candice)
from all of us back in St. Kitts!