*UNEMPLOYED NURSES*

Nurses Job Hunt

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Ello~

I'm just curious to know, for those of you who are unemployed nurses, exactly how long have you been looking for work? What are you (LPN,RN,BSN-RN,MSN-NP,etc.) How many previous years of experience do you have? Where are you located? How many applications do you think you have placed? What about interviews? Add anything else that you want! Vent, tell us how you REALLY feel, give your opinions/outlooks on everything.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Hope you find something soon.

I am not a nurse, but a high school English teacher who has a large number of students planning on persuing a B.S. R.N. This isn't a new trend, and I have always encouraged their choice, but I read the article on CNN today and am quite concerned. I've read several pages here, and my heart goes out to those you still looking for a job. I hope you will indulge me with some addditional information, so that I might share it with students who may want to reconsider before they take on college loans for a degree that isn't as reliable as most articles suggest. Please bear with my ignorance. Are there are other degrees in the medical field that you would suggest to high school seniors that might result in better employment possibilities? Are there areas of specialization in nursing that can be followed in college that improve job chances? - - Please don't take this question wrong, but it does enter my mind. For the very first time this year, I have three young men that are planning on a nursing degree. I know there should not be, but is there any gender preference in the field? I have a son in engineering, and female engineers are a hot commodity for scholarships, internships, and jobs as the profession is actively trying to recruit females, so I thought the reverse might be true in nursing. Finally, what other information might you have to pass along to my students who are interested in nursing as a career? I appreciate any and all feedback very much, as will my students. - - as an afterthought, we are in North Texas, about an hour from Dallas. Best wishes to you in your job searches!

Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with young people. I have worked in health care all my life and I think that young people should think before getting into the field. It is very hard to find work right now there are many promises of a bright future for the profession but not now. If it does get better those jobs are going to be working with the elderly, so the students should know that they need to realize that they might have to work in long term care, those are not very glamorous jobs. Health care is very demanding physically and there might come a point where they cannot work in some jobs because they can become injured. About the young men that want to go into nursing, that is awesome. Personally, I believe that there needs to be more male nurses for many reasons. If I were hiring I would give males preference. I have only done hiring in long term care so I cannot speak for all fields of nursing. I do think that HIT is really the way to go so I would advise taking as many computer classes as they can.

Please ignore my grammar

I am seeing a lot of posts on here that sound so familiar.

I have just gotten my MSN this past summer, all the while being at home with a baby/toddler/preschooler. My son is now in kindergarten and while I have kept my Nursing credential active, along with the ACLS/BLS certs, the fact I have not had an active nursing shift since my agency went under some years ago has put me in that stale category.

I am more than willing to shift out of ER into ANYthing else practically, but right now there just don't seem to be a lot of jobs out there at all! We want to relocate to Alaska, but in order to do that I need an AK RN license, which apparently can't be done without 320 contact hours within the past three years, of which I do not have. It seems that Masters I worked so hard for is turning out to be useless, and like another poster mentions, having been out of the loop for several years, I don't really know anyone any longer. Who you know is usually the best indicator of your likelihood of getting picked for the interview and whatnot.

Because my son is in kindergarten and I am alone with him for much of the time, a lot of those travel options are out. I just don't know what to do....this is extremely disheartening!!

I feel everyone's pain right now.

Thanks so much for the input! I will pass it along to my students.

You are great for taking an interest in keeping your students from harm. I know that sounds harsh, but it really is horrible if you cannot pay that debt, and having a nursing degree gets you absolutely nothing other than a nursing job. And if you don't get that, you are screwed SOL.

I'd rec that they get another degree outside of healthcare, and then should things change by some miracle, they can go back to college for nursing. I just want to see your students not be shunned from other jobs just because of a nursing degree. I want them to have half a chance at paying their loans. I'd also add that, if they can go slowly and keep whatever job they currently have (if they do) see if there is a local CC that will transfer to a big U any gen ed courses possible. This, so that they can keep a lid on expenses and never quit that job while in school if possible. You see, that little crummy job they have is more than many adults have right now.

So here is my story related to unemployment...I worked in a NICU as an RN from 1995-2008. I worked full time mostly until 2007 when i went per diem (the same postion) after my children were born. That was a BIG mistake. After that, the perdiem use was so low, i barely worked. eventually i was forced to leave that position, they phased out per diems. So that is 13 years of NICU. currently, i work a homecare case pediatric, for 10 years now. (worked that along with the NICU)

I have been out of the NICU for 4 years total now.

I honestly thought i would have NO problem getting back into a NICU or peds area with all my experience. I am WRONG. I have been on only 2 interviews (one with the hospital i used to work at!) and just got my second rejection email today. No reason why i am not getting hired. Only i was not "chosen".

I am so disheartened. It was a job I absolutely LOVED. I dont know how i will ever get a job in a NICU or hospital at this point, because the time gets longer as the days go on. Another bad thing is i live in NY. half of the hospitals here on Long Island are owned by the hospital that wont hire me. Its a monopoly basically, or a mecca.

I so wish I can be told WHY i do not get hired. But they dont have to tell you, do they?

Im gonna keep applying. maybe one day Ill get a shot.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
goomer said:
I am seeing a lot of posts on here that sound so familiar.

I have just gotten my MSN this past Summer, all the while being at home with a baby/toddler/preschooler. My son is now in kindergarten and while I have kept my Nursing credential active, along with the ACLS/BLS certs, the fact I have not had an active nursing shift since my agency went under some years ago has put me in that stale category.

I am more than willing to shift out of ER into ANYthing else practically, but right now there just don't seem to be a lot of jobs out there at all! We want to relocate to Alaska, but in order to do that I need an AK RN license, which apparently can't be done without 320 contact hours within the past three years, of which I do not have. It seems that Masters I worked so hard for is turning out to be useless, and like another poster mentions, having been out of the loop for several years, I don't really know anyone any longer. Who you know is usually the best indicator of your likelihood of getting picked for the interview and whatnot.

Because my son is in kindergarten and I am alone with him for much of the time, a lot of those travel options are out. I just don't know what to do....this is extremely disheartening!!

I feel everyone's pain right now.

Just for what it is worth......for a license by endorsement in Alaska it isn't contact hours they state that you need to have been employed as a RN with a valid license in good standing with at least 320 hours of working as a nurse with patients.....OR have valid proof of continuing education requirements OR take a board approved refresher course. So youi really are not out of luck. 

Esme12 said:
Just for what it is worth......for a license by endorsement in Alaska it isn't contact hours they state that you need to have been employed as a RN with a valid license in good standing with at least 320 hours of working as a nurse with patients.....OR have valid proof of continuing education requirements OR take a board approved refresher course. So youi really are not out of luck.

Whoa.....you just may have made my day here lololol

Are you telling me that I only need to have had 320 hours at least working as a nurse with my current license in order to qualify for a license in AK???

If this is true, it could be a game changer!

I could have sworn they wanted those 320 hours to have been done within the past three years....based on what I read. Perhaps I read it incorrectly?

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
goomer said:
Whoa.....you just may have made my day here lololol

Are you telling me that I only need to have had 320 hours at least working as a nurse with my current license in order to qualify for a license in AK???

If this is true, it could be a game changer!

I could have sworn they wanted those 320 hours to have been done within the past three years....based on what I read. Perhaps I read it incorrectly?

I gave you the link to the PDF.....read it for yourself..:) I'm glad I could help.

Ello~I'm just curious to know, for those of you who are unemployed nurses, exactly how long have you been looking for work? What are you (LPN,RN,BSN-RN,MSN-NP,etc.) How many previous years of experience do you have? Where are you located? How many applications do you think you have placed? What about interviews? Add anything else that you want! Vent, tell us how you REALLY feel, give your opinions/outlooks on everything.
RN-BSN6 years nursing experienceCharge nurse for PICU for a year before relocating 1 year military clinical experience9 months unemployed I really don't know how many jobs I have applied to online...if I can estimate I would say over 20. I have had interviews with two recruiting companies but seems like there's no luck or its always a dead end. Many traveling agencies has called me but once I tell them I've been out of the hospital for two years, they say they can't help.
Specializes in this and that.

It is so hard....I have been out of hospital x 2 years and have contracts from agencies here and there...unemployed now x 2 months with no unemployment help....thinking of working at STARBUCKS ....My hx of x 20 years of RN BSN experience in USA, RGN in UK since 1990....BSN RN NURSE MIDWIFE in my country 1985.......CLNC till 2015...all went down the drain...living in sewage and applying and interviewing everywhere....my boyfriend said he is tired of taking care of me and planning on " cutting the cord" by MARCH 2013.....soooo sad and depressed with this situation...no christmas and 50th birthday celebration either

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