Jobs for male nurses

Kspice · Jul 28, 2010

Hey bro,

Sorry to say this man, but all the hype about male nurses having an easy-in is a bunch of hype. I graduated in December 2009, with a 3.3 gpa and a summer a great summer internship. I set out with the goal of an ICU in Chicago. While in nursing school I got an offer at a rural hospital for the ICU and turned it down because I was bent on living the city life. After a few interviews in Chicago and the burbs for non-icu positions I decided to try the rest of the US. I have applied to at least 1-2 teaching hospitals in every state and the only place that called me back was Vermont for a non-icu position. From everywhere else I got the same response, "too many applicants, too-few new-grad positions available.

So to sum it up, after 6 months of searching I ended up with 4 offers and took a position on a Cardiac step-down. All said and done, I'm happy with what I've been given. However, the idea was put into my head before and during nursing school that the red-carpet would be rolled out for me being a male nurse... It wasn't! So my advice to you is if you know what area you want to work in, get an internship, work as a tech, or just start calling/emailing nurse managers of places you want to work.

Good luck chap!

P.S. "over-saturated" is never permanent in health care.

iaca · Jul 28, 2010

Thanks for the info!

Did you end up moving to vermont then? Did you get a job in a city?

Kspice · Jul 28, 2010

No prob. I ended up in rural Illinois. But it's a level 1 trauma and a teaching hospital, so there's lots of opportunity to advance.

iaca · Jul 28, 2010

How rural? I'm a state over in Iowa (Des Moines) and don't think I can (or my fiancee from san francisco) handle anything more rural than des moines, lol. Its awesome you got a job though, I've been terrified after reading about people applying to jobs for a year with no luck.

Kspice · Jul 29, 2010

It's central Illinois... an hour away from the soy bean capital of the world. I would say that's pretty rural! I'm really thinking about traveling nursing in a couple years, go to New Zealand or Australia for a little while. that would be rad.

As for as looking for a year goes, I think if you really want to start, you would take a job in a nursing home or anything. But that's just me.

bradons · Jul 30, 2010

I just graduated from my 4 year RN BN program and landed a full time perm position 2 days after my senior practicum.

There was a shortage and positions were open, applied and got 2 positions to choose from. I found it pretty easy to find a job.

salvador3573 · Jul 31, 2010

Well,I think you can find a job if you are very well prepared and how you present yourself to the employer. you just have to keep on trying.Cmon everybody need a nurse.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2010

No quotas for dudes that I know of.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Jul 31, 2010

Mental Health and corrections are an alternative...

Silas · Jul 31, 2010

I've never heard of any quotes either. I have heard of men having an easier time finding work. I currently work as an aid in a teaching hospital in the Boston area, and our HR representative told me new grads who are not internal do not get hired. There are already so many internals graduating every year that we generally take care of ours own first. So to reiterate Kspices advice, get a job as a tech someplace you want to work now as seniority is important.

Rook · Jul 31, 2010

No quotas. The bias is experience. My supervisor was telling me about our last job opening. She had 42 applicants for 1 job most of the applicants being new grads and a couple who had experience. She was throughly unimpressed with the experienced RNs and did not want to hire any of them. However because they had exp she had to do all kind of extra work (about 2 days worth of meetings/paperwork) to justify hiring a new grad.

Just take the 1st job (unless its psych and you have no interest in being a psych RN) you get offered. Right now no matter what your GPA is you are limited until you get that all important 1st year under your belt. Think of it as your final year of RN school.

For regions that are hiring: I think Texas's ecomomy hasn't blown up, and I think the market in DC is also decent for new grads but that's all I can think of.