I'm hearing some nurses with bsn/masters have hard time getting a job?

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jun 2, 2012

A master's degree nurse with no experience that's a hard sell right now. My best bet would be to try and get her into home health or hospice or some other kind of community based nursing. Some acute care hospitals might feel that if they gave her a new grad position she would up and leave as soon as she had enough experience to take a master's level job.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2012

I doubt that there's much you can tell her that will improve the situation. Master's prepared nurses WITH experience are having trouble finding jobs right now. A master's degree in nursing when one has never worked as a nurse is not all that marketable. How can you be a master in something if you've never been a beginner?

bigtim · Jun 8, 2012

While it is unfortunate that many new graduates are having a difficult time finding jobs, it is even more daunting for ones that have not worked on the field before graduating with a Masters degree. Your friend will find a job, just not a job that she may have had her sights on before she received her degree.

Hiring managers will see this as a red flag. Many nurses who receive their RN work part time while pursuing MSN/BSN. There would be little to no excuse viable for anyone graduating as an advanced care nurse without having some form of nursing experience. Even if you worked home health or nursing home (not to be disrespectful as I worked there for years). And if/when you get hired, they would question your loyalty to the unit/hospital, since now more than ever, new graduates are not getting paid like the 1990s, and probably would see you getting one year and applying to Kaiser like I see everytime.

Aongroup1990, CNA · Jun 8, 2012

what is Kaiser I'm sorry, and yes I understand you have to have experience ...

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jun 8, 2012

Kaiser is a big managed health care group that offers health insurance but all the care is provided through their own network of hospitals and clinics with somethings subcontracted

0402 · Jun 8, 2012

What type of Master's does she have? I have an MSN (Clinical Nurse Leader), no BSN/ ADN/ diploma, and I had no problem finding a job, both as a new grad and once I had some experience. As a new grad, I applied to new grad positions, like any other new RN. Only recently have I actually started looking at positions that require an MSN, but I did not do so as a new grad. If she's an NP, then it may be different for new grad NPs without RN experience- from what I have read here and from speaking to friends in different parts of the country, it definitely varies by market, but I'm more familiar with direct entry NPs, as opposed to an RN that never worked as an RN and just went back to school- I'm pretty sure that's viewed differently.

And I don't get what Kaiser has to do with anything.

caliotter3 · Jun 8, 2012

I doubt that there's much you can tell her that will improve the situation. Master's prepared nurses WITH experience are having trouble finding jobs right now. A master's degree in nursing when one has never worked as a nurse is not all that marketable. How can you be a master in something if you've never been a beginner?

One of my classmates went on to the masters program at my school having never worked one day in healthcare. Always wondered if she ever moved out of her parents home. She was 27 when I knew her.

Aongroup1990, CNA · Jun 8, 2012

she has a master's in nursing.. and i think it was nursing management as well. and she can't obtain a job. i will ask her again and then post it back on here..

Aongroup1990, CNA · Jun 8, 2012

All I know is I tried telling her to market herself or start out in the nursing homes.. some people just shoot through school and never take the opportunity to work or try to get some experience..

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2012

she has a master's in nursing.. and i think it was nursing management as well. and she can't obtain a job. i will ask her again and then post it back on here..

I cannot imagine ANYWHERE hiring someone with no nursing experience into management. How can one manage nurses without ever having worked as one?

Aongroup1990, CNA · Jun 9, 2012

Yes, I know I know some students that have a bachelor's and never worked a day in their lives... I GUESS they shooted through school with out trying to balance working...