Albuquerque Job Outlooks?

[Devie06]

I am in school still, but wondering what the job outlook is in Albuquerque for new nurses. Once I graduate, my hubby is goin for PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience if he gets in here, otherwise we go to Denver. I heard CO is really bad like CA as far as getting a job I need to work as soon as possible and Im terrified of not getting a job! What about the VA? I worked as a CNA for 3 years, could that help my case?

[rebk]

Hi. I am a RN, BSN, graduated almost 8 years ago. I was told recently, by more than one recruiter, that New Mexico is one of the best places for nurses to find a job. I live in Colorado, north of Denver, and am constantly applying, all over! For years! No job for me yet! I have also been told by these same nurse recruiters that CO, especially northern CO, is one of the most difficult spots in the country to land a nursing job. Wish you all the best!

[Devie06]

Thanks for the info! My sister in law is currently in Regis, and not set to graduate for 2 years. I keep trying to tell her that job outlooks are poor but she doesn't believe me and is positive she will get a job as soon as she graduates. Do you think it will change anytime soon? Or do you think she will have just as much trouble as everyone else?

[rebk]

Honestly, I have no idea if it will change anytime soon. I hope no one else experiences/feels the way I do right now. It just sucks! I do have some work history, but mostly in LTC, and that is why it is so difficult to get into acute care now. I am feeling so desperate. I need a job!

[Devie06]

I hope you find one soon!

[rebk]

Thank you!! I am applying all over the country as I'm typing this. I will move anywhere!

[JBudd, MSN]

If you get a job at one of the hospitals owned by the CIty and County of Denver, you are required to live within the city limits. Just an FYI. Good luck to both of you!

[emilyBABSNRN]

Thank you!! I am applying all over the country as I'm typing this. I will move anywhere!

I wrote my advice about applying all over the country in another post under new mexico nursing forum. I will add that when I graduated from nursing school, 95% of my nursing class was "applying all over the country" also. We lived in a state where there was an excess of nurses and not a lot of openings at the time. We lived in the middle of nowhere and at the time of graduation most of my fellow students did not have a job. The ones that DID have a job were ones that had experience either as an extern or a cna to give them a foot in the door.

One piece of advice I will also share is that if anyone out there is applying to their first job, you can't be picky nowadays. I had a stellar resume, references, etc and thought I could apply to extern programs no problem. WRONG. They give preference to people who are located in-state first. Even the academic programs in hospitals reserved a majority of their positions for in-state applications. This is the general rule even for applying to masters school programs (CRNA programs, etc) as I have heard first hand from an admissions advisor. My best advice is for you to go where you have a connection and build your experience from there. It's hard to explain "gaps in employment". It is especially hard to get back into healthcare after being out due to the highly technical nature of the job. If you need advice about any states I am familiar with just PM or email me I would be happy to help.

[Devie06]

Just an update: I got in to nursing school and start January! Yay! My husband starts his PhD next month, we are staying in Abq. My SIL says if she can't get a job in Denver, she will try Abq. She did get in to an externship, so I hope she gets a job when she graduates :) But I also hope that job is here in Abq! I would love to have her around :)