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.
I think that certain parts of the country will still hire diploma nurses, but in many areas they will not. That may be a large part of the issue for you. I would be bitter about any school that tells you that a diploma is going to get you a nursing job. Where I am, you need a degree, and in most hospitals you need bsn, adns are hired in clinics and snf, but not hospitals for the most part.
Best of luck, I really hope you find something soon, but you may want to consider getting a degree.
scaredsilly, BSN, RN
1,161 Posts
I think that certain parts of the country will still hire diploma nurses, but in many areas they will not. That may be a large part of the issue for you. I would be bitter about any school that tells you that a diploma is going to get you a nursing job. Where I am, you need a degree, and in most hospitals you need bsn, adns are hired in clinics and snf, but not hospitals for the most part.
Best of luck, I really hope you find something soon, but you may want to consider getting a degree.