New Grads... Is Anyone Addressing The Issue?

[Lisa From Maui]

Does anyone know...

Are any of the universities, community colleges, or nursing departments

doing anything to help new grad nursing students get jobs here on the islands?

Is anyone addressing this issue?

Lisa ;-)

P.S. If you're new to this forum, and you don't know about the issues new grads face, please don't ask questions in this post. Read the dozen other threads that talk about how new grads can't find jobs. Please DO NOT repost the same questions here. Mahalo!

[petunia2016]

Petunia, please clarify. Was your last post from Petunia to Lisa, OR from Petunia to Jessica Dawn? Or both? Thank you for being clear. Lisa ;-)

It was to JessicaDawn. Don't mind me, I have Hawaiian Studies this semester and I think I've developed some [righteous] anger over certain... injustices. But I don't want to turn this into THAT kind of thread. I do welcome visitors, I really do. But honestly, I feel like Hawaii just can't be compared to any part of the mainland. Hawaii is unique.

[Lisa From Maui]

Petunia,

I do think, in many ways, the locals get the short end of the stick. And that's putting it mildly. I'm being sincere when I write this next part... one thing locals don't think about is... the "white man" hasn't done this just to Hawaiians. The white man has done it all over the globe. Watch the movies Ghandi, Dances with Wolves, Invictus, Amazing Grace, and others. It's nothing personal. The white man has tried to take over every land that they can. (There's alot of sadness in me about that.) And, honestly, if the US did not invade, Japan would have invaded. (More sadness.) A few months ago I read about how we're fighting in the middle east, using depleted uranium in our bullets, because it's less expensive. The D.U. is poisoning their soil, causing lots and lots of birth defects, and the "white man" in Washington D.C. just doesn't care. I also read about the north Pacific gyre, and how we're poisoning the oceans. The U.S. government just don't care. There's so many problems in the world, so much fighting, so much disrespect. If you have guns and money, you have power. I think that's soooo sad.

There's millions of people, throughout the world, who are angry over many injustices, committed by the white man, red man, yellow man, black man, purple man, green man and blue man. Everyone has done it. And the victims have every right to be angry over the injustice. (*smile* I think the only people who haven't attacked other races are the Tibetan monks.) Unfortunately, that's the planet we live on.

Anyway, getting back on topic... I really wish there were more programs in place for the locals. I wish they hired fewer travel nurses. I wish the Hawai'i health care system had the attitude, "We grow our own, we keep our own, we hire our own, and we support our own." Hope you personally have all the connections you need to get a job when you're done with school.

[petunia2016]

Petunia,

I do think, in many ways, the locals get the short end of the stick. And that's putting it mildly. I'm being sincere when I write this next part... one thing locals don't think about is... the "white man" hasn't done this just to Hawaiians. The white man has done it all over the globe. Watch the movies Ghandi, Dances with Wolves, Invictus, Amazing Grace, and others. It's nothing personal. The white man has tried to take over every land that they can. (There's alot of sadness in me about that.) And, honestly, if the US did not invade, Japan would have invaded. (More sadness.) A few months ago I read about how we're fighting in the middle east, using depleted uranium in our bullets, because it's less expensive. The D.U. is poisoning their soil, causing lots and lots of birth defects, and the "white man" in Washington D.C. just doesn't care. I also read about the north Pacific gyre, and how we're poisoning the oceans. The U.S. government just don't care. There's so many problems in the world, so much fighting, so much disrespect. If you have guns and money, you have power. I think that's soooo sad.

There's millions of people, throughout the world, who are angry over many injustices, committed by the white man, red man, yellow man, black man, purple man, green man and blue man. Everyone has done it. And the victims have every right to be angry over the injustice. (*smile* I think the only people who haven't attacked other races are the Tibetan monks.) Unfortunately, that's the planet we live on.

Anyway, getting back on topic... I really wish there were more programs in place for the locals. I wish they hired fewer travel nurses. I wish the Hawai'i health care system had the attitude, "We grow our own, we keep our own, we hire our own, and we support our own." Hope you personally have all the connections you need to get a job when you're done with school.

Don't have too much time to reply, as I should be getting off to bed. But yes, I have read about many of the injustices done to many different people across the globe (while toying with the idea of majoring in English). And while I feel sadness for all of them, there is a sense of disconnect, because we do not share the same land, or culture, or ethnicity. I can empathize with the pain of whose people, but I can only really feel the pain of mine. I wasn't trying to drag the whole race issue into your thread- just trying to offer a different perspective for those who wonder why those of us on the islands are not too happy about having to move to find a job.

And no, I don't have any connections here (on Oahu, anyway). I'm hoping to move back home to the island of Hawaii, where job prospects are even more grim. Woo. Hoo.

[petunia2016]

but i would never expect that hospitals in washington state should only hire "residents" the way you seem to think hawaii should. that's ridiculous and just demonstrates how ethnocentric and threatened you are.

also:

eth-no-cen-trism

-noun1. sociology. the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.

i don't believe anyone here is being ethnocentric. could you please clarify?

[LetUrLightShineRN]

Well I suppose this response if for Petunia2016 and Lisa from Maui, but I hope it reaches others too.

I am not a native to Hawaii. My ancestry is not so well known but my maternal Grandfather was of Irish descent, my maternal Grandmother had Cherokee blood, and Swedish. My paternal Grandparents were full Filipino. I was born in Kodiak, Alaska. I live in Washington, USA. I have light skin, dark blonde hair, and blue eyes. What does that make me? How do you define me? Does that make me a "White Man"? Part of the system that corrupts pure, honest, indigenous cultures, and starts wars, and pollutes the air and ocean? I can assure you, that if you knew me, you would not dismiss me as an ignorant, white man who lacks empathy. I have found that it's easy to cast stones, but it's difficult to completely remove yourself from the "system" when you do things like, for instance shop at any big chain store, where most of the products are imported from the 3rd world or countries that use sweatshops and child labor. You can't really remove yourself from the system when you ride around in vehicles that burn fossil fuels into the ozone, the same ones that the US is fighting over in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don't think I really need to clarify why I used the word ethnocentric.

Let me just say that when I was in Maui last year, I definitely got a sense that some of the history and culture is being eroded by corporations and tourism. I read that the "Superferry" is going to have detrimental effects on the less populated islands such as Kauai which until now have been out of reach for many tourists. I sympathize with Hawaiians about those Cruise ships. We in the Puget Sound are bombarded with 6 Cruise ships at any given time for the entire summer, it's destroying the delicate ecosystem of our beautiful Puget Sound and as you've pointed out Petunia, it seems that nobody cares-or at least the ones who do are not powerful enough to make an impact. When I was in Maui, I was told by one of the Natives, an artist who carves for a living, that the water supply from one side of the island is being leached by sugar cane crop corporations who use slash and burn which sends black smoke smoldering in the air for days and leaves the waterfalls in Hana to dry up. I'm sure real estate is very elite. I know that the land was sacred and now there are Westins, and Ritz Carlton's on that sacred land. It is very sad to me. But on the other hand, tourism provides most of the employment on the islands.

Hawaii IS special, it's culture is beautiful. But this situation isn't unique at all. Historically it is the nature of Humans to find these special untapped places, and tap them. They call it progress, but for those of us who find wholesome nature, and history much more beautiful than a five star hotel, or a giant shopping mall, or a Starbucks on every corner, this is anything but progress.

But this is all even a more compelling reason for you intelligent, strong, passionate women to really listen to what I'm saying. The chip on the shoulder routine is not going to get you anywhere. Resentment is useless. What you focus on expands. Focus on what you want not what you fear or hate. I hope you all get jobs and can work where you choose but if it doesn't happen right away, I hope you will have the foresight to do what it takes and move if you have to, temporarily. And I hope you go back home as soon as you can with loads of experience, and a little less narrowed world view. Maybe the "culture shock" of leaving your homeland for a while will serve you well.

When you are successful, start a Co-op and pool as much money together as you can and buy up as much land as you can and preserve it. If you don't, if noone does, there's no doubt that Walmart, and Starbucks, and Hilton are going to take over. I hope that doesn't happen.

I really wish you all peace, and open mindedness, and good fortune in all of your endeavors.

[foreignRN]

I understand how u guys feel. I had my orientation with a new grad from one of the community college here in Oahu. She worked as a nurses aide at the hospt. for 8mos. til she got a position as an RN. Well we both on a New Grad RN position at work, but I'm kinda different to all of you. I am a foreign graduate, moved here in the island and worked as a nurses aide for more than a year, decided to take my NCLEX RN last year april and I passed! from april to february of this year I was a nurses aide cause they don't have any opening for New Grad... I tried Long Term care but they prefer experienced RN.

What I know, they have the Internship program at work. I think they get paid like nurses aide, that's what my friend told me.

[persephone714]

i was disappointed after spending time in Oahu, to see that you too are having the same problem that we have here in Texas and everywhere else. being a new grad sucks right now no matter where you are. i so wanted to stay there on the island. my husband is from Guam and has family on Oahu and i love it there.

i agree that they should give grads from HI jobs before bringing in traveling nurses just for "experience" sake, they do the same here. they go to the Philippines, grab a bunch of nurses and leave us in the dust...

i've been looking for an internship for ages, doing anything, and nada. (grad in december, RN since january)

i hope that it gets better for yall! when all the grads have jobs and you have room for extras, let me know! :)

good luck!

[foreignRN]

Yes I know they do that, hire RNs in other country. But I feel bad for them, their rate, its even lower than a rate of a nurses aide or almost same as nurses aide. why I know? my sister is an RN in the Philippines, and she's applying for work in New York and California. One reason why they're are not hiring New Grads(or few hiring New Grad) is that due to our economy (or economic status of the company/institution), they said, training a New Grad/ Hiring a New Grad will cost extra money, why?cause they're like paying an extra employee, your coach, and you as a trainee... that's why they prefer experienced RN.

[KaitRN]

Hello there,

I think any small state is having a difficult time due to the amount of nursing schools/ new grads being produced and the amount of hospitals in that one area. I live in Rhode Island and graduated in May '09... I interned at a facility throughout school but was told there was "no room" for me due to hiring freezes at all the hospitals in RI... Things are looking slightly better now but I still do not have a hospital job. Working in a SNF at the moment is what I settled for because I figured I need to gain experience some way!!!! My nursing school emphasized making connections throughout school, building an incredible resume, and keeping one's eye open for the "not so obvious" nursing jobs... But I think the smaller the state, the harder it is to get a job! (and anywhere for that matter!!!! this economy is just plain horrible right now) Good luck to all of you!

[cincin1]

I am sad to hear the job market in Hawaii is the same as California, and I know there are way fewer hospitals/options so it must be horrible. I think that at this time, the states should stand behind their natives and give preference to them(vs travelers); I know it costs bucks to train the new grads but the travelers are gettin' paid really big bucks I understand...how about renegotiating the starting pay of new grads to offset the orientation costs? How about more externship opportunities? Indeed, someone needs to start thinking outside the box because people are in big trouble, especially when they have no job yet and are not considered new grads anymore because so much time has passed. I would rather work for half the pay, than sit around getting an unemployment check from the state for doing absolutely nothing. Oh, and btw they hospitals won't even hire many RN's for CNA and tech jobs, so yeah, unemployment here we all come.

[persephone714]

I am sad to hear the job market in Hawaii is the same as California, and I know there are way fewer hospitals/options so it must be horrible. I think that at this time, the states should stand behind their natives and give preference to them(vs travelers); I know it costs bucks to train the new grads but the travelers are gettin' paid really big bucks I understand...how about renegotiating the starting pay of new grads to offset the orientation costs? How about more externship opportunities? Indeed, someone needs to start thinking outside the box because people are in big trouble, especially when they have no job yet and are not considered new grads anymore because so much time has passed. I would rather work for half the pay, than sit around getting an unemployment check from the state for doing absolutely nothing. Oh, and btw they hospitals won't even hire many RN's for CNA and tech jobs, so yeah, unemployment here we all come.

as far as the cost to train a new grad goes, i call bs, because travelers/agency nurses make a lot more than a staff nurses plus bonuses, money to relocate, etc. i know that nursing is hard, i worked in a CCU for 6 years, went to nursing school, but it's not like we are training for NASA..why not train someone, have them sign a contract, and have less turnover. (in a perfect world)

as far as working as unlicensed personnel, i wouldn't do it. in most states you are still held responsible as an RN, so it's just more opportunity to loose your license.

[WindwardOahuRN, RN]

The bottom line is, like it or not, the bottom line---or so was the popular thinking. Cheaper is better/more cost-effective/the way to go. New grads are/were cheap, compared to experienced nurses. Life was good/cheap until the kim chee started to hit the fan. Lo and behold, it became apparent that experienced nurses actually functioned better/more safely than new grads. Did it change things? Nope.

The units and floors are over-saturated with new grads. Yes, it seemed like a good idea at the time, bottom-line-wise.

But the fabric was wearing thin and starting to tear. You simply can NOT expect a floor/unit that is top-heavy with inexperienced nurses to function as well as a unit that has a preponderence of experiences RN's. Book learning is simply no substitute for experience.

IME? The docs are getting upset. Mistakes are mounting. Families are starting to complain.

Lawsuits? Yep. Lower patient satisfaction scores? Yep.

And again, IME? Experienced nurses are starting to pull away from the unit mentality and going for the "every man for himself" mentality. Why? Self-preservation.

Sad? Yes, Understandable? Again...yes.