Potential nursing students who dont want to hear the truth

[smartnurse1982]

I'm so sick of being accused of trying to discourage potential nursing students when I tell them the job market is tight or that many new grads are having a hard time getting jobs.

They usually say to me, "well, I'm different and its really my dream and I have always wanted to be a nurse". Then I say, "Well,what about the others who thought the same as you and are unemployed?" Then I add, "You may end up working in a nursing home or home health, will you be okay with that? "They then respond, "No,I want to work in the area I choose, and it will happen because it's my dream."

I am in no way trying to discourage them, but I also don't want to lie to them and say there are plenty of jobs in any specialty you want.

Then when they graduate they end up asking why no one told them the truth. I even tell them to read Allnurses and the troubles new grads are having. They then respond "well it has always been my dream and nothing is going to stop me. Some people are trying to discourage me because they don't want others to take their jobs and make as much money as they do."

Is there any other way that I could bring up the subject with statistics and without it making it seem I'm trying to discourage others?

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

Oh and once you do land your dream (eeeeayym) job, please don't screw it all up by doing the following:

Instantly deciding the charge nurse hates you and has it in for you

Making 12 med errors in one week and then crying foul when taken to task

Coming on this forum and stating "HELP W/MED?!!!!! i m supposed to give this 9 month old a antibiotic and i don't remember what it is called it ends with icillin...or was it mycin actually? ny ways i have 2 give it iv in an hour. PLZ HELP MEEE!!!"

Coming back 2 minutes later and stating: "WHY HASN'T ANY ONE RESPONDED?!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!????"

[osdbmom]

When my husband started college two years ago, he considered going into prosthetics. His advisor told him there was no future in it, and suggested polysomnography (which he was not even remotely interested in, but did it, bc he wants to find work). After two semesters, his advisor suggested he switch programs, bc there is no future in polysom. He changed to the HVAC program. Still, he is advised there is no future in it, but at least he is learning something he enjoys. He starts his internship in April. We hope he will find work.

When his company closed three years ago, he spent months looking for work.....even entry level, factory jobs want applicants to have a degree in something. He was offered two years of pay and two years of paid retraining at the time, so it seemed like the best way to go, having him go back to school. I hope all his hard work yields some result.

When I went back to school two years ago, I started out going for a certificate in medical transcription, mainly bc I am very familiar with medical stuff (due to my kids' medical conditions), and I type quickly and accurately...and after 8 years out of the work force, I felt like that was the only asset I had left. However, after I had that program almost finished, my advisor suggested I switch to coding/billing and complete those classes, bc transcription is on its way out. So I did....but now, there are programs that do the coding part....so there is no future in it.

Now, I get my billing/coding certificate this May (not sure what it will be good for), will finish up a medical office assistant w/phlebotomy cert. this summer, and am on track for a business associates by next summer/fall.

It doesn't look like there is much job market at this time for office assistant or phlebotomy (which I really, really love).

I have no idea what to do with, or even if I should bother finishing, the business degree. I'm doing it bc you need a degree in something around here in order to get any work.

I am considering the nursing program at my school. I think I would love it....I think I would be good at it.

But, evidently there is no job market there, either.

Where IS there a job market? I mean, what can a person go to school to do? Anything?

[smartnurse1982]

The job market sucks,I know.I really don't like it when others assume the unemployed are not working because we had resumes that weren't good,that they were lazy,or other things not mentioned. Believe me,I tried(I'm not unemployed though) to get any job in a hospital,and it just doesn't happen for me.

[ericaej]

Well many nursing students have to take entrance exams just to have the opportunity to try to become a nurse. I think it is ludicrous to be a negative Nancy and care about someone who has their head in the clouds. What I want to know is why other people are so concerned about someone else's career/ and or life goals? Just be happy and have faith that you'll be where you're supposed to be and they'll be where they are supposed to be.

I beat myself up for taking a bunch of liberal studies classes before I tried to get into nursing school but I'm glad that I did. I've also tried to diversify my learning experience. When I became an honor student and took a critical thinking and writing class, I didn't realize how important critical thinking skills are in nursing. I did it because it was required. I chose to participate in an honors program to stand out from the crowd when I apply to other schools. Point is, I, for one, am not looking for anything on a silver platter and I think a lot of people would take offense at such a hasty generalization. It's a lot of work to get into nursing school in my area. There are 5 year wait lists! I couldn't believe I got in my first shot. I had a back up plan of getting my mental health community certificate so I could work in the mental health field while I waited. If someone doesn't have numerous back up plans, then that is their pejorative. :)

I think the attitude the OP is describing is not limited to nursing students only- it's so of the mindset that the younger generation has gotten spoon-fed since they were babies. I just actually read an article about "Generation Y" and the subsequent generations being raised to be helpless, and to have this inflated notion of being entitled to everything they want, when they want it, which is usually NOW. Going back to the comment by the student who thinks she is going to get a job in the area she chooses- really? I suppose she feels she's entitled to it. After all...everyone is a winner. Hey, know what? You get a cookie just for being you! Yay.

I'm not saying we should tell future nurses to quit while they're ahead- especially if they didn't ask. But if they DO ask, and they have, then you know something? I'm not going to to BS(N) them. I'm going to tell them, I hope it's different for you, but it took me a year to get a job. Every day I filled out applications, tweaked my resume, tried to make follow up calls, got my booty chewed out and handed back to me in a nice little gift wrapped satchel by a recruiter because I hand delivered a resume to a nursing manager who was about to give me the job by the end of the spontaneous interview that she insisted on.

I'm sorry if we're crushing your dreeeeee eyeayeayeaaaaaaaammmm. I'm SURE you're a caring person who loves children and the elderly, and guess what? So are the other 500 thousand nursing students, pre-nursing students, new grads, and seasoned nurses. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.