Austin nursing

AustinNursingStudent · Apr 21, 2010

I can tell you this much: All the new grads from this past 2-3 semesters are still struggling to find a job in Austin. There are so many nursing schools here, and many graduates. You may be able to find a job in surrounding areas (Buda, Round Rock, Hutto, San Marcos- thats where I'm looking), but I've known several nurses who are going as far as San Antonio to find work. The economy hasnt hit Austin as hard, and nobody really wants to leave Austin...everyone wants to live/work here.

txgal123 · Apr 21, 2010

To get into Seton Hospital system, you have to go through the Versant Residency Program if you haven't had 1 yr experience as an RN (they make no exceptions!). They said this year they had over 500 applicants for around 60 spots, so you can do the math. The other big hospital system is St. David's Hospital, and you have to apply to the GN position and hope to get placed. Hope this helps!

RN4LOVE · Apr 21, 2010

All of these other posts are correct. Austin has very few spots opening up for GN nurses. I graduated in December 2009, I applied to the Seton Versant Residency Program with no call back in January. I also wanted NICU, which is even harder to get into. However, I tried again for the Residency starting in the summer, and I recently got an interview! :) I seriously was not expecting to hear anything. The nurse recruiter even asked me if I wanted to change my preferences to something other than such a competitive specialty, but I didn't. I'm not sure how the interview will go, or if I'll even get the job...but I just know it's pretty difficult to start out in Austin. Unfortunately

taffy48 · Jul 5, 2010

I don't know how it is for experience nurses, but for new grads it is dismal here in Austin and I would NOT recommend relocating here. Saint David's has 1000 Graduate Nurse applications and "just about nothing left" for job openings according to the Nurse Recruiter I spoke with last week. I know for sure about 10 people that got into the Versant program at Seton, and 2 people that got into Saint David's that already worked there during nursing school. Other than that that is pretty much it. I put in 200-300 applications in four months and do not have a job. I am about ready to give up.

cbacheld · Aug 12, 2010

Hi there,

I moved from Chicago to Austin about a month ago. I graduated with my master's in nursing from DePaul in June, and have yet to find a job. I've been talking with a nurse manager from Seton and St David's but have yet to get an offer. One thing I will tell you is that when I talk to nurse managers and they see I did most clinicals and my internship at Northwestern, they ask me WHY I would have ever left (this has been annoying).

On the other hand, Austin is great. But if you're primary focus is on your career, Chicago has more options for you. I wish I would have researched this more before I moved as most of my classmates in Chicago have jobs already.

hope this helps!