Are we needed?

I'm not sure what your sex has to do with your employment as a nurse.

Search "nursing shortage" on AN to look at what male and female nurses are currently saying about the job search.

If all men dropped out of nursing this very instant then the profession would go on, lol. Very quickly would the profession take in more females to account for the sudden openings. There are a lot of nurses out there, and there are a lot of nursing positions open. Yes, there is a statistical demand for nurses, but employers aren't necessarily filling the slots. Also, you'll find nurses change jobs a lot in their careers so you'll see openings come and go. There really isn't a shortage of bodies overall to do the job.

Are there positions out there than men traditionally fill that include nursing? Not really.

I love working with male nurses! You are a nurse, not a gender. I like that male nurses cut the tension of a usually catty and female filled profession. (I am a tomboy) haha.

How difficult is it for new RN grads to find work?

I am not a new grad nurse, but it seems like the current job market is difficult. When my aunt graduated she had a job instantly- when my mother graduated it was a tighter market. When I graduated I was hired before actually graduating.

The thing about nursing careers is that the market waxes and wanes- if you find a spot anywhere at some point hospitals will be looking for anyone with a pulse and a nursing license. I feel bad for the people graduating in this market- I have even been shocked at the rigor that the interview process has turned into....

As for male vs. female- as a manager I had my own desire for having people who had different skills- that meant hiring people of differing education backgrounds, differing ages, and sexes... I have met and worked with other managers who had different criteria (obvious as every nurse is young female and blond).

Trust me, man. For male nurse, it's kinda easier to get a job. I am in a metro area, and get 2 offers out of 3 applicants

Actually as a male nurse, many times the floor goes better when there is a male nurse on duty. Over the years the longterm care facilities are getting younger patients, and more hair trigger personalities. Having a male nurse on duty gives a female nurse/CNA's added help if one of them has agitation/combative/physically threatening behavior. When a patient falls many times it is a male nurse called to help with transferring. Once it was male orderlies that female CNA's and nurses called for help...now it is the male nurse and male CNAs. Just my observation.

I am currently a student at a Community college seeking the RN. My experience is in medical surgical sales and business, so this is all new to me. I am motivated and excited about getting into the patient care area and was wondering what is the best place to seek out my first job? Acute Care, Long Term care, Homecare etc.? Constructive advice is always welcome!

I'm not sure of the market in Texas, but in Indiana, there is a glut of nurses (as opposed to what you are told in nursing school).

Newbies around here will RARELY get a job in acute care. Which is not to say you shouldn't apply - just don't be surprised if you never hear back from your applications to acute care positions.

OTOH, LTC and homecare are growing areas, and they always seem to be looking for nurses. In LTC, at least, most of the nurses are LPNs. But they also hire some RNs because, even though the RNs and the LPNs do 99.9% the same things, Indiana requires that an RN be around for things like PICC line removal, blood draws, etc.

As an aside to any experienced LPNs out there: As a relatively new RN, I certainly have no delusions that I am a "better" nurse, simply because I have an "RN" after my name, rather than "LPN". Quite the contrary. Frankly, I think Indiana is insulting LPNs to essentially say that a newbie RN is more qualified to draw blood from a PICC, than a 20-year LPN.

Thanks Dewman! I am currently in NJ and looking to GET OUT after school, so anywhere south of NJ will do just fine. I have some contacts in homecare and the Select Specialty facilities in MD, and VA and I am thinking that might be my first and only opportunity after graduation.