So.............I graduated about a year ago from a nursing diploma program (in NJ).......and when I left school and passed the NCLEX, I had all this vigor and eagerness to get my Nursing career started. I basically was really excited to earn the title of RN and have the chance to help people and my community. Granted when I left school I think I had a good understanding that the general economy was in shambles and I knew it was not going to be easy to get a job. But I had no idea it was going to be this bad. Basically I have had no real leads to gaining employment in the nursing field for this past year and it starting to weigh on my resolve to continue searching for work in the field. Now from reading alot of posts from New(er) Grads on allnurses.com I know that I'm not alone it this. In fact there are a lot of New Grads out there with BSN that are saddled with way more debt than me that are not finding work out there. So in the end maybe I'm one of the luckier ones out there.
But here the thing, I can say I'm disappointed with the healthcare field in general for lack of employment....but.....I'm not Bitter (at least not yet anyways) toward it. BUT from talking to some of my former fellow classmates that are not employed or only have sporadic per diem jobs and reading some of the RN boards, bitterness toward nursing seems to be creeping in.
This concerns me a bit because eventually (I think) the economy will turn and there will be a demand for nurses at all levels. And in my mind we will probably need more nurses than ever considering how may elderly we have coming down the pipe.
I'm just thinking though if bitterness does set into alot of New(er) Graduates now that cause them throw their hand up with disgust and walk away from the field of nursing. Will this effect and/or finally create a real "Nursing Shortage" in the long(er) term? Or is the field so saturated that it won't make a difference? Personally I have no idea but I know alot of you guys out there have been in this game for a long time and I know this is not the first downturn in nursing. So I looking forward to seeing your guys perspective on this post.
Let me just lastly state that I two elderly parents that are needing more and more care as they age. So this is not just concerning me because I'm an unemployed RN. I'm also a child of of people that will most probably depend on RN as they reach there twilight years.
Could you imagine what would happen, if the school districts had record enrollments, and then told parents, that they are having a hiring freeze because the state incurred losses when the economy and the stock market dropped. And all the teachers would have to double up on the number of students that would be in their classrooms.
There would be a revolt of the parents in front of City Hall, with every news station, news paper, and CNN, parked there as well. Just a thought.
If you graduated a year ago then you cannot apply to new grad programs, but they don't exist anymore anyway. The problem is that there are tons of jobs for RN in hospitals but no one will train you. So no experience no job. They don't want to train anyone and probably will only when desperate. This could be a few years away. The whole thing sucks so bad...but change is always on the way
Thats odd. Down here in Texas, its really easy for RN grads to grab jobs. ESPECIALLY if you're a BSN. I dont worry at all about finding a job. Im in my 3rd semester and this class is already being recruited in area hospitals. I live in Beaumont and plan on relocating to the houston area.
I think that its REALLY obvious that if you do things such as: 1. Delay job hunting until after you take HESI/NCLEX, 2. Seek jobs in overly saturated areas, 3. Refuse to relocate/ refuse to apply for a job outside of your dreeammm speciality, 4. Only submit applications online without proper networking or even knowing who will be considering your application, THEN it becomes difficult if not impossible to find a job.. If you have considered ALL those things, and STILL cannot find a job ANYWHERE then.......
Its not as bad in some places. Its actually pretty good. Attitude is everything and if you put energy of defeat out into the universe, that is all you will ever get. Good luck!
Anyways. I think you wrote a good response. To be honest I never got a job in nursing. I spent about a year and half looking in my area NJ/NYC metro from March 2010 to September 2011...then...gave up. Let me also state my program was only a diploma program. So that probably didn't help.
All I can say at this point is becareful and do your research before you enter any academic/or job training program. And if possible talk to someone in the field and to get a feeling for what happening in the field in your area.
P.s. While I can say that I'm disappointed in how things turned out. I'm not bitter. Because: 1. I enjoyed my nursing school experience. I'm very happy I got that experience in my life. 2. After see what happen to a lot folk in the financial crisis in 2008...where people are still trying to recover from their loses. And looking at my position today...well...I'm doing pretty darn well.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Is the bolding of words and phrases stuff A New Thing on AN?
Since the original post was written nearly four years ago (December 2010), the bolding of phrases is not new around here. I occasionally do it when I want to add emphasis to something I have posted.
Yeah. I found that out after the fact. That's why I said in my last post people need to look into any program they intend to join. Though I did get one consideration from a hospital way up in northern new york state. Unfortunately my fiance at the time (now my signifigant other) ended up saying no to the idea of a long commute/distance relationship and had to drop out.
So maybe that a diploma nurse could find work...but they would have to travel where high demand is. But at the end of the day...me thinks you're on point. BSN is the way to go.
Personally, for me, I'm out of the game. I graduated 5 years ago and never worked as a RN. I did keep my license active and kept up my ceu's. But I think next time when it comes up to renew. I'm probably going to put myself on the "inactive" list. And leave it at that.
Yeah. I found that out after the fact. That's why I said in my last post people need to look into any program they intend to join. Though I did get one consideration from a hospital way up in northern new york state. Unfortunately my fiance at the time (now my signifigant other) ended up saying no to the idea of a long commute/distance relationship and had to drop out.
So maybe that a diploma nurse could find work...but they would have to travel where high demand is. But at the end of the day...me thinks you're on point. BSN is the way to go.
Personally, for me, I'm out of the game. I graduated 5 years ago and never worked as a RN. I did keep my license active and kept up my ceu's. But I think next time when it comes up to renew. I'm probably going to put myself on the "inactive" list. And leave it at that.
What do you do for a living now? I graduated with my ASN in May of 2013 and have worked as an RN at jobs some would turn away; one SNF, an LTC, and Med-Surg/tele in a small, kind of crappy community hospital. Maybe I'm thankful for the experiences because I kindof don't see myself adding 20k more debt to do this kind of work in these conditions, lol. Wish there was a ASN ---> Bachelor's in Business
Well. "Right now" I'm working on getting back into the workforce. I've been out since my second son was born in 2013. Let me also add that I have moved from northern New Jersey to Northern Virginia.
Before that from 2010 to 2013. I was working in the retail industry as a merchandiser. (Decided to leave the fitness industry for job stability reason).
As for the future. I might have an "in" with my significant other's organization (federal government ). Most likely the position that I would get in that particular organization will not be healthcare related.
lindarn
1,982 Posts
Could you imagine what would happen, if the school districts had record enrollments, and then told parents, that they are having a hiring freeze because the state incurred losses when the economy and the stock market dropped. And all the teachers would have to double up on the number of students that would be in their classrooms.
There would be a revolt of the parents in front of City Hall, with every news station, news paper, and CNN, parked there as well. Just a thought.
JMHO and my NY 0.02.
LIndarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)
Somewhere in the PACNW