May 2009 Grads...and how this economy is going to affect us.

Nursing Students General Students

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Unfortunately, this year, despite the nursing shortage, many of us are not going to be able to find jobs as new grads.

I thought it would be good to start a thread, to possibly get suggestions from more senior nurses, especially those in nursing management and recruiting, on how to most productively use our time.

I know that some of us, like myself, will be graduating with an ADN, but some of us that are graduating with a BSN, may have other options for that first year, such as teaching, etc.

I have no idea of what I am going to do if I can't find a job, primarily because my heart is in Pediatrics and I cannot imagine doing something else...however, even though I am willing to relocate, I am not finding very many opportunities available to even interview, and that can cut one's chances down any further.

I am hoping that this can be a very productive thread to help us.

Specializes in Home Health, Med/Surg.
Sorry to hear that....this economy really SUCKS. I mean, we work so hard, jump thru hoops like a circus poodle to get thru school. They fill our heads with false hopes about the job market and this so called nursing shortage that is non existent. I feel bamboozled!!!

I couldn't have said it better myself. I better get some sleep (haha what's that?) I have clinicals in the morning and have to get up at 430am! Thanks for the kind words... :bow:

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
Why would a hospital not consider an ADN student? Its my understanding that for BSN there are more management classes. I'm graduating this May also, so I'm just curious as to why a hospital wouldnt hire ADN nurses. Could someone enlighten me?

We have the same classes as ASN plus leadership and management courses, research, community health.

But yeah, one guy in my class that graduated early last dec still does not have a job. I heard it is because he is not willing to move and lives in the bay area...where no one seems to be hiring; especially new grads. I have graduation and NCLEX to stress about, I will worry about the job thing when it comes, hopefully I wont have to.

My instructor said it cost about 60,000 to train a new grad, in this economy it is understandable why they would only hire experienced nurses.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

I don't know if you get Advance for Nurses (it's a magazine) but there's a pretty good article in there about job hunting in "tough times" something nurses aren't really used to, I guess. I applied back in January, so I'm all set, but alot of my classmates that are just starting to search now may have some difficulty.

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Specializes in ER.

I am trying not to panic.

I graduate in June and there are so few jobs out there. Most of my classmates are still assuming they will given several job offers.

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my instructor made a great point. You may not get your dream job, but if you want one it is there you just have to look. It may not be in the area of nursing, may not be as good of pay as you were hoping, but its a check-And it is still nursing. And if your a new grad, like i will be, you dont have experience- so this will give you some until you find a job in an area you really want to do- so yes, your first job may not be your dream job- but its a job!Who knows you may turn out loving it and stay in that area!And if your heart is in another feild, consider this good practice:volunteer in that area, that is also a way to gain experience!!!:heartbeat

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Specializes in Telemetry; Stroke.

Wow, this is news to me. I live in Texas and my understanding is that we don't have any problems finding a job. We may have to commute to downtown to the Medical Ctr Complex but there are plenty of jobs here.

I do know that many hospitals have started going to BSN nurses only so that they qualify for some type special "recognition" but I don't know how that is a fiscal bonus even if they had to lay out the $80K for new ADN's who might want to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement if it is offered.

Keep your chin up - don't get discouraged - there are plenty of jobs out there!

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I will grad May 09 with my ADN and there are no issues in this area with hospitals not accepting ADN. We have already had four hospitals come speak to us and one has already accepted our applications. One of the hospitals doesnt take ADN grads in ICCU but no other discrimination issues as far.

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Specializes in OR.

Yeah. I hear there is virtually little to no job shortage in texas for nursing. If I wasn't engaged recently id make the move from tennessee to texas =p I'm typing this while wearing my longhorns hat. (Hook em!)I'm lookin anywhere within an hour of the nashville area at the moment, and also parts of chattanooga. Id work somewhere I may not have interest in for a year just so I would be able to work most places after that, it just seems like getting my foot in the door is the hard part now!

We can do it, just gotta stay positive! AND pass that stupid HESI =p

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Specializes in OR.

Yeah. I hear there is virtually little to no job shortage in texas for nursing. If I wasn't engaged recently id make the move from tennessee to texas =p I'm typing this while wearing my longhorns hat. (Hook em!)I'm lookin anywhere within an hour of the nashville area at the moment, and also parts of chattanooga. Id work somewhere I may not have interest in for a year just so I would be able to work most places after that, it just seems like getting my foot in the door is the hard part now!

We can do it, just gotta stay positive! AND pass that stupid HESI =p

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
Yeah. I hear there is virtually little to no job shortage in texas for nursing. If I wasn't engaged recently id make the move from tennessee to texas =p I'm typing this while wearing my longhorns hat. (Hook em!)I'm lookin anywhere within an hour of the nashville area at the moment, and also parts of chattanooga. Id work somewhere I may not have interest in for a year just so I would be able to work most places after that, it just seems like getting my foot in the door is the hard part now!

We can do it, just gotta stay positive! AND pass that stupid HESI =p

man I thought tennessee was golden for new grad jobs? I was planning to move to tennessee or texas if push came to shove, and dug tennessee more because of less humidity (or so I hear).

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They anticipate new employees taking advantage of that tuition assistance so they'd save a ton across the board if new graduates already possessed their bachelors degree pre-hire.

Multiply say 20 new graduates in one hospital graduation point (say June and December) by say $4000 a calendar year for those using benefits to get their BSN, they could stand to put out $80k per group of 20 new employees.

Not to mention the cost of having to orientate those new employees in this economy, it's a budget breaker.:down:

:twocents:

I can't see the logic in not hiring ADN nurses based on having to pay for them to get a BSN. If a hospital system doesn't want to pay for tuition, they can just stop offering that benefit. ADN students, from what I understand, end up with more clinical time in school than BSN, so they actually would make an easier transition from graduate nurse to RN. I am not worried about finding a job at all (I don't graduate till December). I think anyone graduating this spring that isn't already employed by a hospital in some way should get on the ball. It seems that getting into a hospital job before you graduate is the way to ensure employment afterwards.

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Specializes in OR.
man I thought tennessee was golden for new grad jobs? I was planning to move to tennessee or texas if push came to shove, and dug tennessee more because of less humidity (or so I hear).

there are TONS of hospitals in nashville, also with TONS of schools producing nurses. for instance.. i work as an extern at vanderbilt. they have the nurse residency program, which is really good, but people from all over the US apply for it. theyve also reduced the number of residence applicants they accept this year, so i didnt even bother. plus i didnt want to be tied for a whole year being a nurse resident.

its still not as bad here as is in other places, but some hospitals are only offering a handful of nurse graduate positions, and there are tons and TONS of applicants. =\

oh, the humidity here is bad too. my mom's family is from texas, and ive spent a couple of summers in houston and in dallas, and honestly i can't really tell a difference in the humidity level. a lot of the times its choking in either place. if you want lower humidity you need to move out west or up north :p stay out of the southeast or central southern part of the country, lol :p

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