The population of Austin, Texas seems to be growing and generally getting older faster than area nurses can be trained. When you add to that the number of nurses that retire every year a city wide shortage is created. This leaves plenty of open health related
Austin jobs that need to be filled as quickly as possible so that the quality of care provided does not decrease.
To make matters worse, the number of quality instructors in the Austin area is too low to make rapid training of replacement nurses a fast process. Currently to the ratio of students to nursing instructors leaves a lot to be desired. Part of the reason it is difficult to find enough teachers is the salary gap between nurses and nursing instructors in Austin. The average teacher makes only $35,000 a year compared to the students they are training who can easily expect to make anywhere from $40,000 to $70,000 directly after school.
Another factor contributing overwhelming number of nursing related
jobs in Austin unable to be field at this time, is the fact that there is the extremely high burn-out rate experienced by individuals in this. According to Yvonne Van Dyke of Seton Family Hospitals of Austin Texas, “As many as 60 to 65 percent of nurses will leave the profession within two years of having entered it.”
Area hospital officials are currently putting a huge focus on residency and on-the-job training programs to try to avoid future nurses experiences this level of burnout. During any of these 18-week OJT programs nurses usually spend an average of 25 percent of their time in a classroom environment and the rest is spent working with patients under the tutelage of experienced nurses.
Right now employers of
nurses in the Austin area should begin to consider different incentives to entice nurses toward the city. If the nursing shortage continues not only in Texas but in the US, then the most qualified nurses will have their pick of hospitals throughout the country. Most will choose whichever employer is offering the most money and/or benefits.
Labels: Austin jobs
