Does it seem like EVERYONE is trying to be a nurse?

neonatal_nurse · Oct 22, 2009

Yes, while this may true, i think what people have to remember is that it's not enough to finish nursing school, then pass your exams to work as a nurse. It's SO true that there are like a million new nurses each month, all looking to get a hospital job after graduation. While this job may be "recession proof", i'd like to say that it's a tough, competitive world out there-- so all you guys who are planning to be in this profession should be prepared for this. It's not like, okay, I want to go to nursing school, then I'd work as a nurse and earn tons of money then I'm good for life. It's definitely not a walk in the park. You need lot's of patience, prayers and persevere 'til the end.

I have to say that the volume of nurses is a bit intimidating, but I just wish that they know what they're getting into-- NOT EASY at all.

ladyginger · Oct 22, 2009

Hi

Im currently doing my nursing prereqs, and according to a few of my teachers the reason why nursing graduates are having a hard time finding jobs now is because the "baby boomer" nurses have yet to start retiring in large amounts, and that a lot of nurses who were due to retire about now arent because of the economy. Hopefully things will start to look up soon!

FLmomof5 · Oct 22, 2009

And some nurses came out of retirement because their investments tanked.

So ladies and gents.....here is a MAJOR instruction for everyone....

When you are in your 20's and 30's....MOST of your retirement plan/401K/IRA should be in stocks (greatest chance for a significant return). In your 40's and 50's, 50% stock/50% bonds. 60's+...as tempting as it may seem to keep high returns of the stock market, you should have ALL of your money in bonds. These are STABLE. What happened was greed, pure and simple. The stock market was paying high gains for so long that when folks got ready to retire or they retired, they left their retirement in stocks. When the stock market went from 14k+ to 6K+, they found their investments were not going to last! They had to go back to work. FOLLOW INVESTMENT WISDOM. I learned this back in my 20's so I am sorry if I have no sympathy for those who decided to gamble their retirement away!

Employment is cyclical. Years ago hospital administrators decided to get rid of the expensive (aka experienced) nurses. They called it "re-engineering". We call it age discrimination. Anyway, my mother was a victim. After 35 yrs in Nursing and a MASTERs in hospital admin, she was replaced by an RN w/o a BSN.....my mother was told she didn't "qualify" for her position, but that the less educated on did! Whatever.

2 years later, the hospital called begging her to come out of retirement. Seems their efforts created a nursing shortage! My mom laughed at them. She is STILL retired!

I was a HS student during the Carter years (double digit unemployment, double digit inflation, double digit interest rates). I didn't pay attention to whether or not there would be a job market when I graduated, I just did what I needed to do. There was no problems by the time I got my first degree. Regardless of layoffs (outsource to India), I have never been unemployed more than 2 or 3 months.

I am in my 2nd term of NS. I really believe that it will be turning the corner when I graduate. Just work on what you want.....the rest will follow.

smellyacres, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2009

I think about a quarter of the students at my jc wants to go into nursing. (My school has about 40,000 students). That is what it seems like anyway.

I feel like most people are only going into nursing for the money and security.

Being a person who want's to be a nurse to, well - be a nurse! - it makes me go crazy because if only those who were actually interested in nursing where the ones going into nursing, the programs wouldn't be so impacted and someone like me, who has a decent GPA (3.5) but not a 4.0, would have a decent chance at getting into a BSN program.

But instead - it is not that way - and money rules us all.

It is so sad. :crying2: what happened to the days of going into a carreer that one was passionate about? Oh right - that option went out the window years ago. For me - my passion is nursing, my mother is a nurse, I've been involved with the healthcare side of life for years. And I know there are many out there who are like me: passionate, but then there are many who are not. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to work at a job I love and have to work side by side with anyone who is grumpy because they are only in it for the money and don't enjoy what they are doing.

work&play · Oct 22, 2009

Just look at the graduate forum here. Most of the new nurses are having a hard time finding a job.

I think nursing has gotten better though. I got my CNA during my senior year in high school in 1992. Back then I couldn't land a job as a new CNA. RNs need to have at least two years of experience to get a job in my area.

Back then everyone I knew wanted to be a nurse. I just started retaking the prereqs again! the the classes are packed. When I tell them that is hard to find a job, they're shocked! Especialy the construction workers in my class going into nursing.

cebollita · Oct 22, 2009

Hmm, I haven't met anyone else yet in my area who's currently trying to get into nursing. Then again, I don't start school until January.

There is one girl I work with taking the psychical therapy assistant course, and another interested in becoming a CNA though.

cobee · Oct 22, 2009

It surely does seem like everyone wants to be a nurse, and I know its a bit scary when you think about how you'll be up against tons of new nurses after school. But just remember, there are lots of other careers out there that people go to college for, and they're all competing for those jobs after school. It's not just us, and that's pretty comforting!

mina11 · Oct 22, 2009

Honestly, I wouldn't worry. When I was thinking about possibly attending law school school, it seemed like everybody was thinking about going to law school (a really awful waste of money but at the time I was feeling really lost). When I was thinking about pharmacy school, it seemed like everybody was fulfilling prereqs to go to pharmacy school. The same thing is happening now that I started taking pre-reqs -- everybody is going to nursing and pharmacy school.

Don't worry about what everybody else is doing and not doing. Some of them will find other things to do, some won't be able to handle the coursework, some people will be grossed out by bodily functions and realize it, some people won't know how to work well with others, some people will think about it and not follow through.

emmasma · Oct 22, 2009

Is this just general knowledge that I don't know about, or, where are you getting this statistic??

I wonder this myself because I live in Michigan and jobs are hard to come by. There do seem to always be openings for LPNs and RNs though.

parfum · Oct 22, 2009

time was, everyone wanted to major in comp sci....

now, when i tell anyone of my interest in nursing, it's like "YUCK" --

so i think that you thinking that everyone likes nursing better is a good thing! :yeah:

Music in My Heart · Oct 23, 2009

I wonder this myself because I live in Michigan and jobs are hard to come by. There do seem to always be openings for LPNs and RNs though.

My comment wasn't about whether there are openings for nurses; it was about whether new graduates are being hired in any significant numbers.

For the most part, it appears that they're not.

In California, they definitely are not.

If you're curious about the hard numbers coming out of California, here's a report from July, 2009: http://rapidshare.com/files/296616866/New_RN_Graduate_Workforce_2009.PDF

work&play · Oct 23, 2009

I wonder this myself because I live in Michigan and jobs are hard to come by. There do seem to always be openings for LPNs and RNs though.

Have you read the job requirements to apply? You'll be surprised how many of these jobs required years of experience and are not for new graduates.