Where are newer nurses still having difficulty finding a job?

Nurses New Nurse

Published

  • Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Is Denver still a difficult place to get hired into a hospital without experience?

What other communities are highly competitive and nurses are having difficulty finding jobs?

bec16, BSN, RN

27 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.

i don't know about Denver, but after reading online, I expected to have a difficult time finding a job as a new nurse. However, I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. I got my job on my unit choice immediately post graduation. I live in coastal Georgia

Orion81RN

962 Posts

Chicagoland. I can't even begin to count how many nursing programs there are around here, spitting out nurses every semester. There is always an exception, but without a BSN AND a few years of experience AND an "in," it's pretty difficult to get a hospital job. It's even becoming challenging to get an LTC position at a place that is not a complete disaster.

I royally screwed myself over when 2 months before graduation, I walked off duty at the start of shift in a huff. I was a patient care tech there for 3 years, and I'm sure I would have obtained employment as an RN there. I don't know of any PCT and fellow classmates that didn't.

(I've worked hard on hormonal and subsequent behavioral issues I have.) Definitely kicking myself now.

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Go to an area where the need is greater, and perhaps, the cost of living is cheaper if you can.

Or stay and keep trying. Apply for all and anything. It will happen some day.

Hang in there; you're not alone

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Many/most major cities are competitive because of the numerous nursing programs putting new grads out there.

Rural communities have great need; so do Native American reservations. In some cases, if you sign on, you get school loan forgiveness, assistance/paid housing and much more. You work, get experience and then can move back where competition is high, but your chances of getting a job greater, because experience counts. That has always been true in nursing. If you can get experience, the doors will open.

Good luck.

Sour Lemon

5,016 Posts

From what I hear and read on these boards, Southern California is still pretty saturated and tough for new grads. After a minimal amount of experience, it's smooth sailing though.

Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

In the major Texas cities, we are saturated with new grads. If people venture a little further out to suburbs and smaller facilities, they can gain the experience that will get them into the "big city" hospitals if that is what they want. I'm happy that I can choose from 75 people for 2 spots, I get to pick the best people and not the leftovers. Definitely an employers market in many areas right now and as long as new grads do some research and understand where the needs are, they can hired much easier.

I'm 55 and just finished my BSN. I have had a couple of job offers but where I'd like to go, none. I have a feeling it's my age. Do you think that employers want to get as much time/duration out of a nurse as they can? Or, is it bad to be the "hospital" with older nurses? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or input.

Eberry13

17 Posts

to my understanding, new grad nurses in Denver are finding jobs, but many have to go outside of the metro. Also, the pay for new grad nurses in Denver is lower due to saturation!

Specializes in Work Comp CM 3 yrs & Cardiac PCU 27 yrs.

I actually thinks its easier for new Nurses to get hired VS Experienced nurses due to Nursing Schools having congrats with the Hospitals. Plus, experience nurses usually want to be pain more.

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ICU.

As a previous poster mentioned, bigger cities in Texas may be somewhat difficult, especially for ADN nurses. Not impossible though. My nursing program was about 30 minutes outside of Houston and over half of my ADN class had jobs lined up before graduating, albeit at hospitals outside of Houston.

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