Nursing graduates find tighter job market

I graduated in December 2008, passed my NCLEX in early June and am still looking. I am not too worried, and actually have an interview scheduled (but it is a long shot). I am always fine-tuning my resume to find what works. I am back in school to get an advanced degree and have volunteered at a camp to learn about camp nursing.

This article makes it look like the nursing school is optimistic adding 15% more slots to the nursing school. I don't know if that is optimistic or simply fiscally responsible. Nursing education is in high demand due to the recent lay-offs and continued press about the nursing shortage. Believe me the Colleges and Universities are suffering in the current economy as well, and since demand exceeds supply in terms of those who want a nursing education versus the number of available slots, it would seem wise to increase the number of slots and possibly the price of the education. Of course, the increased funding for nursing education by the government certainly couldn't have anything to do with increasing the number of slots... the school administrators are not stupid.

To my fellow nurse grads - good luck! I think, at least in the Philadelphia area, things may be improving a bit.

Lisa

I'm about to take NCLEX next month... I'm in an alternate entry Master's program in Austin and am looking for work in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, because I just can't find a job here. One of the two main hospital systems has a hiring freeze and the other isn't contacting anyone who applies. My classmates are all having the same problem.

We've been doing this program since June of last year... most of us are so poor right now, we can't afford not to work, much less keep going to school!

There is a shortage of nursing educators- positions as nursing educator/clinical instructors do NOT pay well- who wants to put themselves further into debt- to obtain a MSN - the basic education requirement for a nursing educator/clinical instructor along with so many years of experience in a specialty. In order to teach it you have to be PROFICIENT in it yourself) Nursing, traditional does not pay it's advanced degrees for their education. Another area of concern is (and I straight out asked a clinical instructor as I was interested in teaching)" Why(with all the talk of nursing shortage --aren't we getting any nursing students anymore?) is there such a shortage . Her answer was- "there is no shortage of nursing students. There is a shortage of nursing instructors-the why schools have waiting lists. She also stated that nurses are hesitant to be instructors because now-a-days- the student can and do SUE the instructor if they don't like their grade or if they are failed. I had a student assigned to one of my patients on a Cardiovascular Med/Surg floor pulled off her med pass by her instructor because she was totally unprepared-- she did not look up her drugs. This was unthinkable in my nursing school days- you were too afraid not to be prepared. This new laxed attitude of the students and the lawsuit factor made me think twice. Nursing in general- has a lot of straightening out to do-- From the student level all the way to the top-administration/financial level. a major player in this is going to have to start with nursings' Professional Associations- first in gaining ultimate and absolute control over the healthcare legislation on issues that directly effect our practice-- beginning strick competencies in the nusing schools- toe the line or your out. with BEDSIDE nursing(staffing ratios and patient safety- we are the ones responsible for those people in those beds, coming in ER doors, on OR tables, and in L&D you have 2 patients NOT 1. NOT some hokey LAWYER or joker DIRECTOR of FINANCE and MARKETING. If not let them be responsible for their penny pinching (closing of nursing positions/ hiring freezes/ lay off or fire their EXPERIENCED NURSES) when it comes to the malpractice and neglegent suits. The hospitals hire lawyers to work in their risk management departments( when a real or potential major or sentenal event is reported, it's the hospital lawyer who thinks up the crap excuse to give --MOST of the time it is to discredit the reporting party- think about what they do in a court room- they discredit the witness) the finance director is the one who controlls the hospitals purse strings and dictates how many nurses etc THEY feel they can afford to hire.( BUT if the CEO's daughter breaks her leg- she gets one to one nursing care, They are fully aware of how dangerous the staffing is and they JUST DON'T CARE. Do they ever take a paycut-NO!!!!! ) Nurses have ALWAYS been the first area to go when these jerks want to cut corners. That I have never understood. They are the first to point the finger at the nurse- what is the family told- how many times have we read "the nurse was disciplined/let go " after they have consulted with the SPIN DOCTOR LAWYER. They are NEVER responsible for their decisions and in essence they are practising nursing, medicine with our licenses-- I resent them. I say-GET RID OF THEM and PUT THEIR SORRY SELVES IN JAIL.

True story, and that's the right attitude to have, but I think paying for all that school gets to be quite a burden. I just graduated with a BA, and am finishing prereqs this year, so I still have nursing school ahead of me. I am already $125 k in the hole (and that was with a $50 k scholarship!) At some point, more school simply may not be an option, unfortunately.

LTC and Home Care are going to be big in the next 10 years (with the aging baby boomers) and it might be "undesirable" for many nurses but it is where the future is going. Get in with a good LTC facility that does tuition reimbursement and take courses once you start working.

I'm a new-grad going to the ICU- where I wanted, the main reason I was hired however, was because I worked there as a CNA first. For those who think there isn't a nursing shortage... well you are half right. Is there a shortage of new-grads that hospitals have to dump a bunch of money into?- no. Is there a shortage of experienced nurses willing to work full-time 12hr night shifts so hospitals can get rid of expensive travelers? -yes.
As far as I can see, there is and forever will be a surplus of new-grads because hospitals have to invest money to train them. The supply of new-grads has increased, but the hospital's ability to train them has not.

If the government spent money on new-grad transition programs the problem might be solved. However, all the talk is that the money is going to be headed towards those in academia for loan repayment (because the people who are shaping this debate are the ones who stand to profit from it).

Let's face it- we have a shortage of jobs for new-grads, not a shortage of people who want to go to nursing school. Let's spend our money on the former rather than the latter.

I wonder how much the regional differences are affecting the employment opportunities. Here in Oklahoma, we've been lucky SO FAR. Most of the students I know who've graduated have found jobs quickly and usually in hospitals or areas they wanted. I've been able to extern in the OR at a hospital, and they've told me I'll be hired on when I graduate in december. However, I have noticed supervisors sending a lot of RN's home early when things are slow. Hopefully, this situation will pass soon. It is a huge let down to be told jobs are plentiful and you're in a recession-proof industry and then find out that's not the case.

Thank you sooo much for the truth!!!

i do wanna go back to school, but i cant imagine how would i do it without a job, as broke as i am. tuiton has to be paid, and books have to be bought. taking out student loans is out the question.

I live in Texas where it is proclaimed we do not have a shortage in this state. I was lucky enough to land a job in the OR to start a week after my pinning, but guess what? It's an hour away. I couldn't even find a job in my local area without at least 12 months experience. =(