Hiring freezes in hospitals?

romie · Mar 18, 2009

I've heard rumors about hiring freezes at Northwestern, UIC and a University of Chicago. I called St. Joseph (part of Resurrection) and was told that the positions posted on the website were temporarily being suspended due to the large volume of applicants.

In my own search of hospital RN job boards, the pickings are slim and one must have 5+ years experience in areas including OR, ICU. Not bad for experienced RN's but not good for us new nurses-- and there are almost zero med/surg positions.

travelbug2000 · Mar 18, 2009

I have yet to find one hospital that is not on a hiring freeze here in Chicago. Many hospitals are posting openings, however when HR return calls your told everything except come in for an interview. The jobs are there, the hospitals just aren't letting you in right now. Experienced or not, no one wants to take the risk and responsibility of hiring at a time like this. It sucks. So Nurses be smart, if you are employed be thankful!!!!!!!

oMerMero · Mar 18, 2009

If you are moving to the northern burbs, you might want to look into Condell in Libertyville. They might be hiring.

romie · Mar 18, 2009

I feel soooo bad for the new grads that will be graduating in the spring and hunting for jobs this summer. Pretty much the ONLY thing available will be LTC in Chicago. Chicago seems to be a historically saturated market, with all the nursing schools in the city. I know that the jobs are out there, but they are at facilities that are hard to get to via public transit, have undesireable hours and are positions that are less glamorous than what was available last summer. It almost seems like RNs have to volunteer now to get the experience they need in order to get any work at all.

livingthedream, APN · Mar 19, 2009

There have been a few open houses that I have gone to the last couple weeks where there are over 100 applicants for about 28 jobs. No telling what will be available in the summer when I graduate.

vega · Mar 19, 2009

I graduated in December. I was just shy of a 4.0 GPA, I have solid clinical skills, experience as a patient care tech, and I have a very sharp resume. I've applied to every hospital within a 40 mile radius, and I haven't received a single phone call yet. Most HR departments say that they simply aren't in the market for new grads right now.

I guess I'll have to resort to long-term care, which I fear will hurt my chances of moving to an acute setting later. I feel like I wasted the past 3 years of my life in nursing school at this point. It's very demoralizing.

Trauma Columnist · Mar 19, 2009

What about looking downstate?

I work in Peoria, IL and though not Chicago, at least our hospitals are hiring a FEW new grads.

Other places to consider: some of the more rural areas.

salexander77 · Mar 22, 2009

I'm in Bloomington and have tried both the local hospitals here...I'm now trying Peoria and even Springfield at this point. My 3 children, my husband and I have been "living" off of his measily teacher's paycheck for the past year and a half and it's getting rather hard to do now-a-days. I'm even applying at clinics now even though I would rather work in a hospital so I don't lose any of the new skills. :thnkg:

labdad1234RN · Mar 22, 2009

I'm in Bloomington and have tried both the local hospitals here...I'm now trying Peoria and even Springfield at this point. My 3 children, my husband and I have been "living" off of his measily teacher's paycheck for the past year and a half and it's getting rather hard to do now-a-days. I'm even applying at clinics now even though I would rather work in a hospital so I don't lose any of the new skills. :thnkg:

my hospital is hiring new grads here in springfield. in fact we have a hiring blitz going on right now and we nurses are encouraged to recruit new grads and veteran RN's. please do consider applying down here and if you need some advice on which units to go for, let me know.

2011NursingStudent · Mar 23, 2009

There are 253 RN positions listed on CareerBuilder for Chicago right now. It can't be that bad.

I feel soooo bad for the new grads that will be graduating in the spring and hunting for jobs this summer. Pretty much the ONLY thing available will be LTC in Chicago. Chicago seems to be a historically saturated market, with all the nursing schools in the city. I know that the jobs are out there, but they are at facilities that are hard to get to via public transit, have undesireable hours and are positions that are less glamorous than what was available last summer. It almost seems like RNs have to volunteer now to get the experience they need in order to get any work at all.

salexander77 · Mar 24, 2009

Is it St. John's? I've considered applying there. I did clinical for our pediatric unit there and I loved it! I'm just not sure I'm up for the drive. But at this point I'm considering it. Thanks for the info!! :)