How difficult is it to find work in your area?

Eirene, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2008

It has been difficult for new grads to find employment in the Columbus and north central Ohio area. Many of the major hospitals are only hiring experienced nurses. I don't think employment would be an issue for a nurse with experience.

I was lucky and landed the job that I truly wanted in CC. I did my clinicals on my floor and also did my preceptorship. That helped tremendously.

palmettogirl · Dec 10, 2008

I live in S.C. and it has been hard for some of my classmates and me to find jobs in different areas throughout the state. I'm graduating next week, and I still do not have a job. I think it would be a little easier if we had experience...

andpeggy · Dec 10, 2008

Hello,

Times are tough here, too, in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Two major health care companies just announced 600 layoffs between the two of them. RNs weren't specifically mentioned, but I'm guessing that they're part of the layoffs. Mpls/St. Paul also has A LOT of nursing programs (everything from ADN to accelerated BSN), so there's a glut of new grads every December and May. From what I've heard, new grads are having trouble finding any kind of RN job, whether it be actue care or LTC. Minnesota also doesn't really have a nursing shortage right now, so that compounds the difficulties from the economic recession.

I'll be starting nursing school next fall, as a second career, and I admit that I'm nervous about my opportunities when I finish school. My one small consolation is that my program is a long one, and I won't actually be done until December 2012. I'm hoping things are better in 4 years!

Hope that helped...good luck to you!

Medic09, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 10, 2008

Seem to be plenty of jobs here, for now. Most of them in Albuquerque, but also in the smaller hospitals around the state from what I hear.

Winnie04 · Dec 10, 2008

Hi Art&Science,

I'm guessing you have already heard about the nursing glut in Boston. I looked for five months in and around Boston before I got one (and only one) offer. My job is full-time, not in the specialty I was seeking, but the pay is good for this area. A couple of my nursing school classmates who also moved to Boston are still looking (we graduated in July 2008). I imagine that the job market will eventually change for the better (I hope, but who knows when!)

nikjalik03 · Dec 10, 2008

i live in nc in the triad area and new grad opportunities are abudant. i work in the emergency room as a unit secretary and will graduate from nursing school on dec. 19th. i already have job offers within the hospital i work at. with the so called "nursing shortage", who would ever think a new grad would have trouble finding work.

Misty1 · Dec 11, 2008

i live in nc in the triad area and new grad opportunities are abudant. i work in the emergency room as a unit secretary and will graduate from nursing school on dec. 19th. i already have job offers within the hospital i work at. with the so called "nursing shortage", who would ever think a new grad would have trouble finding work.

working as a unit secretary really helps. i recommend most nursing students to work as unit clerks or skilled care techs to be able to find a job.

i graduated from nursing school in'96. i remember applying at hospitals and humane resources would say .. "oh ok i'll give you an application but we don't even have enough openings for our unit secretaries and techs graduating from school"

the job market for nurses goes in spurts. i never bought into that nursing shortage thing.

good luck to you. you already have a heads up with you unit clerk experience.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2008

I'm in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Nursing jobs are abundant here.

The low RN wages are reflective of the lower cost of living here when compared to the Northeast or the West Coast. The average new grad RN pay rate in the hospital setting is $23 per hour. In long term care, the average starting pay is $25 hourly.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 11, 2008

I'm not sure about what is happening in New York. I was already working as a PCA at my job, and since I was offered a leave with pay along with tuition paid to enter into an LPN program, they were committed to hire me upon graduation and passing NCLEX. I have not heard of too many graduates having a hard time searching for positions just yet, but to be honest, I hadn't asked. What I have noticed, though is most of the new grads that came to my facility have not seemed to have waited that long...most have found positions within 3 months tops.

Art&Science · Dec 11, 2008

Thanks for all of your replies.

I think this kind of information is really important in order to plan for the future. It's not going to stop me from becoming an RN but it will help me map my moves post-grad.

Does anyone know how difficult it get work for a charity (i.e. Unicef, Red cross, etc.)? Would I need a lot of experience before I could do something like this or is it possible to get my feet wet this way? My whole idea behind going to Nursing school was so that I could do this sort of work, is it easier to get into before or after a more permanent hospital job?

maybe I should start a new thread for this one.

Again thanks. And please keep the info coming :wink2:

Giblets · Dec 11, 2008

Hey Art&Science, I currently work in Boston and found it difficult to find a job (and I'm not a new grad). I knew someone who worked at my hospital and got them to give my resume to a nurse manager...thus I landed an interview. I've heard that the new state-wide health insurance has cut the reimbursement rates for hospitals...since people who were supposed to get the health insurance still didn't get it...and are showing up uninsured, therefore the hospitals are eating the costs. With that, I heard hiring freezes are being implemented...but I haven't read anything in the papers for sure about this. Have you looked at Lahey or MGH?