Let me be clear there is NO nursing shortage!!!!!!!!! and now THIS????

[JoblessRN]

Let me be clear: THERE IS NO NURSING SHORTAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so ****** OFF right now. There are literally thousands of new grads, like myself, who are struggling ALL OVER THE U.S. who can't find jobs for the life of them. This is absurd!!

I have applied to over 30 jobs and cannot get a single call back. I have spent numerous nights sobbing in my bed because I can't afford my loans starting in December and might have to consider filing bankruptcy.

And now, to hear that a Florida congressman wants to "import" foreign nursing to "combat the current nursing shortage" is more than I can take (http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_2536.html). Are you serious? Pleas tell me you're JOKING!!!

Why did I foolishly even consider becoming a nurse in the first place (besides it being my childhood dream)? What a waste of time.

I just can't take this anymore.................

[Music in My Heart]

Just keep looking , thats all you can do right?

You can also contact your representatives and urge them to fight this bill tooth-and-nail. The worst thing that can happen to the unemployed new-grads is to flood the market with experienced nurses from... well, anywhere.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

You can also contact your representatives and urge them to fight this bill tooth-and-nail. The worst thing that can happen to the unemployed new-grads is to flood the market with experienced nurses from... well anywhere.[/quote']

That's probably not correct - the worst thing that could happen to unemployed new grads is to flood the market with more new grads. Experienced foreign nurses don't NECESSARILY take away jobs from new US grads, depending on whether they are hired in for specialized jobs.

I agree that it needs to be jobs first for newly graduated US RNs though.

[Music in My Heart]

I think it would be a better idea for each one of us who is not happy about this to write to our representatives in Congress.

And the White House... and your state representatives (who can influence the national delegation).

[Music in My Heart]

Just to be clear, that's not truel. The worst thing that could happen to unemployed new grads is to flood the market with more new grads. Experience foreign nurses don't NECESSARILY take away jobs from new US grads.

ghillbert, it is true. Flooding the market with nurses of any sort is bad for new grads. Worst, though, are young, experienced nurses. The re-entry of experienced nurses is one of the major contributors to the reduced hiring of new grads. Hospitals aren't going to hire new grads when they can fill their needs with experienced nurses. Resident new grads can at least compete with non-resident new grads; they can't compete with non-resident seasoned nurses, though.

[Music in My Heart]

Please understand I am not xenophobic...

This issue is not about xenophobia... it is about economic survival for many thousands of new-graduate nurses and nursing students presently in the US.

[Vito Andolini]

Stop crying, however sad you are (and rightly so). But stop crying and start writing to every Senator and Congressman, every newspaper, every group and organization that might be interested. Start speaking to groups that will start letterwriting campaigns. Raise public awareness. Go door to door. Speak at your church, etc. If you don't fight it, who will?

[Nurse Cary]

I know what you mean... I graduated in May and obtained my license in July. It seems like no one wants to invest in new graduates. I'm tired of being an RN waiting tables.

[JomoNurse]

I am from SoCal (Orange County). We are still hiring nurses like crazy. Not AS crazy as one year ago, but still crazy. There is no surplus of nurses in the geological area in which I work.

[JoblessRN]

stop crying, however sad you are (and rightly so). but stop crying and start writing to every senator and congressman, every newspaper, every group and organization that might be interested. start speaking to groups that will start letterwriting campaigns. raise public awareness. go door to door. speak at your church, etc. if you don't fight it, who will?

trust me, the minute i found out about this bill, i tried to write the congressman that introduced it. since he's in florida and i am not, he would not take my email. therefore, i swiftly wrote my congresswoman for my district where i live. i have yet to get a response. however, i plan on emailing all of my classmates and urging them to do the same.

also, (just to posters in general, nobody specific) i don't want people to think i am being picky. although critical care is my passion and where i want to be, i have applied to all positions in all areas. i applied to roughly 15 positions in the boondocks of my state (no exaggeration) and was promptly rejected from all 15 two days later. there are so many positions that state (in caps): no new grads accepted; we will not take new grads, new grads need not apply and so on and so forth. i feel like i have the plague.

how are we supposed to fill this nursing "shortage" if nobody will hire us and give us a chance??? i am so eager and ready to learn everything i need to know to become the best possible nurse and i can't even get people to look at my résumé because i have the big fat letters ng (new grad) stamped on my forehead......

[sophiadawn7]

Just don't give up something will come up but for now take any job you can get

as for the student loan just call them they will work with you

[nrz2bee]

Importing people for jobs people here already need is so upsetting. I too know the sadness of graduating into a recession w/ loans and no job. Stay positive, I hope it gets better soon.I dont have a nursing degree but i am applying this year. I hope things pick up quickly. Nurses make a decent salary. Is is possible to try a different state? maybe one where u have a relative living or a friend who u can use their address for applications. Maybe in your area there are less openings but another area may have a greater need. Good luck!!

[Hushdawg]

I am from SoCal (Orange County). We are still hiring nurses like crazy. Not AS crazy as one year ago, but still crazy. There is no surplus of nurses in the geological area in which I work.

That's the issue that is really going on. Overall the country is experiencing a nursing shortage, but it is in specific geographical areas so that for many nurses the bill seems insane because in many areas the shortage is not visible at all.

When you look at national figures the numbers bear out that we need SOME nurses immediately but we need LOTS and LOTS of nurses within 5 years... far more than US nursing schools can provide.

Also, when hospitals look overseas for nurses they have more strict qualifiers for hiring, nurses from outside the USA must have experience in a clinical hospital setting and they must be BSN graduates. They are not looking for fresh grads overseas so I don't see how the entry level positions will be consumed by foreign nurses.

Additionally, those with 5 years of clinical experience, MD/RNs and Nursing Master's degree holders are plentiful overseas whereas limited in the USA and these are valuable employees for US hospitals, this is why they qualify for a specific visa class that is not affected by retrogression.

I know it is frustrating for US graduates, the only advice I have is to look outside your local area, use the resources here on Allnurses to communicate with nurses and hiring officials all across the nation to find a city where you can move to and practice nursing. Short of that, I agree that with the recession at it's current state there are not many options for a lot of out of work nurses.

The projections that we are looking at show that if the recession eases off the economy as expected that within 2 years we should see nationwide hiring for nurses begin to reach late 1990s levels.