I've been talking to other nursing students and nursing majors in my school and on this website and I'm hearing a lot of complaints about the job market and here is my issue.
What I don't understand (this may not apply to you) but nursing majors seem to have this thing in their heads that if they just take the NCLEX and then pass then they should have tons jobs just waiting for them when they graduate or that they should be hired on the spot simply because you did what you were supposed to do to get a piece of paper that said your a nurse now. As nursing majors we need to start thinking a little more like the business majors out there. You ask a graduating business major how the job market would look for them if they hadn't don't some sort of internship before they graduate and you will find that it looks pretty bleak. So why do we as nursing majors think that we don't have to do anything extra before we graduate to help ensure that we have jobs when we need them? I mean sure, you will find business majors who graduated without doing an internship and those are the people who are going to have the hardest time finding jobs but the business majors who have gone out and done an internship in addition to their normal classwork are the ones who are going to have the easiest time in the job market. Nursing majors and future nurses, before you graduate find an internship or someway you can get hands on experience because as the job market gets more competitive its going to get harder to find a job and without that bit of experience to help set you apart then you are going to be struggling for a job. No clinicals do not count as an internship or doing that "extra" you need to set you apart. Just look at the positions that have 10 new grad nurses fighting for one spot, each new grad may have a GPA that are within .05 - .1 of the next applicant. So how does the hiring manager decide which nurse to hire? I can tell you that your GPA and personality may not be enough to get you a job, because most of the other applicants will have a high GPA like you and be just as eager to work as you are. So you need to have some sort of experience to help you stand out. If you can't find a formal internship then you should look into becoming a CNA or a SNA (Student Nurse Associate or something similar) to help you get some hands on experience, this work might not be glamorous or anything but you will be around nurses and learn more about what they do just by being in that setting.
I just started in my program with eyes wide open regarding job prospects. The only hospital near my area (very rural) allows 4 different nursing schools within 200 miles to do their clinicals there--it is very competitive to get a job there. Meanwhile, downstate, my dad (an RN at a Magnet hospital) was telling me about their hiring freeze they had for a while. So, I'm nervous about what the job market will be like when I graduate in December of 2011. Complicating matters is that I'm getting married and my fiance graduates this semester. I have NO idea where he will end up getting a job. Where he goes greatly influences where I will try for internships when the time comes.
Incidentally, do you think preceptorships (required in our program) help with prospects and networking?
Incidentally, do you think preceptorships (required in our program) help with prospects and networking?
Yes. Preceptorships definitely help because they get to show your work ethic to the employer. Treat the whole thing like an interview and collect important phone numbers of units youre interested in and make a point to have people you meet introduce you to managers. Also, express your interest in the unit you are working in to your preceptor and the unit manager. Also get a letter of rec from your preceptor and then pitch your case to the manager.
Yes. Preceptorships definitely help because they get to show your work ethic to the employer. Treat the whole thing like an interview and collect important phone numbers of units youre interested in and make a point to have people you meet introduce you to managers. Also, express your interest in the unit you are working in to your preceptor and the unit manager. Also get a letter of rec from your preceptor and then pitch your case to the manager.
i agree. except i precepted on a floor that wasn't new grad friendly. booo.... find a unit that actually hire fresh new nurses and THEN precept there. otherwise, u'd be like me.. wanting to work on that unit but they won't hire-- even if you made a great impression.
i agree. except i precepted on a floor that wasn't new grad friendly. booo.... find a unit that actually hire fresh new nurses and THEN precept there. otherwise, u'd be like me.. wanting to work on that unit but they won't hire-- even if you made a great impression.
so true, yeah I precepted on a PACU and they dont hire new grads regardless of the economy. I was able to make connections in a neighboring unit I could work in tho
Let me first say that I'm sorry if my post sounded brash or insensitive. I didn't mean to come off that way, I guess I'm just frustrated having a lot of my new grads/nursing students friends saying "I can't find a job." and when I ask what they have done to help bolster their resumes besides just graduating from school and passing the NCLEX most of the time they say "Umm nothing..." and get an attitude like they shouldn't have to do anything besides just graduate in order to get a job. Obviously the nursing world and job market have changed over the years and finding jobs in 2010 will be different than 2008 or 2004 or even 2000. Another thing that frustrates me is how the advice from professors doesn't change that much as the years have gone on and the job market has changed. "There will be plenty of jobs when you graduate!" might have been true in 2000 but isn't true in 2010 and its not fair to tell that to nursing students and when they are new grads. like now then the schools are like "Well your on your own!". Not every school or every professor is like that but many are and its doing an injustice to the students more than anything. So again I wanted to say sorry because I realize my post sounded harsh and I didn't mean it to be, I just feel like nursing schools should start preparing students for a rougher job market out their then they are currently doing.
!Chris
The fact that you made a post before you yourself have even graduated nursing and looking for a good is what offends me. You make it sound like if everyone just tried a little bit harder everything would be fine.
If the jobs aren't there then no matter how much preparation you do during school will help. If employers are looking for 1 year minimum then thats what they are looking for. I can't tell you how many times I got someone excited about my resume and me and then they realized I had no experience under my license. Of course for LVN's its different there are no interships or residency for us. There are jobs out there for us and I did find them but they are bottom feeders taking advantage of lower wages greater supply of nurses.
The same thing that is happening to workers around the country is happening to us. My husband thought when he had to find a new job early in 08 that there was something wrong with him for having to suffer 3 weeks without a job.
The fact that you made a post before you yourself have even graduated nursing and looking for a good is what offends me. You make it sound like if everyone just tried a little bit harder everything would be fine.
If the jobs aren't there then no matter how much preparation you do during school will help. If employers are looking for 1 year minimum then thats what they are looking for. I can't tell you how many times I got someone excited about my resume and me and then they realized I had no experience under my license. Of course for LVN's its different there are no interships or residency for us. There are jobs out there for us and I did find them but they are bottom feeders taking advantage of lower wages greater supply of nurses.
The same thing that is happening to workers around the country is happening to us. My husband thought when he had to find a new job early in 08 that there was something wrong with him for having to suffer 3 weeks without a job.
I understand the point that your making and its a valid one. In terms of me speaking before I have graduated and have gotten a job I will say that because I have gone out and gotten an internship I have been assured by my managers that I have a position available for me after I graduate. I consider myself very lucky and at the same time its because I have gone out and found this position before I graduated that I have a job waiting for me once I have graduated. I know there are many people who get internships or hospital positions who still don't have positions after they graduate so I understand that I'm lucky but I wouldn't have gotten it if I hadn't gone out and found the position myself before I was finished with school.
because I have gone out and gotten an internship I have been assured by my managers that I have a position available for me after I graduate. I consider myself very lucky and at the same time its because I have gone out and found this position before I graduated that I have a job waiting for me once I have graduated.
many people have been promised jobs when they graduate, some who have worked for a hospital for years, only to find that the positions just werent available any more. some people who have had new grad programs lined up for months, find out a week, or even the night before, that the program is canceled.
youd be wise to learn to be less critical of others. and as Ive said previously, the competition for internships is high, like 1:300 odds for the one I was in. The competition for the job I received is 1000+:1. There's plenty of extremely qualified people who just cant get a job d/t the shear competition.
and also, let me reiterate, because I dont think you are getting that pro-activeness doesnt always result in success in this economy:
I have a 4.00 from a reputable BSN program, participated in a competitive internship, have four amazing letters of recommendation, lots of certifications....and still could not get anyone to call me, regardless of which specialty or hospital I applied to. I also placed follow up calls to all hospitals and prepared thoroughly for interviews so it's not like I just ignored them after applying. I thank God everyday that the company I interned at has been so loyal to me, because without them, I would be jobless despite all of my qualifications.
I understand the point that your making and its a valid one. In terms of me speaking before I have graduated and have gotten a job I will say that because I have gone out and gotten an internship I have been assured by my managers that I have a position available for me after I graduate. I consider myself very lucky and at the same time its because I have gone out and found this position before I graduated that I have a job waiting for me once I have graduated. I know there are many people who get internships or hospital positions who still don't have positions after they graduate so I understand that I'm lucky but I wouldn't have gotten it if I hadn't gone out and found the position myself before I was finished with school.
!Chris
I think your OP did an adequate job of expressing your frustration with future nurses who feel they are entitled to a job and of offering some sound advice as to how to go about getting one. I don't think being a student is especially relevant to either point. A lot of current students have had plenty of experience looking for jobs. But I do think this could be a useful example when the time comes to talk to patients. You may have noticed that the two purposes I mentioned have not tended to reinforce each other. It seems like a number of readers have lost sight of the advice in their reaction to the rant. This is human nature.
A bedside nurse spends a lot of time telling patients things they don't want to hear. Some will respond best to the blunt truth, but many will require at least some sugar coating. In this respect, patients are a lot like people.
Over the summer, our CNO sent an e-mail to the nurses at our facility that in the current economy, we should be glad just to have a job. I actually agree with that. In any economy, one should be glad to have a job. If you have a job you aren't glad to have, it's time to look for another. By the way, several of my colleagues had interviews at other facilities within a week of getting that e-mail. Most, however, did not take other jobs. Turns out, the grass on our side of the fence is about as green as any other. It ain't perfect, but it ain't all that bad, either.
I heartily endorse the idea of looking for an internship. Even aside from the foot-in-the-door element, it's a great way to gain a little real-world experience before beginning orientation as a GN. A friend of mine from school did one at a rural hospital where he had no intention of working, but he learned a lot and made his transtition to working as a nurse a lot smoother. A couple of my current co-workers did internships at our facility, and also benefitted. I didn't do an internship, since I'd have had to leave the job I already had to do one at my facility. I made the choice I needed to make--couldn't afford to give up my unlicensed job, even temporarily--and I was okay, but there's no doubt in my mind the internship would have helped.
Anyway, good luck to all. The market is tougher than it was, but there are still jobs. There will always be a need for excellent nurses. The trick is to persuade recruiters that you will be an excellent nurse, and the original post offers some useful strategies toward that.
I understand the point that your making and its a valid one. In terms of me speaking before I have graduated and have gotten a job I will say that because I have gone out and gotten an internship I have been assured by my managers that I have a position available for me after I graduate. I consider myself very lucky and at the same time its because I have gone out and found this position before I graduated that I have a job waiting for me once I have graduated. I know there are many people who get internships or hospital positions who still don't have positions after they graduate so I understand that I'm lucky but I wouldn't have gotten it if I hadn't gone out and found the position myself before I was finished with school.
!Chris
I certainly don't know what the situation will be when you graduate but I can tell you that if your internship failed to turn into the guaranteed job then you would not be the first person I saw that happen to. If there are no jobs, there are no jobs. Its cheaper for the hospital to lose the money they spent training you then to offer you a position.
HyperSaurus, RN, BSN
765 Posts
I just started in my program with eyes wide open regarding job prospects. The only hospital near my area (very rural) allows 4 different nursing schools within 200 miles to do their clinicals there--it is very competitive to get a job there. Meanwhile, downstate, my dad (an RN at a Magnet hospital) was telling me about their hiring freeze they had for a while. So, I'm nervous about what the job market will be like when I graduate in December of 2011. Complicating matters is that I'm getting married and my fiance graduates this semester. I have NO idea where he will end up getting a job. Where he goes greatly influences where I will try for internships when the time comes.
Incidentally, do you think preceptorships (required in our program) help with prospects and networking?