Throw in a fourth and you're drowning. One solution to the nursing shortage lies in recruiting more men and minorities into the field. In 2000, men made up just 5.4 percent of the field and minorities made up 12.3 percent, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Adjusted for inflation, nurses' salaries have barely risen in the past 20 years, according to March 2000 sample of nurses conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services. However, even if salaries have remained flat, the shortage means some perks for nurses already in the business and lucrative enticements for those thinking of joining the field.
Overtime is common, and signing bonuses are growing in popularity, too.
And, with nursing shortages most acute in certain areas of the country, several national staffing companies pay for the moving fees of nurses who want to resettle where the need for nurses is greatest. Just this year, for example, Pabalate, a ski buff, spent several months in Denver working as a critical care nurse. I literally called and said I'm looking for a job in Denver. They came back to me and said we have jobs in every single hospital in their ICUs, days and nights. Pabalate said the challenge of nursing and the continued demand means he's sure to stay busy for decades to come.