NJ nursing shortage continues to worsen, study says

The grinding demand of the work during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred an exodus of nurses from the workplace. It's a problem that's worsening in New Jersey, especially as nursing schools struggle to recruit and graduate new nurses, according to a recent study. Edna Cadmus, the executive director of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing at the Rutgers School of Nursing, discusses the study's findings.

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NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi is a week-nightly news program on NJ PBS covering local New Jersey news as well as a multi-platform, local information source for New Jersey.

NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi airs every weeknight at 6, 7:30 and 11 p.m. ET on NJ PBS.

[lisagardner]

I would never encourage anyone to become a nurse. I retired at 50 years of age from ICU nursing because of the poor treatment of nurses and the nurse/patient ratios. I would rather work at Wal Mart before I would go back into nursing!

[charliediaz]

Increase pay for nurses and get California like nursing ratios!!!

[inshallamiami]

Treat the nurses you HAVE decently and you won’t have this shortage. There is no shortage of nurses…there is a shortage of nurses who want to be treated like crap,

[happylistener]

I’m happy to share. I busted my butt 24 years working in healthcare. The system abuses healthcare workers. Always short staffed and stressful. It absolutely sucks and the pay is inadequate. So it’s not surprising there’s a shortage of students and many healthcare professionals are leaving the field and many more retiring. During my last annual merit evaluation I had all my complimentary cards: “That a girl!”, “Good job!”, “Good call!”, etc. and a letter mailed by a happy patient congratulating my employer for having “a healer(me)” on their staff. Given to me by my previous manager(high department manager turnover). I was happy to learn my coworkers perceive me as their go to person for help troubleshooting equipment and resolving issues. It was my best review. However, the end result was not. My response: “I just had my best review and this does not reflect that. I have these cards and this letter. What does it take to make a buck/$1 here?!”. My manager thought a bit, said “You’re right” and changed it. Although I was happy with the final result, I realized it isn’t worth all my hard work and effort only to be forced to fight for the reward. That’s B.S.!. I was so done with all their shiz! and “Quiet Quit” until retiring at 60 free of debt and happily leaving the rat race workforce in 2021. Life is much too short to waste precious time with these greedy, insatiably money hungry, wealth hoarding multimillion, billion and trillion dollar corporate monsters who persistently exploit, manipulate and enslave employees. Stealing our money; making profits off the backs of hard working people while our own income stagnates and decreases. No more B.S.!. Freedom!. I’m enjoying my retirement.

[cnkis]

Ask Edna why she doesn't work on the floor? LMAO! Thinking that you need to make more nurses instead of hiring more staff so we're not worked TO THE BONE. Your actually just going to make more ex-nurses like myself. My hospital got rid of CNAs and the CEO got a multimillion dollar bonus. "gee, I wonder why nurses are quitting"... This has been going on since BEFORE the pandemic.

[charliediaz]

Keep giving nurse 1 to school bus plus ratios and people will continue to leave

[RFJersey]

Shouldn’t have fired our unvaccinated nurse heroes.

[coolguy]

How can there be a shortage when there's so many TikTok dancing traveling nurses?