Great Resignation (Big Quit) 2021-2022

[staxomega]

I'm curious as to what your seeing/hearing re not enough general practitioners.  From what I've heard, there are not enough people following that route these days; also, general shortages in terms of nurses and other medical workers.

PD

I believe the number of seniors entering family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics is still roughly the same as it always has been, about 40-50% of a class. The main issue is the number of residency seats for family medicine and internal medicine has not been increasing proportionally to the aging population, which are also now living longer due to advances in medicine. Number of residency seats is a complex issue, as it's fully government funded and the voices of hospital administrators/physicians in primary care would very much like to have more seats but it's usually a small percentage that are added every few years, some high fives from within the government, then forgotten about.

Nursing is an interesting one that seems to go through rather extreme cycles. It used to be that there was an over supply and now there is a shortage, the shortages happen when people see how difficult it is to get a job which naturally causes fewer people to enter the field. This is currently happening with nurse practitioners where online diploma mills started popping up, one or two years worth of classes and you're straight into a very respectable paying job with none of the stress/long training of a physician. But it's now pretty much every open job for an NP sees 50 applicants.

[Karl Henning]

'Quiet quitting' is a serious threat to our way of life. Just ask Arianna Huffington.

First you cut back from 60 hours a week to 50 hours, maybe even 40, if you're really hell-bent on checking out completely. Then you start waiting until the morning to respond to your boss's late-night e-mails. You use your vacation time.

Before you know it, we've got a whole generation living in their parents' garages and volunteering to help Bernie Sanders turn the USA into a Socialist/Communist dictatorship.

[Que]

'Quiet quitting' is a serious threat to our way of life. Just ask Arianna Huffington.

First you cut back from 60 hours a week to 50 hours, maybe even 40, if you're really hell-bent on checking out completely. Then you start waiting until the morning to respond to your boss's late-night e-mails. You use your vacation time.

Before you know it, we've got a whole generation living in their parents' garages and volunteering to help Bernie Sanders turn the USA into a Socialist/Communist dictatorship.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I believe the number of seniors entering family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics is still roughly the same as it always has been, about 40-50% of a class. The main issue is the number of residency seats for family medicine and internal medicine has not been increasing proportionally to the aging population, which are also now living longer due to advances in medicine. Number of residency seats is a complex issue, as it's fully government funded and the voices of hospital administrators/physicians in primary care would very much like to have more seats but it's usually a small percentage that are added every few years, some high fives from within the government, then forgotten about.

Nursing is an interesting one that seems to go through rather extreme cycles. It used to be that there was an over supply and now there is a shortage, the shortages happen when people see how difficult it is to get a job which naturally causes fewer people to enter the field. This is currently happening with nurse practitioners where online diploma mills started popping up, one or two years worth of classes and you're straight into a very respectable paying job with none of the stress/long training of a physician. But it's now pretty much every open job for an NP sees 50 applicants.

Sorry for the late response; I've just now read your posting. 

I hadn't realized that residency seats were funded by the government!  You would think that if this were the case, that they would find (somehow or another) more funding?  And good points regarding an aging population and longer lifespan.

Often I've ended up seeing and/or making appointments with PAs rather than with MDs.  Some years ago, the PA who I saw regularly at my dermatologist's office left the practice along with another PA, "hired" a dermatologist and they set up their own practice.  As their new place was a lot closer and easier for me to get to and I also liked and felt comfortable and respected her opinions and judgements, I followed her to their new practice.

Regarding nurses:  Probably like a lot of folks, I kept hearing stories--particularly during the height of covid--about nurses quitting, so your comments surprised me.  I wonder whether there might be disparities in terms of where this is happening (maybe mostly hospitals and/or really big medical practices?)?  Or the media getting things wrong (but this never happens)?

PD

[staxomega]

Sorry for the late response; I've just now read your posting. 

I hadn't realized that residency seats were funded by the government!  You would think that if this were the case, that they would find (somehow or another) more funding?  And good points regarding an aging population and longer lifespan.

Often I've ended up seeing and/or making appointments with PAs rather than with MDs.  Some years ago, the PA who I saw regularly at my dermatologist's office left the practice along with another PA, "hired" a dermatologist and they set up their own practice.  As their new place was a lot closer and easier for me to get to and I also liked and felt comfortable and respected her opinions and judgements, I followed her to their new practice.

Regarding nurses:  Probably like a lot of folks, I kept hearing stories--particularly during the height of covid--about nurses quitting, so your comments surprised me.  I wonder whether there might be disparities in terms of where this is happening (maybe mostly hospitals and/or really big medical practices?)?  Or the media getting things wrong (but this never happens)?

PD

The media is correct, there was a real nursing shortage during the height of Covid, I'm unsure if that is still the case. Nurse practitioners are more like PAs, their roles and level of involvement would vary based on the field. As you say with dermatology the derm MDs may give them a decent amount of autonomy if it's something that is stable and just being followed up, whereas in something like ophthalmology they would just do a brief vision check with a Snellen chart, quick history to rule out emergencies then would always be seen by a real ophthalmologist.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

During the pandemic, a lot of millennials and Gen Zers moved back to their parents' houses. Now, they don't want to leave.
The cost of living is a major factor. But also because some of them quit job?


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/06/many-pandemic-boomerang-kids-still-live-with-mom-and-dad.html

[Karl Henning]

The media is correct, there was a real nursing shortage during the height of Covid, I'm unsure if that is still the case. Nurse practitioners are more like PAs, their roles and level of involvement would vary based on the field. As you say with dermatology the derm MDs may give them a decent amount of autonomy if it's something that is stable and just being followed up, whereas in something like ophthalmology they would just do a brief vision check with a Snellen chart, quick history to rule out emergencies then would always be seen by a real ophthalmologist.

I was in hospital overnight Thursday (experienced mild chest pain Thursday morning—it passed, and everything has since checked out fine) nursing staff by the numbers appears normal, although some are on the inexperienced side. Morale seemed good. Tangentially, I did reflect on how (very unlike the peaks of the pandemic) easy it was for them to find a bed for me.

[staxomega]

During the pandemic, a lot of millennials and Gen Zers moved back to their parents' houses. Now, they don't want to leave.
The cost of living is a major factor. But also because some of them quit job?


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/06/many-pandemic-boomerang-kids-still-live-with-mom-and-dad.html

Not sure if it was mentioned in this thread yet, but one major issue is hedge funds buying up houses and appartments to either flip or add as rental properties, some of them are forming newer REITs for subsectors.

I have no mail sent to our lake house, nor is it used as an address on any document other than banks and government and I get at least a half dozen letters a month offering to buy the house. Sometimes mass printed off fliers intended to look like they were handwritten by your good friend the local real estate broker looking to do you a favor by selling them the house.

I was in hospital overnight Thursday (experienced mild chest pain Thursday morning—it passed, and everything has since checked out fine) nursing staff by the numbers appears normal, although some are on the inexperienced side. Morale seemed good. Tangentially, I did reflect on how (very unlike the peaks of the pandemic) easy it was for them to find a bed for me.

I'm happy to hear it was nothing serious Karl.

[Karl Henning]

Not sure if it was mentioned in this thread yet, but one major issue is hedge funds buying up houses and appartments to either flip or add as rental properties, some of them are forming newer REITs for subsectors.

I have no mail sent to our lake house, nor is it used as an address on any document other than banks and government and I get at least a half dozen letters a month offering to buy the house. Sometimes mass printed off fliers intended to look like they were handwritten by your good friend the local real estate broker looking to do you a favor by selling them the house.

I'm happy to hear it was nothing serious Karl.

Thanks!

[Spotted Horses]

I was in hospital overnight Thursday (experienced mild chest pain Thursday morning—it passed, and everything has since checked out fine) nursing staff by the numbers appears normal, although some are on the inexperienced side. Morale seemed good. Tangentially, I did reflect on how (very unlike the peaks of the pandemic) easy it was for them to find a bed for me.

Alarmed to read this, but hoping that everything continues to check out fine.

[Karl Henning]

Alarmed to read this, but hoping that everything continues to check out fine.

Thanks!

[Spotted Horses]

The phrase you used in your post, "checked out fine" reminded me of a favorite scene in the film Desperado. Two drug customers come into a bar which is a front for drug transactions. They report to the bartender (Cheech Marin) who demands their credentials, and the bartender then starts making phone calls. After the first drug customer (a cameo by Quentin Tarantino) tells a joke, the results of the background checks some back. The bartender pulls a huge gun from behind the bar and shoots the second drug customer in the head, and he falls down on the floor dead. Then he trains the gun on the first customer (Tarantino). The bartender says to the terrified Tarantino, "He didn't check out ... but you checked out just fine." The bartender puts the gun away and Tarantino sheepishly makes his way to the back to complete his transaction.

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[Spotted Horses]

(* chortle *)

Turns out my memory was reliable this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCO7yHCJ-ss

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

NY Times: 4-Day Workweek Brings No Loss of Productivity, Companies in Experiment Say.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/business/four-day-work-week-uk.html

[Que]

NY Times: 4-Day Workweek Brings No Loss of Productivity, Companies in Experiment Say.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/business/four-day-work-week-uk.html

Surprise, surprise...    

The same is true for more vacation days and, as experiences during the pandemic showed, for working from home.

[Spotted Horses]

NY Times: 4-Day Workweek Brings No Loss of Productivity, Companies in Experiment Say.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/business/four-day-work-week-uk.html

There is not enough information to figure out what they are talking about. Productivity is defined as valued created per hour worked. If productivity remains the same a 4 day work week will produce 80% of the work of a 5 day work week, unless the hours are kept constant (working 10 hours per day instead of . Then production will be the same, but how has the employee benefitted, working longer hours for fewer days?

[greg]

Then production will be the same, but how has the employee benefitted, working longer hours for fewer days?

Less money spent on gas, less time wasted commuting, and full days are better for scheduling anything (better than smashing necessary things to do in a small space of time).

Tbh I kinda like the idea...

[Karl Henning]

How the pandemic ended America's bad romance with work

[Karl Henning]

How the pandemic ended America's bad romance with work

Fast-forward to fall 2022. The number of people quitting, while down from the peak, remains at the highest level since the 1970s. White-collar workers don't want to give up working remotely. Low-paying sectors such as the hospitality industry can't find enough people willing to work for the wages on offer. Union organizing and strikes have been on an upswing.