Anxious about job market

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello all..

I'm a pre nursing student and I am apprehensive about the job market. I would appreciate some insight...

A little about me... I currently live in Florida, but do not mind relocating. I have a background in complementary medicine (massage therapy, Yoga, and Pilates instructor).

I'm mainly interested in Psych and Neurology and hope to eventually get my NP.

Some questions..

1. How hard is it going to be to get a job upon graduation?

2. Any tips to help me land my first job and or ways to build a network with other professionals?

3. Is Florida a good or bad state to start your career? Also, any states in particular that would be good to consider moving to?

4. Any tips to help me get into either neuroscience or psych?

Thank you!

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Specializes in ICU.

Bigger cities tend to be saturated with new grads, but since you are open to relocating somewhere else, you should have no problem finding a job. I personally moved four states away, got a year of experience, and then moved back home. Even though the local employers rejected me, I still had a job lined up almost three weeks before I graduated. Just from what I've seen, it seems like any hospital without a big city nearby will probably be willing to hire new grads out of desperation. And heck - my unit just hired 11 new graduate nurses this year, and my city's over 200k people - so even bigger hospitals will hire new grads, too, if they're short staffed enough.

I just googled something to the effect of "new grad nurse residency programs" and looked in several states, and applied to every one I found. Worked for me!

One piece of personal advice - before you are convinced you have your heart set on psych or neurology, search out clinical experiences during school in those areas. I have a bachelor's in psych and I thought I was interested in all of that stuff, too - until I actually interacted with psych patients, at which point I realized psych was a terrible fit for me. Psych and neuro are interesting things to learn about - but learning about them, and dealing with patients that exhibit psych or neuro disorders, are two very different things

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Solid advice, thanks!

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

You might check with your nursing program to see if they have any data on their grads. My program sent out a survey about 6 months after graduation asking us if we found a job, where, how long the job search took, pay/benefits, etc. Perhaps your program does the same & could tell you how quickly their grads find jobs & if they stay local or relocate for jobs.

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By 2025 there's going to be way too many nurses than can be employed. Be sure this is what you want.

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what are your sources? as I understand, it may be difficult for new grads to find employment initially, but there is supposed to be a demand for speciality nurses..

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what are your sources? as I understand, it may be difficult for new grads to find employment initially, but there is supposed to be a demand for speciality nurses..

Specialty nurses who have significant experience in specific specialties, yes. New grads, as you've been told, can have a hard time finding work but it really depends hugely on where you are looking to live! More rural settings, smaller towns, think about places that fewer people want to live and you will find more opportunities!

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By 2025 there's going to be way too many nurses than can be employed. Be sure this is what you want.

What makes you think 2025 is something magical? People have been saying for ten years now that there are too many new grads being pumped out into the workforce than we can comfortably absorb, and that number is only increasing. There are more nurses entering the workforce than are retiring, that number is solid.

There are always place that employ nurses. You just might not like having to move to those areas. Sometimes I envy those who can just pick up and go where the wind takes them!

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What makes you think 2025 is something magical? People have been saying for ten years now that there are too many new grads being pumped out into the workforce than we can comfortably absorb, and that number is only increasing. There are more nurses entering the workforce than are retiring, that number is solid.

what are your sources? as I understand, it may be difficult for new grads to find employment initially, but there is supposed to be a demand for speciality nurses..

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Future of the Nursing Workforce 2012-2015

Thank me later.

Here's another article.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Actually, there are plenty of jobs out there, even in Chicago.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

lol! Last time I looked at a US Department of H & HS release, it was still advising us in 2015 that there was a severe nursing shortage nationwide. So perhaps a more credible source?

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Specializes in ICU.

All I know about the "nursing glut" or whatever is that there are 14 travelers on my unit, we hired 11 new grads recently, and we're still short. Some of May's new grads just got out of orientation... and we're still short. From where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like much of a glut to me. Both my FT and my PRN job offer the highest level incentive pay available for every shift, day and night, every single day. I have not been called off for a shift ever at my full time job in two years of employment. We've had Tier 2 at my FT job for about 30 weeks straight now. I think I would welcome a glut right about now because I am really tired of not having the right ratios...

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