I graduated in May and the opportunities for new nurses are between slim and none. Nursing is a second career for me. I'm fortunate I found employment in my previous occupation but many of my peers are not so lucky. What happens to them?
I've seen the finger-pointing Magnet accreditation, Obama-care, the recession. It takes a significant personal investment to earn a nursing license. Isn't that worth something? Can't the healthcare system utilize these graduates in another capacity? This talent going to waste!
When I was in school, the hospital nursing job ads often stated 1 year of experience. I'm starting to see ads now stating 2 years of recent continuous acute care experience. Seems like the moat is getting deeper and walls are getting higher to keep us out.
I get it. You can't staff an entire ICU/ER/OR/floor with new nurses. I get it. It takes time and resources to train a new nurse. You can't turn off the supply either. It's like farming. You need new grad nurses to create experienced nurses. It's not an instantaneous or easy process but it is necessary for the profession to exist. When an organism doesn't take in nutrients, it gets sick. Same applies to a system or organization.
