Longtime posters here have begun commenting that there are now a lot of posts from new grads who can't find jobs--posts you never would have seen a few years ago. I know in some areas it's still very easy to find new grad jobs, but in the areas where it's difficult, it's a big problem.
If hospitals and other facilities aren't hiring new grads, the nursing shortage will probably be even worse than predicted in those areas in ten years, as those grads give up on nursing or move to other areas.
What can or should be done to improve these conditions? Government incentives to hospitals? Does anyone even care?
Like I said, look at all the other jobs. Why not move to another state (although I doubt there's no jobs there)? Careerbuilder.com confirms this.
You looked online, right? And found nursing jobs posted? Well, most of the time these jobs want EXPERIENCED nurses and the few that are posted for new grad positions are not enough for all the new grads. There are dozens of schools in the SF Bay Area pushing out 50+ nurses 2-3 times per year... One of the largest pushes of new grads during the year will hit the job market after graduation late this month. I work for a major health care provider and their hospitals in my surrounding area (which includes SF and Oakland) only have a handful of new grad positions posted. I graduated last year and it seems there were TONS more jobs for new grads and some of my classmates still had problems finding jobs... Good luck new grads, I feel for you!
You looked online, right? And found nursing jobs posted? Well, most of the time these jobs want EXPERIENCED nurses and the few that are posted for new grad positions are not enough for all the new grads. There are dozens of schools in the SF Bay Area pushing out 50+ nurses 2-3 times per year... One of the largest pushes of new grads during the year will hit the job market after graduation late this month.
Bls.gov is projecting that nursing is suppose to be an excellent job market for years to come. Look at jobs like engineering, financial analysis (virtually all require experience), actuarial jobs (again experience and tests completed) etc. There's only 10000 actuary jobs and maybe several hundred new positions a year.
I can relate to the nursing surplus in certain areas, but not as a nurse. Before my daughter was born, I taught school for seven years. Before the big media hype about nurse shortages, there was the hype about teacher shortages. A year ago I was talking to some teachers and hiring personnel in the area of my city where I would teach, if I had to teach school again, and all of them agreed that teachers here have a slim chance of getting a job unless they are bilingual or can teach children with emotional problems (last year our school district had an average of 300 applicants per job). I have a master's in special education and seven years' experience, as well as a list of publication credits to my name, staff development experience, and grant awards, but I was told if I wanted a regular ol' $40K/year teaching job, I'd have to work my tail off to get to know someone to have an "in."
I'm currently taking prereqs for nursing, and the number of nurse graduates has risen, and more colleges are offering nursing programs here. I worry that in a couple years, I won't be able to find a job.
And I'm in Texas (or California, as we now call it ), and the economy is still good here.
Course, there are a lot of $10/hour jobs that barely cover the cost of gas.
To prove my point (to Onyx)....Editor2RN you say that you are a highly qualified teacher. Your complaint is that there are no teaching jobs in your area - why don't you move somewhere where there is?? I know there are lots of teaching jobs in Wyo! Probably b/c you don't want to leave your family, ect and aren't interested in relocating?
It is the same issue in nursing - there are so many non traditional students who aren't interested in moving to where the jobs are....where ever that may be for new grads. That is why they are IN nursing school is for the motivation to get a decent paying job LOCALLY. They also want to protect their economic interests and that of their children, families, ect.
It seems that in is the case of 'the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.' The gov't has jumped all over this issue and provided money,ect for colleges to increase nursing programs - but then facilities don't want to (or can't)hire all the students going thru the programs.
And also - the bls.com and those other job outlook guides don't tell the whole story Onyx....I would listen to people who are in the field.
To prove my point (to Onyx)....Editor2RN you say that you are a highly qualified teacher. Your complaint is that there are no teaching jobs in your area - why don't you move somewhere where there is??
I'm 41, with a (very shy) daughter almost in middle school. My husband works for the state, and after many years of crappy pay and benefits, we're hoping for retirement at 52, when he can get another job and collect a pension. Leaving now wouldn't be a good parenting or financial decision.
If I were young, unmarried, and not a parent, relocating would be a possibility. Or maybe when my husband retires from his current job and my daughter is grown, we'd be willing to move. But for right now, we feel we have to stay put.
Careerbuilder.com confirms this. Also, they aren't pushing out tons of grads compared to other jobs. Over 100000 applicants are denied each year
That is applicants to nursing schools....not actual nurses. I bet when the word gets out that these nursing grads that are already being put thru the programs can't get jobs -as I believe this will become more and more the case -so many people will stop applying.
I'm no economist, but stock dividends are considered taxable in many cases (or at least in my case). According to my CPA, the difference is that stock dividends earn you income without you having to work, whereas job income means you have to put in time and effort.
Also, a dollar earned today is worth more than a dollar earned in the future, according to every investment source I've ever read and my financial advisor. Course, with the way the downward spiral of the U.S. dollar, maybe that bit of info has changed.
I don't mean this rudely, but while you are in school take an economics course and study the difference between wealth and income.
Income gets you taxes. Wealth gets you freedom.
How do you get wealth? Even when you make six-figures, the money over 100000 isn't in the highest bracket. Why do you think you have to put so much more money into a 401k or IRA if you're older to catch up with someone who started early? The answer, time is your friend. You can also use that extra money to get a mortgage with a bigger down payment and get it paid off in 15 years. The interest can't get you.
To prove my point (to Onyx)....Editor2RN you say that you are a highly qualified teacher. Your complaint is that there are no teaching jobs in your area - why don't you move somewhere where there is?? I know there are lots of teaching jobs in Wyo! Probably b/c you don't want to leave your family, ect and aren't interested in relocating?
Okay, but that still doesn't refute that many others do exactly what I say. Look at the military for instance. I'm just saying nurses have it very good when it comes to the job market.
It is the same issue in nursing - there are so many non traditional students who aren't interested in moving to where the jobs are....where ever that may be for new grads. That is why they are IN nursing school is for the motivation to get a decent paying job LOCALLY. They also want to protect their economic interests and that of their children, families, ect.
You just proved my point. They think they'll get one locally since the job market is so good. I agree though that if families have already settled down in an area, they may not get a job and that would stink.
It seems that in is the case of 'the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.' The gov't has jumped all over this issue and provided money,ect for colleges to increase nursing programs - but then facilities don't want to (or can't)hire all the students going thru the programs.
They sure are graduating more, but it's still not enough. Why not let the free market decide?
Course, with the way the downward spiral of the U.S. dollar, maybe that bit of info has changed.
That screws everyone. The wealthier folks can still get ahead with the stocks, houses, land, and they could even invest in other currencies or gold and silver as a hedge against the fall of the dollar. Gold has gone up from 600 to 1000 in just a few years. That's a pretty big gain if one cashed out.
Even if the nursing job market is good, that isn't what it is all about.
Nursing can be a very high stress job, you are often subjected to unsafe working conditions, horrible and unfair managers, increased chaos in your life d/t working random shifts....and other factors which is 'why' there is a 'nursing shortage.' Alot of 'nurses' don't even work as such b/c they hate the job. I know several.
I would be careful about only going into it for the $$$
), and the economy is still good here.
Nurse Salt
330 Posts
You looked online, right? And found nursing jobs posted? Well, most of the time these jobs want EXPERIENCED nurses and the few that are posted for new grad positions are not enough for all the new grads. There are dozens of schools in the SF Bay Area pushing out 50+ nurses 2-3 times per year... One of the largest pushes of new grads during the year will hit the job market after graduation late this month. I work for a major health care provider and their hospitals in my surrounding area (which includes SF and Oakland) only have a handful of new grad positions posted. I graduated last year and it seems there were TONS more jobs for new grads and some of my classmates still had problems finding jobs... Good luck new grads, I feel for you!