New student starting RN program.. Worried about finding jobs..

It's a valid concern. I have a previous bachelors, worked full time all the way through the nursing program and I cannot find a job in Chicagoland. I've applied to over 250 jobs. You should get a BSN rather than the ADN If you can. Just my experience.

I agree this is very disheartening. There is so much hype about a nursing shortage. I'm starting to question the same.

I graduated with a BSN in May 2012, passed the NCLEX in August 2012 and I still can't find my first nursing job. I finally have an interview next week with a home health care agency for weekends/evenings so it's a start to get my feet wet and some experience. Plus I get to keep my day job in accounting until I can find full time benefitted nursing employment.

The nursing schools are part of this problem. They keep churning out new grads without outlining the difficulties seeking first employment. Nearly impossible at this time. If I knew that I could not get a job after racking up over $38 K in student loan debt which I am now paying out of a non-nurse salary, I would have probably reconsidered. "recession proof" they said...'fastest growing' they said. They lied. There is NO NURSING SHORTAGE. Just saturation.

But of course your chances are better if you are standard college age. Those of us who are 2nd degree graduates in our mid 40s I believe are being discriminated against--- by the application question 'what year did you graduate HS?'

All I can say is good luck to you and make sure you do whatever you can to stand out in your school. Don't work and get the 4.0s and make sure you network your butt off during clinicals. Of course some of my cohorts who were Magnum cum Laude aren't working yet either. The only way to get a job now days is based on who you know on the inside.

fgreen

I too am a 40+ woman, who had a long term career in another industry. I am changing careeers and taking a couple of pre-reqs before applying to an ASN program (I cannot get the traditional BSN because I cannot go to school full-time, which most BSN programs want. I plan to bridge over to a BSN or take online). I have often worried about my age and potential ways of being weeded out. I do not look like I am 40+, so hopefully this will get me by and some major networking of course. Been trying to get entry roles in the hospital setting, but even those are hard to get and you have to know someone. Too me it doesn't add up. If you do a search on Careerbuilder there are 100s of nursing jobs listed. I too think it is a combination of some looking for traditional jobs in the hospital setting. I completed and CNA course and pass the competency exam and have not landed anything yet. I don't want to work in LTC and I know this is an entry point to many CNAs.

Worked a PCt that has had her RN for 18 months before she found a job

Just curious what part of Illinois you are from? I drive an hour to work and although I didn't have difficulty finding a job, I work with people who did. 1 girl was unemployed 9 months and another lives in Chicago and works 3 hours away. She got an apartment near work and works 6 days in a row then goes back to Chicago to be with her husband/kid on her 8 days off

@afox...I'm not sure if you were speaking to me :)

If so, I live in Chicago area and at this point will drive anywhere. I have applied to hospitals from Rockford to Chicago.

However, this past week, I just landed a job in home health care through an agency. I'm just working weekends as they can't guarantee full time and have no benefits. At least I can still keep my full time day job until a full time benefitted nursing job comes along.

@fgreen I work in Peoria at OSF saint Francis. ( which has a sister hospital st Anthony in Rockford ) we aren't hiring as much as we did last year but there are occasionally some good jobs posted. New grads start at 22.65 which is good for the central il area. They only require you to be in a position 6 months before transferring depts/facilities which is something to consider too. There are also 2 other hospitals in the city ( unity point Methodist and Proctor)

Took me four months, but I finally got a job.

Really, I don't think there is a "nursing shortage" and I also think hospitals are very slow in hiring new staff. I know on my floor we have been short a nurse since November and a PCT since August and still have not gotten replacements. The staff is tired of working short staffed and tired of working extra because of it. If I were King :-) I would at least make it easy for managers to replace the staff that has left. Now the managers have to put in a request to the administration and wait for them to approve the hiring of a nurse, tech etc. which can take months because our floor is not their priority. Then the manager has to interview people multiple times and finally make a decision. Then, present an offer and have if get accepted. Then, drug screen, physical, strength testing (yes strength testing :-)) and then orientation. Finally they are ready to work on the floor. Whew!