A shortage of nurses in parts of the United States is driving demand, with some states such as Texas, Iowa, California and Florida offering US$10,000 ($12,990) or more to secure staff.
The Wall Street Journal cites the example of one graduate, Sandra Brown, 49, who was offered a job with a pension, a $US10,000 sign-on bonus and concierge services to help with grocery shopping and other errands, plus additional on-the-job training.
Another hospital provider Geisinger Health System also began offering nurses – some with only one year of experience – sign-on bonuses of up to $US15,000 in September and are encouraging their staff to promote the offer to others on social media.
Jobs and wages on the rise
With 2.8 million employees, nursing is the fifth-largest occupation in the US, but in recent years, the workforce had flat lined. Average wages had remained steady, while a flood of new graduates had filled the positions of retirees.
But with many older nurses now retiring or cutting back hours, nursing staff are again in short supply with some hospitals forced to hire casual nurses and pay overtime to fill the gap.
Nurses’ wages have climbed from between 2.5 per cent and 3 per cent this year, compared to 1.5-2 per cent two years ago.
Staffing agency AMN Healthcare Services said its number of nurse recruiters has jumped 79 per cent since 2013.
A need for more nurses
So will we see the market for nurses heat up here then? The short answer: yes.
The average age of nurses in Australia in 2012 was 44. 23 per cent of these were aged over 55. By 2030, it’s already predicted there will be a national shortage of 120,000 nurses.
Hospitals and healthcare providers will have to work harder to attract graduates and keep their existing staff. The question is will they have the support and funding to do it?
