I've read and heard about nurses who have lived through the previous freezes. I think I heard there was a big one in 1996.
So what was the average that it took for things to open back up? Obviously no one has a crystal ball to say when this one will lift with the economy being what it is, but I just wondered in general if it was a year or even 2 before things started to turn around.
When I first started school, there were still sign on bonuses. In my 2nd year, those graduating nurses mostly still got jobs (2008) but def tanked for us in 2009. I'm v. grateful I have a job/paycheck right now and in nursing even if not ideal, at least that makes the waiting more bearable.
Even though I'm in a city that is better than most b/c of the number of hospitals, it's saturated here too b/c of the number of nurses that did come out of retirement. The ones I've talked to and one is 70 y/o said they were planning to hang in for about 3 years. Not to mention the experienced nurses that have relocated here.
I used linkedin.com and volunteered at a free clinic and networked. I was very lucky to find a school nurse job. Though the future looks very grim for this field. I'm biding my time in grad school where I will take advantage of the sim lab before I look for a peds job.
I've just started using LinkedIn and I'm curious as to how you used it. Who did you network with? How did you interact with them? How long did it take to build "networkable" relationships?
Also, where did you find your volunteer opportunity?
First, there is no "freeze". That would be some official stop at hiring. Hospitals are in most areas still hiring. They are just being more careful about hiring and watching costs, something that is slowing hiring and also putting new grads at a major disadvantage as they are a highly expensive and unproven "investment".
Second, there is no "average" for times when nurses are in greater supply than demand supports.
Third, the hesitancy with which facilities are hiring, has very little to do with supply of nurses, and almost everything to do with being in possibly the greatest economic crisis that this Nation has weathered since the Great Depression. Add in, health care reform.....which is in some form or fashion, must occur soon or the health care system itself WILL collapse. Not if, but will. And as we do not know exactly how that will occur, nor the effect that it will have, there hesitancy in making a "longterm" investment in employees.
You are trying to analyze a situation that defies current analysis. And while having someone say an amount like 2-3 years might make you feel better, it would not be accurate given the current issues.
I take care of pts receiving research cancer drugs and possible later transplant. Chances are, that if they are in my service group, their cancer has failed to be stopped by current therapies, or has genetic components (some of which are fairly newly discovered) that demonstrate serious resistance to current therapies. Perpetually, no matter how much we tell them that we cannot "predict" whether they will make it to transplant and/or survive years, or virtually all of the longterm (several years to decades away) problems/side effects/symptoms, they continue to ask and insist that somehow magically we must know. And while animal research/previous pts have demonstrated certain things, and obviously there is some indication of successful outcomes, we cannot give them an answer, because we just do not ultimately know.
We are in an economic/political situation that has not been seen before and "therapies" are being done. This situation is a "research protocol" and the primary investigator can hypothesize but the outcome remains unknown.
I regret that I cannot give you a more definite answer. I know that it is upsetting and unsettling. But continue to learn, work, job search and do those activities of daily living, and take it one day at a time. Improve your mental/physical/financial situation as best you can, so that when it turns, you are ready to take advantage of it.
some places have had freezes, like KP nor cal for example.
Again, not a Nationwide situation of "hiring freeze". A local system of "freeze" perhaps, but I strongly suspect that even some of those facilities are hiring nurses, just not large numbers or new grads. It is harder for all to get a job but they are still there.
And it is more than semantics. If a non hospital company/government entity has a "complete hiring freeze", no one or only very select positions are hired. Most places are just closely limiting their hiring and being very picky.
In the case of a true freeze case, the OP needs to speak to that entity as to how long their previous "freezes" lasted. However, it sounds like the OP is referring to the general lack overall of hiring across the Nation, involving many different facilities and areas. And barring Obama taking over every single facility and denying hiring any nurses, that is clearly not the situation, as plenty of nurses are still being hired, though not in all areas, and that new grads are not being sought for most of them.
And that is more related to the economy/health care reform reactions, not a mandated freeze.
Specializes in Community & Mental Health, Sp Ed nursing.
I've just started using LinkedIn and I'm curious as to how you used it. Who did you network with? How did you interact with them? How long did it take to build "networkable" relationships?
Also, where did you find your volunteer opportunity?
Thanks, so much!
Hi Miss Chybil:
As with so many, this is a second career for me so my resume is rather long. No one is going to read 6 pages. When I meet someone who I want to give my resume because we talked about the potential for a job with them or someone else, I'll send them the link and then get back to them.
The BIGGEST reason to use linkedin for me, is that my references wrote mini letters of recommendation which are included in my public profile. I have hard copies, of course. But this is like an appetizer. In fact I got my job because of my linkedin profile. My boss told me it's why he interviewed me.
I volunteer with Rotacare in the SF Bay area. It's been great. One of the directors recommended me for the job I have now. Another put my name in for position in an LTC facility. I started volunteering in my second term of nursing school by doing histories, vitals and assessments. It's what really kept me grounded when I was going through the craziness of nursing school. Now I train and recruit new volunteers. This is where I do most of my networking.
For many, volunteering in a hospital was a way in. I would really recommend that, if that's where you want to be.
Thanks, GeocachingRN, for responding so quickly. I'm delighted to hear LinkedIn works so well for you. My resume is rather long, as well, but I've gotten to where I just put the last 10 years, or so! So, you're using LinkedIn to augment real world networking. That's a great idea!
I have an orientation with the Red Cross this weekend and I was just looking at Mission of Mercy - it's a free clinic for poor, working poor, and homeless people. I do want to be in a hospital, but I don't really want to volunteer in one. I want to be able to work within my scope of practice and not feel like the poor person "who can't get a job here, so she works for free" while still not being allowed to do anything I was trained to do.
I'm probably looking at it wrong, but I'm feeling a little perturbed by the way the hospitals have been treating us as new grads - like we have no value - after they begged and pleaded for nursing schools to make more of us. It's a chip on my shoulder and maybe in a day or two it'll fall off, but it's there right now, I admit. I just want someone to recognize all the hard work and sacrifice I put in to get my license. I never dreamed I, or any of us, would have to beg for a job by working for free. I'd rather volunteer for somebody who really needs my help. Maybe, that's convoluted thinking. I don't know, but it's how I feel.
I guess I went on a little tangent. Sorry. Thank you, again, for explaining how you're using LinkedIn. BTW, my son is a big geocaching enthusiast. He even put one in Antarctica when he was working down there. It sounds like a lot fun. One of these days, I'm going to do it, too!
Thanks, GeocachingRN, for responding so quickly. I'm delighted to hear LinkedIn works so well for you. My resume is rather long, as well, but I've gotten to where I just put the last 10 years, or so! So, you're using LinkedIn to augment real world networking. That's a great idea!
I have an orientation with the Red Cross this weekend and I was just looking at Mission of Mercy - it's a free clinic for poor, working poor, and homeless people. I do want to be in a hospital, but I don't really want to volunteer in one. I want to be able to work within my scope of practice and not feel like the poor person "who can't get a job here, so she works for free" while still not being allowed to do anything I was trained to do.
I'm probably looking at it wrong, but I'm feeling a little perturbed by the way the hospitals have been treating us as new grads - like we have no value - after they begged and pleaded for nursing schools to make more of us. It's a chip on my shoulder and maybe in a day or two it'll fall off, but it's there right now, I admit. I just want someone to recognize all the hard work and sacrifice I put in to get my license. I never dreamed I, or any of us, would have to beg for a job by working for free. I'd rather volunteer for somebody who really needs my help. Maybe, that's convoluted thinking. I don't know, but it's how I feel.
I guess I went on a little tangent. Sorry. Thank you, again, for explaining how you're using LinkedIn. BTW, my son is a big geocaching enthusiast. He even put one in Antarctica when he was working down there. It sounds like a lot fun. One of these days, I'm going to do it, too!
I KNOW exactly how you feel and I appreciate your rant! I too take issue with how the hospital connected to the school I went to handled things. They have no allegiance towards those of us that weren't placed and now are concerned with the upcoming grads and those positions aren't budget approved yet as they're to be filled in the summer. However there are other schools that graduate before this one and they get many of the jobs. Since I had classmates who got into the competing mega hospital system, I assumed that all were pretty much run that way, however I did learn one of the hospitals connected to a school reserved those GN jobs for their grads only. I was surprised there was a hospital that did that.
I wouldn't work for free either. I guess we're just not that desperate. I think it's admirable to lend a hand to the Red Cross, that's cool! When I did my preceptorship, they increased the requirements for clinical hours nearly triple from the previous class (b/c they were found to be greatly slacking and pulled the stats down for the first time) So they got quite a bit of free work from us, to a point I can understand the supposed honor of getting the experience. But we were treated worse than dogs in some cases. So no, I'll choose a whole other career path if that was the only way to get my foot in the door.
Not to mention the experienced nurses that have relocated here.
I too take issue with how the hospital connected to the school I went to handled things. They have no allegiance towards those of us that weren't placed and now are concerned with the upcoming grads and those positions aren't budget approved yet as they're to be filled in the summer. However there are other schools that graduate before this one and they get many of the jobs. Since I had classmates who got into the competing mega hospital system, I assumed that all were pretty much run that way, however I did learn one of the hospitals connected to a school reserved those GN jobs for their grads only. I was surprised there was a hospital that did that.
Miss Chybil RN, BSN, RN
318 Posts
I've just started using LinkedIn and I'm curious as to how you used it. Who did you network with? How did you interact with them? How long did it take to build "networkable" relationships?
Also, where did you find your volunteer opportunity?
Thanks, so much!