The nursing shortage in the U.S. has reached a critical stage. In the January/February 2007 issue of Health Affairs, it was estimated that the U.S. shortage of nurses will increase to 340,000 by the year 2020. Based on findings from the Nursing Management Aging Workforce Survey released in July 2006, 55% of surveyed nurses reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020. According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in the November 2005 Monthly Labor Review, more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions, California’s nursing shortage is among the most severe in the U.S. California will need over 60,000 additional licensed nurses to meet the projected demand for nursing services in 2020. The California Employment Development Department predicts that there will be 27,100 openings for licensed vocational nurses (LVN s) by 2010.

For many young people this nursing shortage comes as a blessing in disguise.  Hospitals and other medical facilities are competing with one another to hire qualified nurses from a dwindling pool of candidates.  To fill their vacancies employers are offering sign-on bonuses, housing allowance, higher pay, better hours and better work environment.  As the supply versus demand continues to worsen, hospitals will, in the long run, be forced to offer more incentives to get people to work in their hospitals.

Employers are tripping over each other to attract qualified nurses to work for them. Look at some of the enticements offered to nurses in a recent issue of Nurse Week:

“At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, we treat the sickest, most seriously injured children, and we work hard to change their lives for better. Now we’re doing the same for our nurses. We’re offering better pay, bigger incentives, and a relocation program that’s  second to none. The opportunities are greater and so are the rewards.

¨      Competitive pay rates

¨      $10,000 sign-on bonus

¨      $1,500 monthly housing allowance

¨      $5,000 relocation package”

Another hospital had this to offer:

“In addition to an extensive array of health and welfare benefits for you and your family that begin within 30 days of employment, we offer alternative12-hour shifts, 12-hour weekend bonus program, Retiree Medical Benefits, and a Specialty Certification Award of $1,000/

year. In addition, you can sign up for long-term care and critical care insurance, pet insurance and legal counsel, to name a few. It’s a great opportunity to get these benefits at a group rate. We have programs in place that support you professionally and personally.”

Wouldn’t you like to be one of these nurses to get this dream job? You can do it.

Most employers pay LVN’s between $23 and $28 per hour and several dollars more in acute care, correctional facilities and per diem shifts. A recent survey in LPN magazine showed that LVN’s in California earn nearly $45,000 per annum.

To meet this growing shortage of nurses, Homestead Schools, a leading name in health education, offers vocational nursing programs to provide theory and clinical instruction that prepares nurses to take immediate jobs in the medical field. Homestead Schools, established since 1991, has been dedicated to meeting the educational needs of professionals from various disciplines, students and consumers.

The school is accredited by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT), Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE), and Board of Registered Nursing to offer vocational courses and continuing education programs.

Its current LVN class is graduating in December.  Next class starts in January 2008. The school is now accepting new student applications for a limited number of open slots. The program’s length is 12 months and school offers flexible schedule with morning (9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.) or evening (4:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.) classes. The school also has plans to offer a part-time 18-month program to those who wish to work while attending school. Classes as a rule are small to provide individualized attention, and each student has access to a personal computer for practice tests and Internet access. Such training and familiarity with computers during the year prepare the student to perform better on their NCLEX exam. Enroll early as the program fills very quickly.

Besides the vocational nursing program, Homestead Schools also offers training in: Medical assisting, pharmacy technician, nurse assistant training (CNA), IV therapy and blood withdrawal, CNA upgrade to LVN program, CEU’s for RN’s and LVN’s.

Currently, Homestead Schools is working towards the completion of its RN program to be offered soon. The LVN to RN bridge program allows students to earn 30 additional semester units to qualify them for RN licensure exam.

Homestead Schools has designed the program to ensure student success: faculty members with PhD, MS, MA, BS in nursing and medical degrees; amenities necessary to function at a maximum standard; school’s commitment to the provision of excellent nursing education demonstrated by a curriculum that is responsive to changes in the healthcare system; financial aid and job placement assistance; scholarship grants; intensive NCLEX review program; and excellent student services to include counseling, tutorial classes and personalized instruction. 

We encourage you to explore the Web site (homesteadschools.com), or visit their campus situated in a modern office complex in the central business district of Torrance, Calif. located at 23844 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 200.  You can reach the school at (310) 791-9975 and talk to Student Counselor Jill.  Their staff is highly motivated to assist you not only in joining the Homestead Schools family for career training, but in getting you out in the workforce as quickly as possible.

Realize your dreams and your future. Act now!  Selecting the school that is right for you is a significant decision. Success is not a matter of chance… it’s a matter of choice. (December 2007)