And the beat goes on . . .

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In the SF Bay area, a large auto assembly plant (NUMMI), is shutting down soon, putting 4700 people out of work. The local government officials, trying to help all these soon to be unemployed people, were interviewed on the local news. I know you'll never, ever, guess what one of the careers they mentioned for job retraining . . . nursing, of course!!

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Yes, so they can compete with all the already out of work nurses in the area. Think I'll move back there myself!

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Specializes in Emergency, CCU, SNF.

I'm from the East Bay area and my boyfriend's brother has been laid off from NUMMI. I really don't think he wants to be a nurse.

Seriously, I never realized that there was such a lack of jobs for nurses here. I'm lucky, it only took me six months to find an LVN job. Not to mention the waiting lists for schools, it's crazy.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I hate those reports. They make it sound like nursing is so incredibly easy that "a caveman can do it"..........LOL :D

Not all of those unemployed people will be candidates for nursing school but all of them will be investing in pre reqs for it. More debt and wasted tax dollars because the local tech schools will be like vultures waiting for the victims..

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I was present for the run that occurred at SJSU when a humongous grant for sponsored students was announced on the Channel 7 news, as well as in other media outlets. People were overflowing out into the hallways at the nursing department office and the ladies working there acted like they were ready for the looney bin! Mention the word "nursing" or "nurse" and you will get plenty of action.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

years ago, when i still lived in wisconsin, the powers that be announced a change in the welfare system: welfare mothers could go to school to be nurses or their benefits would cease. fortunately, that one seemed to die on the vine! can you imagine all of those welfare moms working as nurses? bad enough that we already have discussions about the imperfection of nurses or nursing students who are "in it for the money." what about a generation of nurses who don't want to work at all but are only doing it because they cannot get welfare anymore?

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years ago, when i still lived in wisconsin, the powers that be announced a change in the welfare system: welfare mothers could go to school to be nurses or their benefits would cease. fortunately, that one seemed to die on the vine! can you imagine all of those welfare moms working as nurses? bad enough that we already have discussions about the imperfection of nurses or nursing students who are "in it for the money." what about a generation of nurses who don't want to work at all but are only doing it because they cannot get welfare anymore?

sounds like a former coworker or two. difficult to imagine how such lazy people could get by as employed nurses for year after year. i believe i vaguely recall the worst one remarking that she went from welfare to nursing after the government paid for nursing school. she was the one who got paid for sleeping 7.5 out of 8 hours on night shift. the cnas talked about her behind her back.

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I have met/know of many people who are now going into/went into nursing because they were unable to find jobs with their degree. Some schools in Canada offer a 2 year program for those who already have a previous degree. I heard it is very competitive - 900 applicants for 50 positions?! Some crazy number .. its insane! Its kinda frustrating sometimes how people think they are too good for nursing and somehow its their back-up plan. They think its so easy to become a nurse. I don't know about you, but nursing is HARD. Not everyone can do it. Getting through nursing school was only half the battle.

But to each his own ....

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Ultimately those that want it bad will stick with nursing, and those who just think it's secure employment will discover it's not all that easy to go through school, and then come out later still unemployed.

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I dont understand why a job where you have peoples lives at stake, like nursing, is considered a "back up" job. Like if you cant find anything, go into nursing! ummm NO! I would only want nurses who were there because they had a passion for nursing and worked hard, not because they couldn't find anything else! :mad:

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My community has a lot of layoffs in the logging industry. As part of their layoff plan, loggers can get college paid for. I had two big burly men in my nursing class. Both turned out to be great nurses.

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