Graduate Nurse Advice - Philadelphia Area Market

[airjay81]

I've read some discussions from that past few years that speak to just how bad the current nursing market is in the Philadelphia area for graduate nurses (and most big cities in general). How hard is it to get a graduate nurse job at a hospital in the area? Long-term care facilities and nursing homes? Other settings - doctor's offices, home care, etc.? Do graduate nurses basically have to settle for whatever experience as a nurse they can get as they start out?

I am posting in large part because my wife just got her ADN from one of the local community colleges and is looking for a job as a nurse. She has a bachelor's in another field and significant professional work experience, but not in a field directly related to nursing. She is also enrolled in a BSN completion program that starts in the fall. The only interview she has been able to land so far is for a doctor's office that doesn't pay very well and wouldn't really provide much acute care experience. While it looks promising, she really hasn't been applying to jobs for that long and hasn't yet taken the NCLEX (takes it in a couple of weeks). On one hand, you hear so many terrible things about the graduate nurse job market, that it is tempting for her to simply take the first nursing job that comes along, regardless of how good the experience and pay is. On the other hand, it seems like a graduate nurse might not want to take a lower paying job at a doctor's office until at least trying for a few months after getting licensed to get jobs at hospitals and LTCFs where she would get better experience and/or pay.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[dianah, ASN]

Moved to Pennsylvania Nursing area.

[Eric Cartman]

Here's a few tips. Your wife needs to take and pass her NCLEX, before she can expect to even land an interview at a hospital. From my own experience, it took me about 10 months to find my first nursing position and I took the first one that came along, despite the pay not being great. Experience is experience, in some aspects. It's easier to find another nursing job, once you have already been employed as a nurse. Getting started though is an uphill battle in my opinion.

there's just a lot of competition in Philadelphia for nursing jobs, because of all of the surrounding nursing schools. I would recommend also looking into LTCF as a good start. Some of the facilities will hire new RN's without experience. Try to tell her to stay away from Manor Care though.

[Nrsc]

She should accept the job. It's VERY hard to get a job as a new nurse and she's not guaranteed to get other offers. At least she will be getting experience, after working for 1 year she should be able to work wherever she chooses.

[alibee]

Philly is an extremely competitive market right now. You have Villanova, Temple, Holy Family, La Salle, Penn, Drexel, and probably some other 4 year schools that I missed that just had thousands of nursing students graduate with their BSNs. Most of the hospitals up here are going for Magnet, so they usually will go for the BSNs first. I graduated from La Salle in May, and of people I've kept in touch with, the only ones of us able to land jobs at hospitals have been those who were working there as techs prior.

Have her try to apply at Hahnemann (they just let go all of their techs, and are going for a strictly nursing care setup). She might have some luck with some of the rural hospitals too such as Lower Bucks and Montgomery. Good luck!

[kcmylorn]

Stay away from Lower Bucks- you are' taking your license in your hands', so to speak in that place!

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

That area is one of the worst to get a nursing job as a new nurse. even expereinced nurse. Since 2008- now I have heard of MANY who relocted from the philly area, nj/new york, boston and CA for jobs. I mean tons and tons of people.