I feel truly sorry for new grads

[Concerto_in_C]

Just wanted to say that. I've been a nurse since 2008 and did ok, first in sub-acute rehab and now in med-surg, did not experience any unemployment and had very stable finances that whole time. I guess I got lucky because I graduated just as the industry was going down the toilet.

I just want to share my observation that this is no longer the industry of opportunities it once was, it has really changed for the worse, the attitude of employers has changed for the worse, and opportunities for young people have disappeared.

This industry has never been about making x or y amount of money, but it's been about opportunities for young people. Now the opportunities are in jeopardy.

Young talented BSNs can't even find work in med-surg nowadays because new grads are not welcome.

If you can't at least do med-surg because new grads are not welcome, you are setting yourself up for failure in later career because something like med-surg is the foundation, and they're denying you even the foundation you need to get started.

My advice for young people interested in a career in health care is to stay clear of nursing but do something like physical therapy. A PT degree may require 3 years more in school (because it's a PhD or a Masters) but the extra 3 years will be worth it because everywhere you go employers will accept you, nobody will give you a hard time because you're a new grad, and companies will be glad to take you under their wings and train you.

I got back from the website for the Norther Illinois University PT program and their employment rate for new PT grads is 100% (this means 100% of new grads are welcome in physical therapy).

Just my 2 cents.

[cookiemonsterpower]

And by no means am I trying to devalue a bachelor's degree. What I'm saying is the meat and potatoes of nursing is taught within the first 2 years of a bachelor degree, and during the only years of the AAS. "Well why are they pushing the AAS nurses to get their bachelor's degrees?" Simple answer, money. Who could afford $15000 a semester to go back to school? If you don't have the cash, it's student loans. Student loans have interest and generate a lot revenue. Money...making...scheme

Not in my BSN program or most BSN programs. (I believe that new grad nurse's program might have been an exception) We do our pre-reqs in the first two years and then the real nursing skills once you start the actual program( You need the pre-reqs to get accepted into the program).

[cookiemonsterpower]

"We just hired a new grad to replace you who is willing to work for $10 an hour less." Really?? Hmmm...not to bash new grads but the girl they replaced me with never worked in healthcare AT ALL. She never even saw a code blue before. I'm totally not the type of nurse to eat my young, but if a family member of mine is in the hospital, I want somebody who knows what she's doing taking care of her. I only have an AAS, this girl has a BSN but told me the last 2 years of college she didn't do anything but write essays and she forgot all of the skills she learned in the first 2 years. Hello? Writing essays? How often as nurses do we write essays in APA format? And so the "why bother" part comes in when you interview and the recruiter says "in order to be hired you need a BSN or have to be enrolled in a BSN program." Why? Is being able to write an essay in APA format going to somehow save my patient while he's in cardiac arrest? "Stop compressions! Don't you dare give that epi! Look at the footnote on page 7 of my 13 page paper on mortality of patients post rescusitation. It's downright scary. Now I'll step down from my soap box.

Not in my BSN program or most BSN programs. (I believe that new grad nurse's program might have been an exception) We do our pre-reqs in the first two years and then the real nursing skills once you start the actual program( You need the pre-reqs to get accepted into the program).

[RNRapunzel1029]

I PMed you Concerto about a question on another topic, I graduated in 2010 and I'm still looking for a hospital job. It's very rough out there.