Are job seekers self-limiting job opportunities?

KelRN215, BSN, RN · May 1, 2012

To an extent, yes, some people are self-limiting. My former workplace just experienced a mass exodus. Most of my colleagues (myself included) had no difficulty finding a new job. But those of us looking were all nurses with at least 4 years experience.

If someone is only applying to major academic medical centers in competitive metropolitan areas or only applying to peds, ICU, L&D- whatever the specialty their heart desires then yes, they could be limiting themselves. They may also feel that this would be the only area they'd be happy in and are willing to wait.

I happened to get the job I wanted when I was a new grad (5 years ago) but I knew that all I wanted was pediatrics and I also would have been willing to move for it.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · May 1, 2012

It depends on your area. In my state (NJ) the market is saturated with new grads. I've heard countless stories of graduates applying for every job opening they find (including LTC) and still haven't gotten an interview because there are so many applicants.

Fiona59 · May 1, 2012

We get too many wanting M-F, day shifts. Refuse weekends, nights and evening shifts. But hey they are special snowflakes who are following their dream.

Meanwhile, I'm working upto ten nights a month that have to be covered and their are no new hires willing to pull shift.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · May 1, 2012

When I graduated from nursing school in 2008, I lived in Massachusetts, where the job market remains extremely tight. Even LTC refused to hire new grads. One-star nursing homes turned me down.

Some new grads avoid LTC because they know a train wreck when they see one. Some LTC facilities are horror shows, and many hospitals don't count LTC experience.

amoLucia · May 1, 2012

Astute observation of the OP. And right-on comments of the subsequent posters (except maybe LTC being a train wreck. There are some good ones out here!).

*4!#6 · May 1, 2012

I am a new grad and applied broadly. I am tenatively hired at a TCU (meaning I need to graduate before I can work, and they pass my boards). It is a higher acuity TCU. However I am nervous about whteher or not I will be able to transition to acute care. I work in acute care but haven't been hired there as an RN.

danarooo, BSN, RN · May 1, 2012

in my experience YES, jobs are hard to find. I moved from West Coast to East Coast. I hoped with the move came a better market, not so as of yet. I have experienced the same things in my new state I did in my old state...no response to the TONS of resumes I've put in. I have tried to taylor my resume to each position/facility, saught advice on my resume and tried to network and have gotten nowhere so far. It's a tight tight market, I've found moving cross country didn't do anything for me as of yet. Everyone seems to want that 1 year acute care experience, which as a new grad I don't have. Home health isn't appropriate for a new grad, nor are many other areas of nursing so I am limited right out of the gate. I've gotten out the phone book and called LTC facilities, which is what a ton of other RN's in my area are doing (so I've been told more than once during "cold calls"). I think the area you are in will determine how tight the market is for you.

Good luck!

Despareux · May 1, 2012

Thanks for the replies. There are a lot of LTC/Rehab/Nursing home facilities hiring in my state and the pay is comparable with many local hospitals, and in some cases, they pay more than hospitals. While I would love to work in critical care; as a new grad, I am more concerned about gaining nursing experience.

MJB2010 · May 1, 2012

In my former state, even ltc listing all said "2 years experience required". My entire class applied everywhere and still years later, more than 50% of my nursing class did not find a job and has left nursing. No hopsitals willing to hire new grads, no ltc willing to hire new grads, and the people who got jobs either took private duty, knew someone and had an in somewhere, moved (like me), or took the scary home health with no experience job (the company you see that is always hiring). The rest of my class is now back to their former careers.

holisticallyminded · May 2, 2012

So funny, I took a job in LTC about a year after I graduated. Then left for a hospital medical unit. After 4-5 months, I hated that med unit so much, I tried to quit, was offered per diem (4 shifts a month) and am now back at the LTC job (GLADLY!!) per diem with my 4 supplemental hospital shifts and NO MORE.

I have no idea why any nurse wants to work in a hospital so badly. Is it some kind of nurse status thing? It's awful. I worked in hospitals for years in another discipline and it was absolutely fine- I liked it very much- but nursing? Talk about slave labor! I'll take the nursing home any day! I get to TALK to my patients and take care of them. Imagine that! No running around a mile a minute worrying about making sure all of my BS charting is done and fixing doc orders just to get started with my day.

What I'm noticing is that it's the really young nurses who are doing all of this hospital work. As they load more and more patients on us and stick us with more responsibility, the older nurses are getting out or working per diem. And I think it makes sense. Only a mid-twenty-something who hasn't worked very long (at anything) would do this stuff. No thanks!

holisticallyminded · May 2, 2012

Oh and by the way, I make more in LTC than I do working night shift in a hospital. NO kidding!