Job Market for RNs in Texas?

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

A little background on me. I'm an RN, BSN and landed my first job as a home health RN after about 2 years of searching. It's per diem for now, with no benefits and it's not an ideal situation but it is what it is. I need the experience. Having said that, my hubby is going to be separating from the military within the next year and we're considering relocating if we need to.

I was wondering what the job market is like for RNs in Texas. I've heard here and there that it's a little easier getting a job in that state, unlike Florida, where it's difficult to be hired as a new-ish nurse. It is a big decision because 1) out of state moves are expensive, 2) I have a husband and 2 young kids and lastly 3) we'd be starting over in an area where we know no one. Anybody live in Texas and have some insight into the job market for RNs there? If so, what area of Texas? Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I don't know where you're planning on moving but if you move toward a major city (Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio) look into the smaller cities around them. Those big cities are saturated with nurses. My best friend is trying to find a job as an RN-BSN in San Antonio, only had 2 interviews.

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I don't know where you're planning on moving but if you move toward a major city (Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio) look into the smaller cities around them. Those big cities are saturated with nurses. My best friend is trying to find a job as an RN-BSN in San Antonio, only had 2 interviews.

I agree.

I also have a few friends that I graduated with who are BSNs and cannot find jobs. They haven't even gotten an interview. There is much more supply than demand here in DFW.

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

Wow. I guess it's pretty much like it is here in Florida. The bigger cities are more saturated with nurses. It's ridiculous in the Tampa Bay area, as there are many nursing schools pumping out new grads each semester. Luckily, I just landed a job doing home health but I do worry how that will impact my ability to find another job later on in a different area of nursing if I needed to. I would hate to be stuck doing home health nursing for the rest of my career because no one wanted to hire someone with only home health experience. My husband is always saying, "Get your experience now with this and then get a hospital job. Apply for hospital jobs." Wish he knew it's NOT that easy with nursing. Hospitals are SO picky and greedy now that it's not even funny. It's really gone downhill. They are so obsessed with hiring the "perfect" candidate for their facility. Whatever happened to hiring nurses who are just willing to work hard and put in their time? Ugh.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Yeah, it's unfortunate but true. As an LVN I applied to soo many hospital openings & never got a job. I'm assuming they chose someone who had hospital experience over me. They would tell me to go get experience...but how if no one will give it to me.

My best friend is applying like crazy to every hospital position open to her. She refuses to take a job outside of the hospital (PDN, HH, LTC). I don't blame her as I worked PDN & LTC and was never able to secure a hospital job.

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

It is so hard to decide whether we should just get whatever experience we can doing non-hospital work, or if we should persist and hold out for those hospital jobs. I've applied to EVERY single hospital in my area no joke, and even in areas that are far away (I'm talking about an hour drive), and nothing. I've had interviews and even 2nd interviews for hospitals nearby, for residency programs, but the spots are so few and there are so many applicants that you must be pretty darn near perfect to land a job there. What bugs me is that if I was landing second interviews, it must've meant that they liked me enough, but didn't want to hire me in the end. Most of the responses I got were, "We decided to go in a 'different direction' with another candidate" or "We decided to hire someone with more experience." It's complete bull! I never wanted to go into HH nursing/PDN, but it is what it is for now... All I can do is cross my fingers and keep applying even as I have this job.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I am in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

If you already have a couple of years of home health experience, you can easily find home health/private duty work here. However, if you want acute care hospital employment, be advised that each job opening is receiving 100+ qualified applicants.

There's definitely a glut of nurses in this area. The hardest people hit are new grads and seasoned nurses with the 'wrong' mix of experience.

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Personally - I live here too, it's so much easier if you "know" someone. All my friends ADN and BSN, have jobs (in big hospitals) and got them fairly easily. The only thing was they knew someone or knew an employee fairly well.

I will say that there are TONS of those pop-up/ERs in this area opening up and in smaller areas around Dallas.

Maybe start networking and see if you know someone who knows someone? Employee referrals are always helpful :) that's how i finally got a gig in a hospital.

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The plus side is there's tons of "big cities" here. So you aren't limited hospital wise. Every city has it's own and plenty of them! I'm sure you can find a spot - if there's a will, there's a way. Just because "everyone else" is having trouble doesn't mean you can't nail a spot.

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