Job market for new grads

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I'm in an ANP program in Miami, and have been hearing from new grads that jobs are not forthcoming. Most I know had to work in the hospitals with MD even when they wanted primary care jobs. Others have been unable to find work all together. Is this in keeping with others' experiences?

Specializes in FNP.

I am not a surgical anything, lol, but I am acquainted with someone who is both a RNFA and a NP. He was a RNFA years before he went to NP school. He is an adult NP (not acute) and presently works in an orthopedic practice. I know he makes 6 figures, b/c he took an option for lower salary plus a percentage of practice profits, and he has discussed how well this gamble paid off for him. I have no idea what he does day to day. I gather you are a new nurse. Spend a few years in the OR, earn the FA and then go from there - seems the most logical approach. Good luck.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Med-Surg.

I think there are available jobs but sometimes the job offer isn't what you expect. I was offered a position in an Internal Medicine clinic, where I did my Clinical Rotation, but the MD offered me 75K/yr, working 10 hour sifts w/t/f and working every saturday, the commute would have been 2 hours, I didn't think that was in my best interest, other Primary Care practices have offered the same starting pay and its sad becasue I was making that as an RN, I guess it depends on what you want to do, right now I don't feel fulfilled as an NP but it has only been 3 months that I have been working in this role and I hope it gets better. I miss working my 3 12 hour shifts and have not gotten used to working 5 8 hour shifts. I wish all of you the best of luck and I know that regardless of anything I thank God everyday that I'm blessed with a job.

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Specializes in acute care.

I must say the market is pretty tough...I graduated in May 2010 (ACNP) and just finally got (and of course accepted) an offer this month so it took me close to a year. And it will still be a few months before I can start b/c of all the credentialing paperwork that has to go through. Some parts of the country are tougher than others...I am currently in MA where there was basically NOTHING for new grads at least in acute care. The job I found is in Maine (which I am quite happy about--it's going to be a great place to live and has some definite advantages over where I am now). For anyone who might be interested in Maine, check out New England Health Search--they are a recruiting company for physicians/NPs/PAs and recruit mostly for Maine. That is how I found the position I just accepted, and it is one that I think will be really good--on the hospitalist service of a small community hospital. The NEHS recruiter was also very good about communication and following up on things, so I highly recommend them.

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Specializes in FNP, Surgery.

You are absolutely right! It is very hard to find information regarding surgical NP, you pretty much have to pave your own path. I am happy to be of any help.

I am a former operating room nurse. I went straight into an AORN training program from nursing school at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. I had to leave Texas which is where I am from, to find an OR training program. Most hospital want you to work on the floor for one year, a total waste of time.

I worked for 2 years in the OR before I went back to school. I scrubbed and circulated, and I chose to specialize in neurosurgery since I loved it. I went to University of Miami for my Family Nurse Practitioner and DNP. I did not get my RNFA. It's not because I did not want to, it's just hard to do while working as an RN. You have to have a physician sponsor to complete all your clinical hours. It's very expensive as well, but if your job requires it they will pay for it as well. I did not do my CNOR. I probably should have but honestly it's more important as an RN to have your CNOR than an NP. Jobs don't care when you apply as an NP if you have your CNOR I noticed.

I knew I wanted to work in Neurosurgery as a NP. The job market is tough in South Florida, but in the end I had 3 amazing job offers I had to choose from after I had narrowed it down. I randomly mailed my CV to 20 neurosugeons in the South Fl area, and I had an overwhelming response with 12 replies for interviews.

I work in a solo private practice with a neurosurgeon. I see patients in clinic with the surgeon and also by myself (I have my own clinic as well). I do consults and round in the hospital on post-ops. I first assist him in surgery. Basically, it's a dream job. Some hospitals that you have privileges require you have your RNFA to first assist, the hospital I'm at does not.

Most PA typically fill positions with surgeons, but I notice they are starting to hire a lot more NP for this as well. I don't have any advice on what you should get your certification in. This is very controversial topic. In my experience with myself and my friends who are NP. Adult or Pediatric NP are limited in their employment opportunities. Family NP are more marketable b/c you can see all ages. I have no desire to every see a pedi or OB pt in my life, but I chose this because you have more employment options. Acute Care vs Family. If you want to work in the ICU you have to be acute care in most hospitals. In surgical or ER I know Family and Acute NP that work in both settings. To me Acute Care was just an extra semester of school I didn't want. You cannot go wrong either way.

This was my first job out of NP school, and I am making 6 figures. I can't complain. :) If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

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Angie O, Congrats on the job. I too and in Mass and was thinking of checking out Maine jobs- Can you tell me how the licensing in Maine worked for you? Did your new job have to participate in maine licensing? Thanks for any help!

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Specializes in acute care.
Angie O, Congrats on the job. I too and in Mass and was thinking of checking out Maine jobs- Can you tell me how the licensing in Maine worked for you? Did your new job have to participate in maine licensing? Thanks for any help!

I am waiting for the Maine licensing paperwork to go through right now, as well as the hospital's own credentialing. As far as the state licensing, you can get the forms from the state board's website and download, print and fill them out along with paying the necessary fee. It's not anything too complicated, just can apparently take a while for everything to be processed so you can get reciprocity. The only thing the hospital had to do for the licensing part of things was give verification that I will have physician supervision since I am right out of school (in Maine you only have to be supervised for your first 24 months of practice, then could practice independently if you so chose).

If you're looking at Maine, I'd encourage you to get in contact with New England Health Search as I mentioned before...they're great! I don't know what your specialty is, but they have all kinds of positions they recruit for. If you're primary care, you'll probably have even more luck since there tend to be more of those positions as opposed to acute care.

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Thanks for all the info Angie! I'll check them out!

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It really depends on who you talk to because I have classmates who are having a difficult time finding jobs. But, I would have to say in CA it's pretty good. Before I even graduated, I applied for 4 jobs and got 3 job offers. :lol2: The highest offer I got was 96K at one practice ( I was in a fast track FNP graduate program and didn't have any RN Floor experience at all..and yet, at the interview, I beat out two other new grad FNPs with RN experience), but I turned it down for lesser pay to be at a practice that had better support. Yeah, I've heard the VA pay well, but it is TOUGH. My preceptor worked there for 6mos and quit because she didn't feel safe with the amount of responsiblity she had as a FNP. She said she also had no one to consult with when the doctors and residents went home and she didn't like that. So, there is a reason why they pay more. So, I think the job market is looking better.

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Specializes in telemetry.

JBFNPgirl,

It is encouraging to hear that there are jobs for new grads out there. Where are you located in CA?

Thanks

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Specializes in FNP.

Just an update, I graduated last December, and out of my class of about 40 FNPs there are just 2 of us left that don't yet have jobs. Both of us have turned down offers, we are just holding out for something that feels like a perfect fit. I certainly don't know all of their salaries, but of those I do know, I have classmates making anywhere from mid 60s to low 90s. Almost everyone went into a specialty area, even if they had preferred family practice. Good primary care opportunities are not materializing it seems, which is sadly ironic! All of us are in the SE US.

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One thing I noticed is the lack of primary care opportunities. Either employers want experience or no one is hiring. I think its their lost. How are you going to get experience if no one is hiring in those areas. Now a lot of graduates in my area stay in acute care or a similar setting in which they practiced as a RN.

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One thing I noticed is the lack of primary care opportunities. Either employers want experience or no one is hiring. I think its their lost. How are you going to get experience if no one is hiring in those areas. Now a lot of graduates in my area stay in acute care or a similar setting in which they practiced as a RN.

Really? I always assumed that NP's had an easier time to get a job after graduation (even with no experience) since they had a more advanced training. Is their situation really as bad as the new RN grads' experiences of finding a job?

I ultimately want to find a job in California somewhere, but it seems like I will have to relocate somewhere else. The job market seems to be too impacted.

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