Why are there no nursing jobs available for new grads? What is going on??

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jun 26, 2013

That's terrible. Then they wonder why people are so downright depressed in this country. Maybe I could go get a job at McDonalds...oh wait, I only have an ASN so they wouldn't even want me there either. haha

Yeah they might. Your asn might be worthless to them my bsn was for my min wage job. If your experience is going to be like mine ...... get any job you can....

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jun 26, 2013

Maybe one should research which employers are actually hiring new nurses in one's area before one makes the time/$$$ commitment of nursing school? 45 minutes of solid Internet research will tell you that.

If you wanted that super-cool acute care job in the big, shiny, hard-to-get-into hospital downtown, you really should have laid the ground work. Become an aide there while in school. Make connections. That's what will get you the job there. Nobody gives two flying figs if you were top of your class or if working there is your dreeeeeam.

Stop and really think about it. If you're a new grad nurse who wasn't already an aide on my floor and you have no skills beyond graduating school to offer me, and i don't know you from Adam, what exactly is my motivation to hire you? Your "can do" spirit? Moxie? Unless this is a cheesy movie and I'm the gruff but lovable newspaper editor looking to give a spunky kid a chance, I think you're SOL unless you got some connections.

As for the age thing, well, you either get old or you die young. Apparently some posters here plan to die young.

nurseladybug12 · Jun 26, 2013

I moved from CT in Aug 2012 1200 miles to FL completely away from all of my family, endorsed my license and got a great RN job at a very prestigious hospital within a week. I was in the same boat as you a year ago, but before I graduated I had a realistic understanding of the job outlook because I had been looking at job postings in my area for 6 months and was making plans on finding a job elsewhere. Just because you went to school and got your RN, doesn't mean you must be given a job, You have to make it happen for yourself. I got a bachelors in 2008 and for 4 years I was underemployed due to the economy and due to the fact that I did not have any marketable skills so I had to come up with a plan B. You sound very entitled, and I am young and new at this as well and you sound asinine. Through out history people have migrated all over the earth to sustain themselves, maybe you should get off your mother's back and make your own way in the world. As a RN, most of your patients will be geriatric and your opinion of them is not very flattering, I feel sorry for your future patients.

T-Bird78 · Jun 26, 2013

The reason is because some idiot said there's a nursing shortage years ago and people still believe it. Plus, so many people went to nursing school during this horrible economy, whether original plan or job layoff, and there's an over saturation of nurses. As someone said earlier, nurses aren't retiring or coming back from retirement because they can't afford to retire. I worked with a wonderful RN who was 74 years old and still working and only left because she had back surgery and her FMLA time ran out before she could return and they didn't hold her job. Another RN did retire--for a month, then came back PRN, and she's 76 now. I've got 6 years and it took me a year to find the job I'm at now, so good luck!

ElzorroRN · Jun 26, 2013

I agree with this ladybug... you gotta do what you gotta do to get those first years of experience. I had to travel over 1k miles to get the the experiences I needed, and after that it was better, but not easier, you still gotta look hard for jobs... even with some years of experience you're still not entitled for anything.

Good luck on your search, and if you have to move, move. It will only be a 1-2 years max. My first manager hired me in a town located in the middle of ********** and even She told me " you're bright and young, leave after 2 years or you'd die of loneliness here. (a town where Walmart and 99c stores were the hang out spots) So you don't even have to lie about staying there forever and giving them all until your last breadth. They understand.

ataymil8 · Jun 26, 2013

I just graduated in May and passed my boards in early June. Resumes out all over the place. I have a BA in an unrelated field. I am going to be 52 in the fall, but still plan on getting my BSN. I'm beginning to think I've made a terrible mistake.

cardiacrocks, BSN, RN · Jun 26, 2013

At my hospital we are so short staffed we hire a great deal of GN's. We keep expanding, this whole area is hiring. I live in upstate NY and work at a hospital in PA. Many GN's come from all over the country to get experience here. Good luck, you might have to consider moving for 1-2 years to gain the experience that you needs.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 26, 2013

Ok you guys don't have to jump on me. But I know for a fact that a local hospital has nurses that are so old working there that they can barely walk up and down the hallways.
What is it going to get to the point that you have a nurse coming into a patients room in a damn wheelchair with a magnifying glass to read the labels on the meds they are about to dispense?
It is also terrible to promote nursing as career path that will have a steady need for employees and a promising job outlook. Don't you think it sucks that there are lets say 700 new grads and none of them can get a job anywhere? So what does that mean? That I am going to be stuck living at home with my mom supporting me (my mom who is an older nurse) and so then she won't ever be able to retire because I will be the monkey on her back for the next 5 years while I sit around waiting for a job? It seems like a viscous and kind of downright stupid circle.
So basically this generation is screwed because nobody can/will retire. Then everyone wonders why there are so many people on the take.
If I had to do it over again I wouldn't have even bothered. The whole scenario seems absolutely asinine.

This is probably one of most hyperbolic posts I've read in a long time.

Maybe the a reason you aren't getting job offers has less to do with the job market and more to do with your disdain for older nurses.

FWIW, I've worked with nurses who had handicaps, and they were good nurses.

PeacockMaiden · Jun 26, 2013

It is the responsibility of the person who is contemplating nursing school to do research and fully understand the supply and demand.

I did my research and knew it would be tough to find a job as a new grad in California, so it was not a surprise to me.

I have been working in a skilled nursing facility for 11 months, and although it's not the ideal career I want, at least I'm working. 3/4 of my classmates also have jobs now, maybe not ideal jobs, but at least something.

Maybe try SNFs, they seem new grad friendly.

PMFB-RN, RN · Jun 26, 2013

Ok you guys don't have to jump on me. But I know for a fact that a local hospital has nurses that are so old working there that they can barely walk up and down the hallways.
What is it going to get to the point that you have a nurse coming into a patients room in a damn wheelchair with a magnifying glass to read the labels on the meds they are about to dispense?
It is also terrible to promote nursing as career path that will have a steady need for employees and a promising job outlook. Don't you think it sucks that there are lets say 700 new grads and none of them can get a job anywhere? So what does that mean? That I am going to be stuck living at home with my mom supporting me (my mom who is an older nurse) and so then she won't ever be able to retire because I will be the monkey on her back for the next 5 years while I sit around waiting for a job? It seems like a viscous and kind of downright stupid circle.
So basically this generation is screwed because nobody can/will retire. Then everyone wonders why there are so many people on the take.
If I had to do it over again I wouldn't have even bothered. The whole scenario seems absolutely asinine.

*** My question is, why did you decide to pursue a job field KNOWN to be very difficult to get a job in? Seems like you are angry that you made you bed and now have to lay in it.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 26, 2013

I just graduated from an ASN program in May and I am about to take the NCLEX next week. I do currently have a temporary new grad license...
But I just want to know why are there no jobs available? I live in Rhode Island and the employment here is horrible. Almost every single hospital that does have positions available wants at least 1-2 years of med-surg experience. How are we ever supposed to get experience if we can't get a job?? Even the few and far between positions for nurses at clinics and doctor's offices want 3-5 years experience, plus specialty experience. It is downright depressing.
One of the reasons I chose the health care field was because "there would always be jobs available." That is such a lie. Whenever I tell people that I just graduated and will be an RN they always say, at least you will never be without a job! That is so false.
When I spoke with the nurses at the hospitals where I did my clinical rotations, they said they felt so bad for us and how back in the 80's hospitals were begging them to take positions and even offering sign on bonuses.
I just feel like it will be so long before I ever find a job that I won't remember half of the stuff I learned

Things have changed so much in both in the profession, healthcare and the general economy since the 1980's.

Back then for all the glamour nursing was still mainly a pink collar ghetto job. Wages were low (starting at around $17K per year for new grads in NYC) and you didn't end up much better after several years working either. You could earn the same or more money working as a secretary or anywhere else without all the hassles. As such interest in nursing as a career was falling off a cliff. Many programs closed due to lack of enrollments and those that remained open you could often get in without all the testing, having a 4.0 GPA and endless wait lists of today. For most of the CUNY programs for instance here in NYC long as you had the 2.5 in nursing prerequisites and met the other qualifications you got in usually the first time applied.

Because of all this yes, during the 1980's and some of the 1990's places were begging for nurses. No one predicted several things:

the recent economic meltdown and financial crisis,

that so many would enroll and graduate from nursing programs,

changes in federal and insurance reimbursements

and that the better wages for experienced/seasoned nurses would cause many to return to the bedside and or not leave as predicted.

If you graduated in the 1980's you'd only be in your 50's now and have >20 years of solid nursing experience under your belt. To many facilities such nurses are like catnip. They do not require extensive orientation like new grads and have a proven track record, what is not to love?

From the experienced nurse's side of things again if you graduated in the 1980's you know how puny wages were, but now you can make BANK in comparison especially if you pick up OT and or travel.

Finally at least where you are concerned there is the push towards BSN nurses. Between second degree, RN to BSN schemes and undergraduate programs there simply are large numbers of four year nurses out there to meet whatever openings that hospitals have. At least the larger and or prestigious ones in large urban areas like NYC.

You may wish to consider relocated to another area where hiring is taking place for ADN nurses, getting your experience and perhaps enrolling in a RN to BSN program. It is big sucks on these hospitals to have a revolving door of new grads that come and stay for a few years then head home, but that is the only way many newly licensed nurses are getting enough experience to have larger places look at them.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 26, 2013

I don't know......
A local psych hospital got rid of all of their older nurses last year by offering "early retirement packages".

Yeah, those "older nurses" are/were very experienced, I'm sure! Why do they need them anyways ?!!! Us "older nurses" sure do get in everyone's way, huh? Let's hire 20-something new grads to get things in line, eh?