What happened to the shortage?

U.S.A. Alabama

Published

Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

I'm starting to think they lied to us about the nursing shortage. Have you ever met that nurse who really should not be working with people....EVER! So why can't I find a job, why can't I have her job? I'm smart....I love people....I am generally loved by my patients. Why am I still unemployed? I haven't gotten a SINGLE phone call, except from "Liberty National Insurance" trying to recruit me as a sales associate. Really???!!.....I went to school and earned my initials....RN. I don't want to sell anything ever again...I want to care for people without having to meet monthly quota in order to feed my family.

Generally, I am a very positive person, but I feel useless and unneeded (if that's really a word). My husband's relocation with his work could not have come at a worse time. You see, I graduated from nursing school in December 2009, and we (my husband, 3 little girls, and myself) moved to the Huntsville, AL area immediately after. Which is in a different state....and a 6hr drive from our previous residence. I have ZERO contacts here. I have passed the NCLEX, received my AL license, but I can't even get a call back......and trust me, I think I have applied to every single listed RN position out there....including LTC.

I did well in school, received awards for clinical performance, was the leader of the Student Nurses Association, and NOTHING. One might think that I could at least get a phone call that says, "why are you interested in this position......could you come in for an interview". I know they have to train me......but I am trainable. PLEASE GOD..... I just want to be a NURSE!!!

Thanks for listening to me vent! :) I feel a little better. :rolleyes:

0 Votes
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Psych, ER.

What areas are you interested in? You may have to drive some, like Birmingham, but there are jobs here. I am in Psychiatry, and we have job openings here. Seems as if Psychiatry is in HUGE need these days. I have been a nurse for 28 years, and it comes and it goes. If there's any way you could work on your advanced degree during this time???? Maybe? I feel your pain. If you are interested in Birmingham, I can put you in touch with my boss.

Susan

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

I am willing to drive to Birmingham! I have actually applied at UAB and St Vincent's, but haven't heard a thing. I enjoyed my psych rotations in nursing school, so psychiatric nursing would surely be a place I could see myself working. Funny thing..... my husband is from Ireland, and both of his parents are psychiatric nurses Saint Ita's in Dublin, Ireland. haha...he can't get away! Seriously though....any help would be greatly appreciated!! Oh, and as of yesterday, I have signed up for classes to continue my education.:yeah:

0 Votes

Don’t be so frustrated have been out of school for about a year now and I also relocated to the Huntsville area because my husband got relocated and before I moved here I had a job offer in another state but when I came here I can’t even get ONE interview here in Huntsville you have to know people to get a job which is so frustrating one nurse told me that you really have to know people to get a job other than that it’s all about luck. But you just graduated from school like a month ago so it’s not that bad imagine I have been LOOKING FOR A JOB like for 4 month now and no luck so far. I know nursing school was hard and not to find a job it makes all the hard work you did seem like for nothing.

Don’t give up and just keep applying something will turn up I am sure. If nursing is your passion you just have to be persistent and not give up a lot of new grad Nurses are in the same boat so you are not the only one if that makes you feel a little better.

Good luck and never give up!!!!!!!

0 Votes
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Psych, ER.

I work at Brookwood. The psych unit has several positions open. I have enjoyed working there and there are actually many more opportunities other than psych there. I had been out of nursing 8 years and they took me right on in. Give it a try. 205-877-1000.

Susan:p

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

Thank you! I would have never even known about Brookwood if you hadn't told me. I applied for positions online, and I have left a message for the nurse recruiter to call me back. I didn't see any RN positions listed in the Psychiatric area, but I will keep stalking the job listings to see if one gets posted. Thank you so much for pointing me in the direction of possible employment.:D Fingers crossed that someone actually calls me!

0 Votes
Specializes in Emergency Room.
I'm starting to think they lied to us about the nursing shortage.

There is no shortage of licensed nurses. The shortage is caused by RN's wanting to only work part time after they have their experience. When the recession hit husbands loss their jobs and their retirement accounts took big losses which forced all these part time RN's return to full time work. Also the economy has caused hospitals to cut all their training programs for new graduates. I live in Washington State have had my license since Sept 09 and still nothing. I even work as an LPN for Kaiser and Kaiser will not even hire me for RN positions because they do not want to train me.

I hope once and for all they stop the nursing shortage warning. The pool of new RN graduates continues to grow who are without work. This will make the recovery even longer. Unless we get a health care reform package insuring people with no health care insurance the recovery is going to take at least 2-3 years.

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

That makes sense! Good luck in your job search......hopefully we will both find something soon.

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

I have finally had an interview!!!!! I felt like it went very well, even though I was really nervous. I hope it's not like when you feel really good about an exam, and it turns out to be the worst grade you ever made. ...haha...that would not be cool! Anyhoo....I was very impressed with the hospital. Everything was impressive including the staff. I should know by Friday!!! *fingers crossed*

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU.

From doing some research I have discovered there is a national nursing shortage, but not really a shortage of nurses in Birmingham AL. It may be because there are no less than 7 schools with a nursing program located here. As a guess I would say those schools put approx. 400 new RN's into the job pool annually. After Carraway Hospital closed all of those nurses were absorbed into the surrounding hospitals, also with he economic collapse many part-time nurses took on full-time positions, further reducing the number of positions available.

0 Votes

I think the nursing shortage is slowly becoming a thing of the past everywhere. more and more people are going back to school for higher eds. a lot of the "desired" nursing jobs are taken by individuals with years of experience. and those people usualy dont leave until they retire or find a higher desired nursing job. uab (the biggest employer in alabama), brookwood, and the baptist health systems are always hiring.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment