the future looks bleak

[haitwun]

I am in my forth semester, ready to take the NCLEX in two months. I have worked so hard throughout this program and scored well on the practice tests that I know the exam will be easy. The problem lies in the current job market. There are thousands of nursing students who will be completing their programs this fall and we will all be competing for a limited number of new grad positions.

Last month, the local community hospital had a hiring fair where they sent out roughly 300 invitations to local nurses to tour the facility and interview. 300 invitations sent, 2000 applicants showed up. The line to get into the building stretched around the building. Once in the building, the line to see a charge nurse snaked around in the auditorium like a line for an amusement park ride. It was madness.

The more rural hospitals two counties over have warnings on their websites urging people not to send resumes. Their resume pool far exceeds any job prospects. Out of state job markets look no better. Many students from the previous year still have not found work and have moved onto other things besides nursing to scrape a living.

The future looks bleak. It looks like I have been busting my butt for the last 2 years for nothing. Does anyone else feel this way? Does anyone else know how to get a hold of some sertraline?

[ShantheRN, BSN, RN]

If you do a search on these boards for "job market" you'll get roughly a kabillion hits. The market is rough, and has been for a couple years. People are still finding jobs, though - you just have to be diligent, flexible, and creative about it.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

You should be building your connections now. And there are places still hiring. Rural South Texas. Indian reservations. As the above poster stated, you have to be flexible, creative, smart about working your angles with who you are networked with and you may need to be willing to relocate. Best of luck. It won't stay this way forever. Every career out there right now is having the same issue. Unemployment is at nearly 10% across the entire country and in some places higher than that.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

In addition, those who do not land a hospital new grad internship need to look outside the hospital setting if they wish to be employed sooner than later. Nursing homes, home health, hospices, clinics, doctors' offices, group homes, psychiatric facilities, rehab centers, and other places might be more open to giving new grads a chance at employment.