WKBT La Crosse, WI-NewsChannel 8-Shortages Leave Hospitals Nation-wide Looking for Nurses

Reported by Kristen Elicerio

Shortages Leave Hospitals Nation-wide Looking for Nurses

A prolonged nursing shortage in the United States has hospitals around the country desperate to hire qualified workers.

The current nursing situation has forced recruiters to become increasingly innovative in their search efforts.

According to one report, the shortage of RN's in the United States could reach as high as 500,000 by 2025.

Franciscan Skemp currently has nurse openings, however they say it's nothing alarming.

Vice President of Nursing, Diane Holmay, says nurses are in such high demand because situations in health care settings and hospitals are changing.

"Our patients are getting sicker and more complex as they age and the baby boom generation is starting to get older, there's more of them with chronic conditions," said Holmay.

While there are increasingly more people interested in nursing careers, there is also a shortage in academic staff available to teach students.

Franciscan Skemp says they're fortunate to be in a position where they're able to make connections with nursing students at local universities, but for them hiring new staff isn't the issue.

"The shortage, right now isn't as much as it will be in the future when we know our nurses that we have with that great experience are getting ready to retire," Rhonda Smith, a Franciscan Skemp Employment Representative.

Franciscan Skemp started a recruitment and retention committee this past year that helps recognize current nurses for their outstanding work.

The hospital's recruitment office says although they're looking to fill some nursing positions immediately, they're not compromising the quality of nurses they hire or how it affects patient care.