I am a recent BSN grad, with prior BS in Biology in 2000. I graduated from my college in May 2010 with 3.5 GPA and departmental honors. Have applied to Vet Admin and they responded that they got my resume but nothing else. Have applied to many other facilities and have received either no response or been told no available positions for new grads. Like many, I have spent a good deal of money getting through the program and now have no income and may become homeless if this drags on much longer. I am contemplating suing my college. We were informed in our last semester of school in an off-handed way by one professor that it costs $22,000 to train a new RN. i still have my notes from this class and it is right there in black and white. (In fact it was a test question on the first exam, so it must have been important information). Yet the college itself never informed us in a timely fashion about this. I remember when the teacher told us this info in class we all looked at each other in horror, knowing full well what this meant. As it stands now, of my graduating class of 47 students only about 10% have found positions and are working. Of those, all of them either had worked at the facility as a CNA during school or had parents who already worked there.
I have spoken to an attorney about this potential lawsuit and he claims it would go nowhere because colleges are not required to provide such info about costs of hiring on the other end. I don't believe this. And just because it has never happened in the past, that they are required, does not mean that it should not be required. That is what legal precedents are for. To establish things in law that have not been established before. I feel that, if the cost of hiring was important enough to put on an exam, then it should have been important enough for either nursing or university admin to provide us with up-front. Colleges do financial planning way in advance and do not wait til the last minute to figure out how much financial aide they can anticipate, how many students, etc. No one can tell me that the college was unaware of problems re: nurses getting hired.
I feel that colleges should properly DISCLOSE information to students that is relevant to their continuing in the program. Appropriate disclosure is something that everyone does by law. Why are colleges and universities exempt? Had we known this info as soon as possible at least some of us might have elected to either postpone nursing or find another career. The particular college I graduated from runs about $15,000 per semester for a full course load. That is $120,000 for a full 4 years. This, of course, is very good for the school in that they get loads of tuition money and get to keep THEIR JOBS. I would be interested to get some feedback from others on this forum. Most of the people I have talked to about this seem terrified to even approach the subject. I guess we are all so conditioned to think well of our schools or perhaps, by conditioning, we are all afraid to speak out.
To the moderator: I did direct my resume directly to the person responsible for hiring at a local V.A. I had never heard of usajobs.gov until today. In fact, I called her to verify that she would accept a resume from a new grad before I emailed it over to her. She said to go ahead and send it, which I promptly did. I never heard anything after that.
Did you follow up? I stayed in regular contact with the recruiter during the hiring process....
On my first day of nursing school I remember our nursing instructor saying to the class, "You'll never go without work as an RN...no matter what state the economy is in."
Fast forward to today: a significant number of my new grad RN classmates are still unemployed, and it's over 6 months after graduation. It would never occur to me to blame the school. Our employment is not their responsibility; it is the new graduates' responsibility.
The OP is a vivid example of why we have to sign seemingly ridiculous waivers of liability and other such paperwork with so many transactions.
I'm a student and I don't expect to find a job out there. I know the pickier you are the ability to find a job is severly reduced. I personally have decided that I have no problem working in LTC if it means a paying job. Also, schools such as UCLA (or other university medical campuses) have paid internships and new grad programs so you can get the experience to get a job in a specified area. The competition can be stiff for those problems but if you graduated with honors and scored well on your NCLEX you would be an ideal candidate. Also, volunteering while you are waiting can help with experience and looks good on your resume. I started nursing school after this recession started knowing full well that I may have problems getting a job, but my passion to be a nurse overrode that. No college is liable to help you get a job unless they give a promise to do so. Also, you said you applied with the VA. Especially if you submit an applciation you need to call to confirm they received it. Sometimes the people that receive the applications don't send them straight to the hiring person. Also, being persistant with a paticular job shows them you are seriously interested. I had to do that with a tech job at an acute hospital and as a CNA at LTC. Oh and an FYI about the VA, it's takes generally 6 months to get hired or even hear from them.
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
I'm going to side with the OP.
The OP should do it for the principle of the matter: colleges and universities not disclosing information that would warrant potential students from enrolling in a program that would more than likely provide them with a degree in a field that is already oversaturated/not hiring.
Couldn't this type of thinking apply to EVERY oversaturated career?
Also, how are you planning on a lawsuit against your school, when you say you have no income and are about to be homeless. Also, you just graduated in May...try talking to some of the new grads that graduated a year ago and still don't have a job!
I'm a 'new' grad who graduated exactly one year ago today with my BSN...and I still don't have a job. I clearly hear your frustration and fear...but you can't blame your educational institution for the profound economic and cultural shift that has resulted in the current climate which we ALL find ourselves tentatively navigating. Nobody is safe. Every corporate entity out there is looking to do everything cheaper. Personally, I don't think it will be all that much longer before health care emulates what happened with IT...bringing over huge numbers of BSNs from abroad to live in collective inexpensive housing for a few years, making 1/3 to 1/2 of what an American equivalent would demand...then returning to their homeland having realized their country's equivalent of the 'American dream'. It is already happening.
All I can say is 'hang on for the ride'. A rough and bumpy road lies ahead for all of us.
And yes...I too fear a hobo camp is in my future. Maybe all we new grad nurses can start our own...
Knowing the state of the economy right now, it is the student's obligation to do whatever they can to make themselves marketable after graduation. If that means becoming an extern while in school to gain the experience needed, then that is what must be done.
Sadly, your GPA and honor status, has little to no meaning in the real world and not much more than that to hospitals, unless it is used to reduce the number of applicants for a particular job.
Instead of being angry about not being able to find a position as a NG; put your energy into finding a job. Check into international nursing. You never know what you might find. Also, as another poster stated, the military is desperate for nurses, and you really cannot beat the benefits, I strongly recommend the Air Force, with the possibility of being stationed in Italy, Germany, or Hawaii, what's not to love...
The lawsuit won't hold up. I think I remember seeing a similar case years ago in the paper. It wasn't a nursing student, but same situation. I wouldn't expend any energy on this. Obviously you need money ASAP. Either move somewhere else in the country where you can find a nursing job, or get a job at Starbucks or something like that and volunteer at a hospital until an opening comes up. Good luck!
I am absolutely stunned to find out how many very vicious people are on this forum. I have been signed on as a reader to this forum since 2009. I am getting responses from people that are extremely rude. Spelling out recession for me is an insult. I am a very educated person, who speaks two languages besides English and who has traveled extensively in Third World countries. How much life experience and education do you have to speak to me in such a way? How dare you? I am certainly aware of economic conditions, perhaps more than you. When my landlord comes to evict me because I cannot pay my rent, perhaps I should spell recession for him? In any event, since I assume that all of you are already nurses, your vicious response to my post (although there were some compassionate individuals, for which I am grateful) has made me very afraid to begin work in the profession if this is what all of you are really like. As far as lawsuits go, for better or worse, that is how changes are made in this country. People will only sit up and pay attention when it is going to cost them something. I am signing off now. I will not be back. I used to recommend this website to all my colleagues for the latest information and the kind help from other nurses. What I have received today has completely shocked me. If you are this ready to verbally attack a total stranger, then how are you with coworkers and, God forbid, patients?
HM2VikingRN, RN
4,700 Posts
Did you follow up? I stayed in regular contact with the recruiter during the hiring process....