I am currently job hunting after working in a hospital for 5 years. I really did not enjoy my hospital experience, and keep hearing that "nursing is a broad profession."
As in there are more available nursing jobs out there than just bedside hospital nursing.
I am not seeing it.
Sure, there are case management jobs... IF you have a master's degree.
And there are clinic jobs.... IF you happen to be the personal friend or cousin of the doctor, otherwise they are few and far between.
And there is parish nursing and school nursing... IF you you don't need a paycheck and can afford to do it on a volunteer basis.
And there is teaching... IF you have MSN teaching credentials and don't mind only working two days a week IF you are one of the lucky few selected.
And there is dialysis nursing... but that doesn't seem to be too different from bedside nursing. Same thing with adult family homes.
And there is research... But again, that seems to require graduate work and being in the right place at the right time.
It just seems to me that the only real full-time jobs for nurses that an average nurse can find full-time employment in is in bedside nursing.
This is a valuable thread. It points out the complexities of a truth.
The ARE a wide variety of differenct types of jobs within nursing. However, the most popular ones usually require some specialized or advanced knowledge, skill, education, or experience. The average staff nurse who has not gotten those advanced/special qualifications is unlikely to be chosen for those jobs -- because the current job market is very competitive. There are many applicants for each available job and only those with the special/advanced qualifications are chosen.
I work with many nurses early in their careers -- and I advise them to think about their long-term career goals -- and to keep building their credentials so that they can be one of the lucky ones chosen for the "best" jobs when they become available.
While I was still doing my job hunt, I registered with my state's department of health to get job notices. They give you a priority score based on how much and what kind of experience you have (my score put me at the BOTTOM of the stack as a new grad) so I expected to hear nothing from the state ever. I just got a call for an interview for a PRN position in a public clinic (an hour and a half away). Maybe check out your state's health department too?
The better jobs in nursing are very few and far between.
The reality is that nurses are trained to work at the bedside. Nursing education is not intended for other career pathes other then bedside nursing or nursing related positions (i.e. nurse manager, case manager, risk manager, infomatics, etc). Please let me tell you these are not easy positions. You have to produce.
As a case manager, you have a set number of case you have to follow and you are required to minimize expenses and reduce LOS. If you do not achieve these goals, you are out. Case management is a high turn over position. As for nurse manager it is all budget, budget, budget. If your nursing hours are up, use too many supplies, you are not a good manager and you will be out. Additionally, these are not 9-5 jobs but require serious hours.
For the nursing positions that have reduced/ more flexible hours ( nursing instructor, school nurse, clinic nurse), they come with seriously reduced wages. Nursing is not as open or limitless profession as is advertised. With everything in life is a trade off. For the good positions, you will need serious education and experience along with a professional appearance and very well developed "soft skills". The vast majority of nurses do not have these attributes so they are working in the main areas of nursing: bedside in a hospital or nursing home or in a clinic, out patient treatment center.
I wish people who are going into nursing would really research and study what nursing is all about and not what is presented by nursing media and nursing schools.
As budgets are reviewed and cuts are made, alot of the non bedside positions will be going. Every layoff where I worked, it was not bedside nurses who were axed but the nursing educators, nurse preceptors, clinical specialist, case managers, documentation specialist and related positions. So be wise about were nursing as a profession is going.
PS...I can not count the number of staff nurses who have gaduate degrees in nursing and have done their NP training only to find there are no jobs open to them. I am in NYC and it is really hard for nurses now. Their is no more "the sky is the limit mentality".
This is a valuable thread. It points out the complexities of a truth.
The ARE a wide variety of differenct types of jobs within nursing. However, the most popular ones usually require some specialized or advanced knowledge, skill, education, or experience. The average staff nurse who has not gotten those advanced/special qualifications are unlikely to be chosen for those jobs -- because the current job market is very competitive. There are many applicants for each available job and only those with the special/advanced qualifications are chosen.
I work with many nurses early in their careers -- and I advise them to think about their long-term career goals -- and to keep building their credentials so that they can be one of the lucky ones chosen for the "best" jobs when they become available.
Mostly agree.
However a simple truth is that there are far fewer of these jobs available for those who demand them. Supply vs demand
Therefore these jobs should pay more .... right?
Sadly nursing doesn't behave like the market says it should .... they mostly don't pay any more than bedside nursing and very often pay considerably less.
And worse, they often require graduate study which likely will not appreciably increase income. The poor old nurse is supposed to 'volunteer' the time/money/effort to obtain the masters degree.
Most managerial or educator positions at best pay $20,000 per year than experienced bedside nursing. And frequently they pay similar or less
The pay 'increase' is supposed to be the value associated with not working nights/weekends/holidays.
How often do we hear ... 'oh but this job is regular hours and I am happy to tolerate the pay drop'.
I do find this truth more than a little bit manipulative ... sad nursing truth
This is a valuable thread. It points out the complexities of a truth.
I work with many nurses early in their careers -- and I advise them to think about their long-term career goals -- and to keep building their credentials so that they can be one of the lucky ones chosen for the "best" jobs when they become available.
The problem is that early in your career you may not have enough exposure to be able to form a long term career goal. You may have felt a tug towards various specialties but ultimately it's the job market that dictates where you end up--if you can't get a job in the specialty of your choice right out of the gate, you have to be flexible enough to try something different. And sometimes you think you want a certain type of nursing but after doing it for a while it turns out that you're better at something else.
My OP wasn't to say that I didn't want to touch patients (The patients are what I love about nursing), but that I am starting to see some of the inconsistent myths about the nursing profession, and it is frustrating to me that we are selling and defining this occupation as something it isn't. Every time I have questioned the job, I keep hearing "Well, if you are unhappy in bedside nursing, there is always _________."
But then where IS this comparabe job?
I even see this on the board, in replies to people unhappy in their work.
I have to wonder if maybe we aren't really false-advertising the nursing profession.
However a simple truth is that there are far fewer of these jobs available for those who demand them. Supply vs demand
Therefore these jobs should pay more .... right?
No. You are interpreting the law of supply and demand incorrectly. The law of supply and demand dictates that employers who are offering "popular" jobs, will have to pay less than the employers offering unpopular ones. The more attractive hours, working conditions, etc. produce a lot of applicants -- a "high supply" of people who want those jobs. Therefore, the employer can lower the price paid for filling the job. A "high supply" of job applicants leads to a lower price to be paid by the employer.
Because there is a high supply of people who want to work popular jobs, the price drops. Nurses who want those popular jobs have to pay a high price (get more education, accept lower pay, etc.) to get one of them because there is such a limited demand for the services they wish to provide.
On jobs that nobody wants -- there are few appliants, i.e. a "low supply" of job applicants and employers have to offer better pay, shift differentials, etc. to fill the positions.
I really enjoyed the responses posted to this thread. Nurses are finally starting to see what nursing is about! Nursing, for all it's problems is still a great career to be. It will wear you down (physically and mentally) but it is a good trade to be in.
My OP wasn't to say that I didn't want to touch patients (The patients are what I love about nursing), but that I am starting to see some of the inconsistent myths about the nursing profession, and it is frustrating to me that we are selling and defining this occupation as something it isn't. Every time I have questioned the job, I keep hearing "Well, if you are unhappy in bedside nursing, there is always _________."
But then where IS this comparabe job?
I even see this on the board, in replies to people unhappy in their work.
I have to wonder if maybe we aren't really false-advertising the nursing profession.
I don't think we are false advertising the nursing profession any more than any other. Prior to working in nursing I worked as a project manager for a couple of different industries. I spent many years as an administrative assistant prior to that. Every time I landed an admin asst. job, I would be told by the hiring manager that it was a foot in the door and that I would surely get promoted and work my way up in the company. Despite being efficient and smart, I didn't really see that happening and I felt about corporate America much the way you do about nursing. What it took was one lucky break - a company that hired me in and really did promote me to project manager - before things started happening.
I suggest that you take a page from the corporate America playbook - network with people higher up than you, dress for the job you want, not the one you have. I know you're probably thinking that you wear scrubs just like everyone else does, but you can make sure you're neat and well put together (I don't know that you're not - I'm just speaking in general). Get involved in projects and meetings where you'll rub elbows with the higher ups in the facility and get to know them. It matters. I practically campaigned for the job I have now, enlisting the help of physicians who liked and respected me and getting everyone I was friendly with to tell the people hiring for the job how great I was.
It sucks. I absolutely hate networking and it makes me feel like a big phony, but you have to do it. Getting ahead in the workplace is often more about politics than skills, so turn on the charm.
Wow, I feel like a big ******* even writing all that, but I also feel like it's the truth.
No. You are interpreting the law of supply and demand incorrectly. The law of supply and demand dictates that employers who are offering "popular" jobs, will have to pay less than the employers offering unpopular ones. The more attractive hours, working conditions, etc. produce a lot of applicants -- a "high supply" of people who want those jobs. Therefore, the employer can lower the price paid for filling the job. A "high supply" of job applicants leads to a lower price to be paid by the employer.
Because there is a high supply of people who want to work popular jobs, the price drops. Nurses who want those popular jobs have to pay a high price (get more education, accept lower pay, etc.) to get one of them because there is such a limited demand for the services they wish to provide.
On jobs that nobody wants -- there are few appliants, i.e. a "low supply" of job applicants and employers have to offer better pay, shift differentials, etc. to fill the positions.
I stand corrected ...silly mistake on my part.
However, I would like to mention that nursing does not behave like other professions.
In many other industries, a high supply of job applicants (who have graduate education) for fewer jobs - doesn't mean lower salaries. In fact, the opposite occurs. There is higher applicant demand due to higher salary on offer. So these applicants do not have to accept lower salary for the more popular jobs. And also, they are not paying a 'high price' ( graduate education that doesn't provide an appreciable income increase). Graduate education (esp from prestigious schools) can really pay off in law and business.
Nursing frequently doesn't have to increase salaries for less popular jobs. Because the industry knows that, sooner or later, someone will come along who really needs the job ( single parent or other sole family income provider). So it just waits for that somebody to come along ... and works existing staff harder until that vacancy is filled.
I also ponder ... is it possible the industry considers these non-bedside roles to contribute less value to the business? This might explain why they are paid less. And let go during a recession.
The industry might also consider post-graduate nursing study less effective at increasing value for the organisation ( than relevant education in other industry) so pay doesn't appreciably increase for certain non-bedside roles.
There is diversity in nursing, just gotta decide what is most important to you. While there is diversity, location is everything. There are hospitals out their that will gladly move you to another specialty and train you in it. Some places are so desperate for nurses all you need is a license in the state and you can pretty much go from their even in this economy. Somehow though i get that moving is not an option for you, so you have to work with what you got. Want to have more options go back to school especially if you physically/mentally/emotionally cannot handle beside nursing the rest of your career. Just a thought.
llg, PhD, RN
13,469 Posts
This is a valuable thread. It points out the complexities of a truth.
The ARE a wide variety of differenct types of jobs within nursing. However, the most popular ones usually require some specialized or advanced knowledge, skill, education, or experience. The average staff nurse who has not gotten those advanced/special qualifications is unlikely to be chosen for those jobs -- because the current job market is very competitive. There are many applicants for each available job and only those with the special/advanced qualifications are chosen.
I work with many nurses early in their careers -- and I advise them to think about their long-term career goals -- and to keep building their credentials so that they can be one of the lucky ones chosen for the "best" jobs when they become available.