I need some advice from Nurses

somedaypeds · Dec 5, 2012

From what I see on Allnurses, the job market is really tough all over the country for nurses. New nurses are branded. Nobody will hire them because they need experience as an RN, but how do you get it if nobody will hire you?

Pay will depend on the area you live in. I am in the Columbus Ohio area and see minimum pay for RNs at around $23-25 an hour. Cost of living here is good. Some other areas are reporting that LPNs make $25 hr but the cost of living in those areas seems much higher.

I think you need to consider what you might do if you spend 4 years and gobs of money on nursing school and can't get a job.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2012

Hi i'm 22 I was accepted into pre-nursing, i'v wanted to be a nurse all my life. But I want to know what's it like? what's the pay like? is it easy to get jobs do you enjoy your job? I also really want to be an ultrasound tech but that program is harder to get into then nursing even around here.
I also have a two month old daughter I have my mom and grandparents who plan on watching her well I study and am in class I was already a university student so I have a few classes as credit for RN already so I guess that's a small start lol.

What "it's like" depends on the area/specialty. Nursing itself is as diverse as the population of nurses. Being a geriatric nurse is different than being an OR nurse which is different than being a tele nurse which is different than being an L&D nurse which is different than being a pedi nurse. You probably get what I mean.

The pay varies by state.

Is it easy to get a job? That would be a resounding NO as a new grad. In my area, nurses are going months and months after graduation/NCLEX without so much as an interview. Now, I recently left my first job and had no problem getting a new one and several of my former colleagues did the same thing. It wasn't hard for us because we had experience and we all graduated 5+ years ago before the economy tanked so we had the requisite experience new employers want.

I would not go through all the trouble and school to become a nurse just because the program is easier to get into than the ultrasound tech program. If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse but be sure that's what you want.

I do enjoy my current jobs. I work 2 days/week at a boarding school and the remainder of my time, I do pediatric VNA. I enjoyed my first job in acute care pediatrics for the first 3-4 years. When I started to hate it, I started looking for a new job.

Ntheboat2 · Dec 6, 2012

It's really only a choice you can make, and yes there are lots of new grads having trouble finding jobs, but that's not always the case.

I had several interviews and several job offers before graduation. It just depends on where you live along with every other factor that employers consider.

cndn_grl08 · Dec 20, 2012

I live in Canada, I got a job before I even finished school. Nurses in my region start at 34.50 Canadian, so I'd say the pay and job situation are good. However, that shouldnt make you choose to do it or not. Nursing is something you have to WANT to do, if you do it because it's easy to get into or because you can make a lot of money you won't enjoy it and you won't be good at it. It's gotta be your choice.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2012

Right, where you live very much affects this decision. I went to school and worked in Quebec, Canada. Jobs abound, or they did last time I was around. Starting salary for new grad nurse was roughly 21$/hr, and agency nursing was 40+$/hr.

I am now in Georgia. Pretty near impossible to find work. Salary for hospital staff similar, but much less for agency work. But like the previous poster said, if its about money, don't do it. And given your infant daughter, it might be hard for you and her and your family members who care for her when you have to do shift work, overtime, etc.

RN beekeeper · Dec 25, 2012

Somedaypeds,

One of the great things about nursing is the variety of positions that you can pursue while keeping the same career. I didn't plan on becoming a manager but after a few years at the bedside that is what happened. Keep your eyes open to things that you hadn't considered.

You may have to take something that is not your first choice just to get your foot in the door. Think about your career in stages. Get your foot in the door and get some experience. Then find what you truly like and look for your opportunity to move there. Ask to be cross trained to other areas or for permission to observe. Too many people give up too soon and miss out doing something that they really would enjoy.

In my area we are only hiring part-time for most grads. Get into an intern program if you can and do a good job. You will get noticed over other applicants. We hire from our intern pool first because we have had the opportunity to see their work ethic and how they fit in with everyone.

Can you afford to start part-time and pick up extra hours? Some of the grads in my area are working nearly full time by picking up off the needs list and picking up hours from nurses who want a day off.

Nursing is hard work, but it is rewarding. Ask advice and then make the best decision for you and your family.

sofiesgrammy · Jan 11, 2013

Not to discourage you, but you need to be aware of the demands a nursing program will put on you and your family.

I'm an RN student in my final semester. I hold a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in other fields. Nursing will be a second career for me. Nursing school was academically more difficult, in terms of work load, than my master's degree was.

I think most folks are not prepared for the sheer volume of required study! Be prepared to study 30 hours per week, in addition to attending class and clinicals (another 20 hours per week) if you want to do well. If you can manage a 50 hour per week commitment and still care for your baby and provide for yourself financially, without having to work, go for it!

My school requires significant pre-reqs as well as a 3.0 to enter. That said, 25% of my class flunked out by the end of the first semester. Most of the folks who failed were single parents, trying to work and go to Nursing School at he same time.

If you decide to go for it, please get as much financial aid as possible to cover living expenses so you don't have to work.

Another option is to go for an LPN program first. The workload is significantly less. You can work as an LPN for a while, and then go back and do an LPN-RN bridge program.

Best of luck!

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Jan 14, 2013

An article running on the CNN website this morning says that 43 percent of new RN grads can't find work. The job market is tough. It will eventually turn (such things are cyclical) but that is little consolation if you're one of the 43 percent.

grrn · Jan 15, 2013

I graduated in may 2012 and work two jobs and have had many other offers. I put atleast four hours a day into looking when I passed boards. Although most hospitals here in ohio hire students that precepted in their hospital.

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · Jan 19, 2013

I am a seasoned RN and having difficulty getting a permanent job, even 20 hours, .......so discouraged with nursing. I should have taken that Manager position at that restaurant a long time ago.