Labor Market Research
In most markets wages are determined by supply and demand, e.g. if the need for a particular position is great, wages will rise in order to attract more workers to this field. Interestingly, for nurses this has not been the case. An analysis of this situation found in a report brings up several key points. According to this research, over the late 1990s and into 2000, nurses' pay did not increase at all, although some hospitals had already begun worrying about a nurse shortage in 1997. When the wages began to rise, nurses responded promptly—hospitals added 186,500 nurses between 2001 and 2003. However, instead of competing for nurses by increasing pay, hospitals often turn to a combination of overworking (through mandatory overtime), contingent workers, understaffing, and one-time hiring bonuses to meet staffing needs. (Value care value nurses [VCVN], 2006)
The second point brings to mind the phrase "people face tradeoffs." Nursing is an arduous task, and if......
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