new graduate job search issues

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 17, 2013

There is no nursing shortage. There is a shortage of jobs for new nurses because there are far too many new nurses. Employers know this and so they can be as choosy as they like when it comes to applicants.

All of the traditional "locks" for getting new grad jobs: internal employee, networking, 4.0s...they're no longer guarantees because too many applicants have them. My facility's new grad residency program rejects many of its internal applicants because there's too much competition and not enough spots.

Also, because the economy sucks, a lot of nurses who would have retired have been forced to keep working. A lot of part-time nurses have had to go full-time because for whatever reason part-time wages weren't enough anymore. Some nurses have had to take two jobs to make ends meet.

A lot of facilities have also cut back on hiring both new and experienced nurses. It costs money to train new nurses, and facilities are hesitant to invest in a new nurse who isn't planning to be there for the long haul but will bolt for her desired specialty/away from the bedside/CRNA or NP school after getting the requisite year of experience. Experienced nurses cost more money and they don't want to shell out those bucks when they can get a cheaper nurse for less.

They may decide to use a lower license to fill the role and save money: why spend the bucks on a RN if a LVN can do the essential functions? In addition, many hospitals are doing away with nursing and aide/tech positions, and making the current nursing staff do more with less...and not always for more money, either.

So yeah, it sucks. I'm sorry you and the other new grads are going through this. I feel your pain--when I graduated the economy had just started sucking, so I remember what the hunt was like.

Of course, different parts of the country may have different local job markets...generally, your chances as a new grad appear to be better if you're willing to look in rural areas, including possibly relocating.

Your program may have had something to do with it...if it's not NLNAC or CCNE accredited, some employers won't touch you. If you were enrolled in the program during the time they were undergoing review for accreditation, if they get accreditation then it will be retroactive and you'll be covered. So that's some hope. If you graduated before they applied for accreditation, then you're out of luck and will have to rectify that with your RN-BSN program.

Just keep pounding away at it. Best of luck.