Nursing graduates find tighter job market

Rayne-

I would think it would just be easier to get the BSN since the job market might actually improve while you continue to take your courses but then, I have no evidence of anything that says this is the better move. I am just thinking that I wish I was graduating next May instead of December because who knows? The market might improve before May but probably won't before December. Good luck, girl!

As for the whole retiring nurses thing, what a joke! I don't know any 6oish types including both of my parents (not nurses though) who are planning to retire anytime ever for any reason. Why would they? The economy hit their retirements nice and hard, they are relatively healthy at this time and they have achieved seniority or landed in a good spot based on experience. It is my opinion that people who talk about a shortage either now or in the future are acting irresponsibly.

Remember, and interviewer's job is to eliminate applicants, the last one left standing gets the job. Expample, I have 50 applicants interviewing for 1 job. My job is to eliminate 49 and the remaining one will get the job.

Interview first that you are the nicest person in the world and love to be part of the patient recovery and support team, second on your RN skills. As for your training? Well, the hospital wants to train you there way anyhow.

Also take a Rosetta Stone course in Spanish if you do not already speak it. Being bi-lingual, bi-lingual enough to get away in a general interview, is a good road to being hired. The interviewer will likely only use simple phrases. ¿Habla usted Español?

I have been looking for 5 months!! I did get one offer though..it was over 2hrs away from home................

Well, I graduated last oct 2008 and recieved my passing nclex results in may, got my licensed in june. I have applied to so many places (LTC, homehealth, hospitals, etc) every job posting asked for 1yr of experience; I sent my resume anyway. I am still waiting on a phone or email but nothing. And Yes i considered going back to school but i dont have no money. Tried community colleges but GUESS WHAT? they all have such a long waiting list.......... Yes i have heard of this nursing shortage and that the goverment or president is trying to bring foreing nurses......... that will be a stupid move from them. Lets see, for one, I graduated in oct 08, a class of 25 students, after us two more classes have graduates, that will give and stimated number of 75 graduated nurses, lets just say that they all got the license, SO from what i know we all want a job as nurses.......... we can all cover those positions available that are need to be fill. Another thing that i quite dont understand, for all those employers out there, SINCE when all of their employees that were once or are employed by them had the experience. I am sure that they were new grads at one point of their life!!!!! so why not give us the chance to work for them? This is another thing that gets me, yes is true about that they are going to spend money on training BUT GUESS what new grads DO NOT GET pay as someone with experience!!!!! so the money that they are going to be investing on new grads is going to be compensated by saving on the pay rate..........helloooooooo. I am so sad, mad or whatever these feeling are that i really dont know what to do..........

i am so sorry for ventilating my feelings

I'm not sure what angle you are taking on this one, but as a new grad, the hospital that I'm going to be working for is going to have to pay me between $28 and $33 per hour +6% social security tax+ all my benefits for up to 4 months before I'm working on my own in the ICU. In the mean time they will also be paying the nurse that is training me her full time wages as well. They also have an education department that spends a lot of time on new grads. It is a huge cost for the hospital especially when you look at the rate at which new-grad nurses leave the field. I wouldn't be surprised if the hospital drops $15,000-20,000 on me before I start being productive!

Try more like $60,000 to train a GN for the ICU. That is what my hospital is paying. It cost more to train me than to pay me for a year at the rate that they offered. That is why hospitals are not hiring GNs. They are not saving money on you, they are paying twice what it would cost to hire someone with a year of experience. And then if you run off for the greener grass within or at a year of starting... Then they need to pay double for another GN.

By no means am i condoning the hiring freezes and the lack of GN jobs... just stating the facts. I consider myself quite lucky to have secured a position in the specialty i want. It isn't ideal, but well... that is just how it is. I hope that I can grow to love it and accept the hardships of my situation.

Good luck everyone.

EVERYTHING COMES DOWN TO THE MIGHTY DOLLAR AND WHOLE LOT OF BS POLITICS!!!!!!!!! It is sad but true. The job market SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been looking for a job since november 2008. I have applied to hospitals, nursing homes, nursing agencies, clinics, etc, and so far I have been only called for one interview and that was in March of 2009. IT IS NOW JULY!!!!!!!!!

People keep saying oh just go back to school and advance your degree. We went to nursing school and now only have a RN's license and a ton of school loan debt to show for it and no jobs becuase we are novices. Advance your degree and you still will be a novice if you start a new position with it. Many of those who have gone back to school depended on their employer to pay for it. so what is one suppose to do when they don't have an employer to pay for it. Well let's prioritize like we were taught in nursing school. Paying off my monthly student loans bills trump signing up for a ACLS class. Paying my phone and electric bill trumps joining my state's nursing association with the way how the times are. Plus you would think the nurse's asociation would be speaking out more about the topic of new grads/ grads/ inexperienced nurses having a hard time finding a job since some do offer a reduced rate due to a nurse being unemployed. The Dept of public health should also know how hard it is for this same group to find a job because I'm sure many when renewed their nursing licensed checked off the "no box" next to the question asking if you currently work in your licensed profession.

some might think it is easy just to find a job that is non-nursing, my question to you is what planet are you living on. It is hard to even find a job as simple as retail. everyone is competing for a spot.

I'm ****** when i keep hearing that nursing is a recession proof job. In my opinion the recession proof jobs are the following: funeral home business ( gotta bury or cremate your dead), bars(any place where hard alcohol is served up a lot, the umemployment rate is through the roof) , hair and nail salons ( gotta get pretty either for a job interview or to help brighten your day because you are depressed about the job situation), strip clubs, and, "street pharmacists" ( they can take $5.00 and turn it in to 5 millon dollars in a few days or depending on their location a few seconds).

this has just been my

You guys are killing me! I start Nursing School next year. I didn't think the job out look was going to be this dismal. Are you saying that it's not worth the investment to pursue an RN license? This is depressing!

I like to get and idea on where do most new grads want to land a job today, ???what is their idea of their chosen speciality????, practice setting??? I understand that it's probably diverse but what are the common areas or popular choices???

Here's what I suggest for you. Become a Physical Therapist. Great job, great money. Very high demand now and the future. And you won't have to deal with nurse politics and nurse abuse. When I was in nursing school there was a PT program at my school that was very respected. The problem at the time was that it would require 4yrs. of study to become a full PT and only two to be an RN. And when I was in nursing school (in the early 90's) PT was not projected to be as in demand as nursing. My, how things have changed!