Letter: Hospitals cry nurse shortage, but don’t hire

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 4:28 a.m.

I read with great interest Mike O'Callaghan's view of the nursing shortage in his June 24 column, "A dangerous situation." I graduated from UNLV in 1974 with an AA in nursing. Since that time I have had active licenses and practiced in Oregon and California. I got out of hospital nursing in 1991 due to a minor lower-back injury. I have since worked in doctors offices and at a medical billing agency for ER doctors.

I moved back to Las Vegas almost two years ago. I went through a lot of paperwork to get my active Nevada nursing license. Since then I have tried to find employment to no avail. That is what makes me wonder about the so-called nursing shortage. I agree that there is no shortage, but with the bottom-line mentality they just aren't hiring. Of course this makes them look like they are in dire need of nurses.

I have even offered to work without pay under a staff RN to brush up on my skills if that is what is required, but I can't even get a response from any of the hospitals I have contacted.

I feel as O'Callaghan does that offering scholarships in the nursing program is not the way to solve the so-called shortage. Many of these graduating nurses will not stay in the area or even practice in a hospital, but opt for doctors offices, etc., with better hours and weekends and holidays off.

I wish the hospitals would respond to inquiries such as mine as to why they don't want my help in alleviating the shortage they tout so strongly.

DARLENE LIVENGOOD