New Grads...no jobs...now what

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

After our long arduous and long journey we finally arrive in the promised land. But as we cross that last curve in the rocky road which will take us to our reward, we see the traffic ahead of us all in a big jam, people wondering aimlessly in the field, some crying others pointing at random directions. So you stop and ask someone "what is happening" as you look ahead you see a wide river with muddy waters and violent rapids and a bridge which have collapsed. We can't pass to the other side, we are stuck here and no one knows for how long. Sounds familiar? welcome to the Newgrad nightmare. The unthinkable have just happen. Your huge confidence in the solid as a rock nursing profession have just collapsed and crumbled before your eyes, and like a gigantic wave there is nothing you can do about it but just ride the roll with the punches.

After grieving the death of an ideal, you are now left with a large loan debt and in your mind you wonder when will you ever work as an RN. Do you look for any job? Any job related to health care? Do I volunteer? Do you give up? How do you pick yourself from the ground and keep the optimism alive. Any suggestions out there. I would love to hear what everybody is doing. What are the alternatives? What are the possibilities which could end up being an asset in the future and not a waste of time? I don't really have any answers other than to say: life is impermanent, so eventually it will all change...for the time being let's talk...

Thank you

[Angitia]

If this is a problem on a national scale, the government must hear about it. What is this crap -- accepting your life circumstances? Well, who led you into this mess? The government who told us that there's a shortage, when there's none. Somebody needs to be responsible for this.

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

One thing I've been thinking is about the federal moneys which goes to getting foreign nurses working in the U.S. when there are a major glut of U.S. trained nurses who can't find a job as an RN. Somebody need to put a break on these kinds of things. Another brake must be applied to the nursing schools that keep churning new nurses on a flooded market. Somebody must kill this "nursing shortage" lie out there. There is no nursing shortage.