Licensing Question...

Published

Specializes in Psych, Pediatrics, GI, Diabetes.

Hi!

First, this may not be in the right location, so...moderators, feel free to move it...

So, I have a friend who graduated with me in May 2008. Long story short, she does not have a job yet (and it is not entirely because of the economy) - she did have some issues with her life right after she graduated school, but that time has now come and long gone. So, it is now August 2009 and she does not yet have a job. In this span of time, she has applied to only two jobs - she wants to move to California, so the only thing she applies to is there. Her family is planning to move to Cali, but they are waiting for their current house to sell...which may take awhile, considering the current state of the economy. She has school loans to pay off, and has made other not-so-wise decisions, money-wise. And astoundingly, her parents have said nothing yet, but I don't know how much longer it'll stay that way. Every time we try to ask her what's going on, or suggest to apply to a job where she is now, and move to Cali later, or gently suggest anything, she says she doesn't want to move, and that she wants to stay close to her parents (who are a little older, but healthy)...

So, being that her RN license is now 15 months old, we (her friends), are becoming very worried that she will not be able to find a job simply because she's not fresh out of school, being that now 2 more classes have graduated now, and that she is now "outdated" (can't think of a better word)...but the nagging question that we have is this: IF it gets to the date that her license expires and she has not yet practiced as a nurse, are they even going to let her renew her license - is she going to be able to be a nurse????

We think she'd be a great nurse - she's very smart and has a great bedside manner - but as her friends, we're just worried about her and want to figure out how to make her come to her senses...we're trying to tell her she needs to do something, but we don't want to be insensitive about it...we just want her to be happy, if she didn't want to be a nurse anymore, we'd even be happy with that...but it's just hard to watch her throw all that hard work and a degree worth a solid 5 figures in the trash if she truly does want to be a nurse...

Thanks for any advice!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg.

It shouldn't be a problem for her to renew her license. In California where I have my license, they can't possibly check on whether you are really practicing or not. The only requirement is to complete 30 hours of CE but that isn't even required the first time you renew. It all depends on the state she is licensed in. Good luck to her. It's not easy getting first nursing jobs these days.

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

I personally would advise any new grad against moving to California at the present time, because their current nursing job market has been brutal. If masses of new grads from California nursing programs are unable to find jobs within 6 months of licensure, there's nothing positive to differentiate your friend from the other hapless new grads.

There would, however, be something negative that sets your friend apart from the rest of the jobless new grads in California: 15 months with a license and no work experience from her state of origin. It doesn't look good.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Pediatrics, GI, Diabetes.
I personally would advise any new grad against moving to California at the present time, because their current nursing job market has been brutal. If masses of new grads from California nursing programs are unable to find jobs within 6 months of licensure, there's nothing positive to differentiate your friend from the other hapless new grads.

There would, however, be something negative that sets your friend apart from the rest of the jobless new grads in California: 15 months with a license and no work experience from her state of origin. It doesn't look good.

Thanks for your reply!

Glad to hear that someone else is thinking along the same lines as me...I've been trying to tell her that one, she can't find the perfect first job in the current circumstances, and two, that a job isn't going to be handed to her, she'll have to search for it just like all of the other new grads have been, but it goes in one ear and out the other...another friend and I are going to sit her down and have an honest conversation about all this, because we're trying to drill it into her head one more time before we just let life take its own course, so to speak...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion