no job after two years

[icedtea]

I graduated two years ago and am still working as a CNA after hundreds of applications all over the country.

No, there is nothing wrong with me, except I am 58 years old and trying to get a job in a profession of extroverts when I am an introvert.

Have an associates degree and am paying off loans and have no desire or ability to get BS. I have a BA from an ivy league college ( not that it matters) from 1975.

Anyone else in this position?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

onaclearday

icedtea, you certainly not alone! I know many nurses who still cannot get jobs. I'm an extrovert, so, I talk to a lot of people. Even through nursing school, I knew in 2007 that the market was changing, but I chose to continue on with my nursing education. It is bad for nurses and will not improve. Fact is no matter what your edu, you are one nurse in a sea of nurses in the US. There simply will never be enough jobs for the thousands of nurses that graduate every 5 to 6 months in this country. Unfortunately it's not your personality... LOL, as we all know, nursing has epic FAIL in that area! I was recently at a regional nursing seminar/fair. I talked to many nurses!!! Found nurses of all levels unable to gain employment. A sea of newer nurses as well. I know that to many readers I will sound like I'm bursting balloons, but knowing and understanding the reality of nursing in the US is important, it does not do you any service to not look things straight in the eye. I would rec that you look for other employment, as well as continue to look for nursing, but be open to leaving the field just the same. I rec that to EVERYBODY. Don't hold on to any thought that things will "turn around' for nursing.

I am so confused re: where you get your statistics (numbers) .... I think you might want to check out some medical journals or maybe the hospital settings across America.... Hmmmmmm!!!

Right now the job market is REALLY tight........Those of us who have been at this a while know that this too shall pass. Nursing is cyclical......when the economy dumps people flock to the profession because you can get a pretty good paying job with benefits......then the market saturates quickly.........plus tons of nurses return to the bedside because their husband/significant other lost their job.

Hospitals lay off their expensive "seasoned staff" (like me)who have trouble finding jobs because a hospital can hire 2 people for the cost of one. Graduates can't find jobs because the hospitals can hire "experienced nurses" returning to the bedside and new grads are expensive to train. The last time this happened on a pretty large scale was in the late 80's when we had the last real estate and DOT.com crash.

Eventually those who graduated and can't find jobs do move on....they have too. There will be those that will leave the profession because this is a really hard thankless job and that is pretty standard. People enter the profession and realize that this is a really tough profession and they just don't like it that much. There are those who leave the bedside for advanced degrees because they are tired of being peed on. Then the economy will turn and there will be less "stinky,dirty" jobs with alot less abuse, no weekends, no nights, and no holidays with better pay and NO contageous diseases.

There is a very large groiup of nurses retiring....the baby boomers. The only difference now is that there are many of us who got laid off and can't find work and lost our 401K's so we are already out of the market. Thre are baby boomers who won't/can't retire when they wanted too because they,like many others, lost our butts in 401K's. BUt eventually we will retire.

There is no general shortage now....but it will return. There remains areas the are in dyer need....but you need to relocate........good luck...

[Motivated grandma]

As an over-fifty hoping to find employment soon -

Hair color

Updated wardrobe

Teeth whitener

Botox - it's temporary.

Contacts.

Younger women can get away with glasses easier than we can.

Good luck!

[amarilla, RN]

OP, I'm sorry to hear that you're still looking. Lots of good advice in this thread so perhaps this was mentioned before, (if it was, it bears repeating!).

I'm a thirty-something career changer; nursing is my second career after the finance industry swallowed my sector whole. While lots of folks say, 'oh, your previous career / degree / skills / references don't matter to nursing', I've found that they absolutely do. The first RN position I took was assisting an agency to put together risk management protocol and strategies to reduce liability. They knew I didn't have any 'real' nurse experience, but that wasn't what mattered; I worked with their clinical director, a RN-MSN, to spot holes in their policy, procedures and processes. After my projects were done, they gave me a great reference to boot.

I have found a few other opportunities related to my previous career, as well. I never would have suspected these types of jobs were out there. My point to you is that perhaps you're looking at this through too narrow a lens; you obviously have life experience and previous degree / jobs / experience before this. Maybe this can drum up some ideas or connections?

In any case, best of luck. :hug:

[leah0427]

I apologize for going off topic. I will say I cannot wait to become a news because the job market in Dallas/Fort Worth is open to all. My mother has a nurse friend in her 50s that just got a new position within the field. If you are in the area please try it out here; the number of job opens has me very excited for days to come.

I am trying to get some assistance from polka-dot; could you please PM me; I am new to the site and I do not quite have the 15 post needed to PM others. I am trying to get some assistance with a post from the past.