No Jobs For New Grads Despite RN Time?!

futurenp4life · May 12, 2020

Another thing I want to add is that the NP workforce hit a record high of 290K. If this doesn't cause any concerns, then I dont know what will. Oversaturation is a real concern and I think even after the pandemic, you will see the impact it will have on the future outlook.

daffymom · May 21, 2020

Hi KDawnz- I worked in an academic medical center in a beautiful rural area that has posted NP positions. I cannot email you because I have not posted in awhile. PM me if you want more information.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 21, 2020

On 5/11/2020 at 8:20 PM, futurenp4life said:
Another thing I want to add is that the NP workforce hit a record high of 290K. If this doesn't cause any concerns, then I dont know what will. Oversaturation is a real concern and I think even after the pandemic, you will see the impact it will have on the future outlook.

So what if the NP workforce hit a record high? There is also a lot unmet demand. What is your evidence that oversaturation is a big problem. I'm sick and tired of these scare tactics. There are plenty of NP jobs. It is slow right now because of COVID, but hiring is starting again as the lockdowns are lifting.

On 5/6/2020 at 7:01 PM, Numenor said:
Its a risk, the market is saturated for NPs in most suburban and metro areas. If you REALLY want a job, go rural.

What is your evidence that oversaturation is a big problem in "most" suburban and metro areas. That is not my experience. I'm sick and tired of these scare tactics. There are plenty of NP jobs. It is slow right now because of COVID, but hiring is starting again as the lockdowns are lifting.

Future MSN · May 21, 2020

Good point. Does anyone have any stats?

umbdude, MSN, APRN · May 21, 2020

The only published stat I know are the HRSA projections.

A less-quantitative method is to look at job openings in your area. If you're seeing an overwhelming number of jobs requiring at least 2+ years of NP experience, that tells me that it's probably a competitive job market. If you are a new grad (and a reasonably strong applicant) and applied to 50+ jobs in your area, including jobs that require 1-2 years of NP experience, and you're not getting any response, it's likely that the supply of NP > job openings.

I don't think anyone is saying that the job market is saturated everywhere. It's highly dependent on where you live. My area is very tough for new grads (primary care NPs) and that's not a secret. We have perhaps ~10 NP programs in the area (not including online NP programs). If you have no experience and cannot move, it'll be incredibly difficult. But if you can move to rural areas in another state, your chances will be much better.

Being able to move across the country and be highly flexible are the keys.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 21, 2020

1 hour ago, umbdude said:
A less-quantitative method is to look at job openings in your area. If you're seeing an overwhelming number of jobs requiring at least 2+ years of NP experience, that tells me that it's probably a competitive job market.
Being able to move across the country and be highly flexible are the keys.

Only one thing is that a good 30+% of NP jobs are not advertised. Private practices and smaller groups typically operate on pretty thin margins in the sense of both time and money and will not spend them on advertising, interviewing and so forth, they recruit at large through networking.

Also, quite many employers list "ideal" requirements with full understanding that no NP or PA with two years under belt and truthfully clear backround will ever consider their top-of-the art hole in the wall urgent care. Seriously, I'd seen positions wanting "at least two year experience" to wash out ears in SNFs for $25/piece and DNP or PhD for doing "emotional health assessments" (read: selling emotional support animals' certificates). And that "robust, fulfilling" job of doing drug tests, taking BP and applying BandAids as needed to workers in an airport from 8 PM to 6 AM, six days every week, for roughly 3/4 of typical salary for specialty and region, no benefits at all, at least 5 years experience as an NP required. Three recruiters harrassed me with that magnanimous offer for months despite of being laughed in their faces more than once.

The key is to be able to work everywhere and willingness to do everything and be able to project the experience and use network skills. You can hate Ortho rounds, clinic, visits and calls with all your heart, but what matters is having privileges in the hospital and sending consults on regular basis to that big cheese doc who runs your dreamed Cardio department. And not looking like an idiot when the aforementioned doc would like to discuss a case.

thinbluelineRN, MSN, NP · May 26, 2020

On 5/7/2020 at 11:13 AM, renzlao said:
It’s dependent on location. I just graduated and applied everywhere in LA area. Crickets. But the Stanislaus county, CA is looking. They found me through LinkedIn without even applying. Unfortunately I can’t move because of My husband so I’m going to be jobless. If you are able to move, the job is there.

Yes I live one county over from Stan County and had no problems finding a job when I graduated December 2018. There is a huge FQHC in this area and other places that are always looking for NPs.

OP are you in California? If so try the Central Valley- Merced County, Stanislaus County etc.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 26, 2020

1 hour ago, thinbluelineRN said:
Yes I live one county over from Stan County and had no problems finding a job when I graduated December 2018. There is a huge FQHC in this area and other places that are always looking for NPs.
OP are you in California? If so try the Central Valley- Merced County, Stanislaus County etc.

Totally agree. Anywhere in California that is not SF Bay Area, LA, Orange County or San Diego has a provider shortage. Look at Central Valley - Sacramento, Stockton, Merced, Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield and nearby rural communities. Also look at Redding, Eureka and surrounding areas. Easy for new grads to get jobs in these places. There are also a number of NP residency programs in these areas.

Guest1144461 · May 28, 2020

There are NP jobs out there but a lot of the listed salaries are laughable. 90k to be the MD consult b*tch or given waaaay too much responsibility/autonomy for chump change.. Yeah no....

Guest1144461 · May 28, 2020

On 5/20/2020 at 7:05 PM, FullGlass said:
So what if the NP workforce hit a record high? There is also a lot unmet demand. What is your evidence that oversaturation is a big problem. I'm sick and tired of these scare tactics. There are plenty of NP jobs. It is slow right now because of COVID, but hiring is starting again as the lockdowns are lifting.
What is your evidence that oversaturation is a big problem in "most" suburban and metro areas. That is not my experience. I'm sick and tired of these scare tactics. There are plenty of NP jobs. It is slow right now because of COVID, but hiring is starting again as the lockdowns are lifting.

My evidence is that over-saturation is causing a salary depletion. I live in the metro West Coast and have looked at other large cities with various job postings. After talking with HRs, many are getting flooded with apps and thus the salaries are lackluster at best. 90k for doing the same job as the 275k MD. yeah no....People will take the jobs anyways because they are desperate.

Who cares if there are jobs when the NP pays is that of a RN. I made 100k as a RN with barely any OT now in the same city they want to give me 90k to be a independent hospitalist? Lmao sure...

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 28, 2020

14 hours ago, Numenor said:
My evidence is that over-saturation is causing a salary depletion. I live in the metro West Coast and have looked at other large cities with various job postings. After talking with HRs, many are getting flooded with apps and thus the salaries are lackluster at best. 90k for doing the same job as the 275k MD. yeah no....People will take the jobs anyways because they are desperate.
Who cares if there are jobs when the NP pays is that of a RN. I made 100k as a RN with barely any OT now in the same city they want to give me 90k to be a independent hospitalist? Lmao sure...

Right now, the job market for NPs is bad, due to COVID. However, normally, there are plenty of jobs in the Western US.

Pay will vary by location within a state. The pay for NPs in San Diego is different than pay for NPs in Los Angeles or San Francisco or Sacramento.

There is no oversaturation of NPs in the Western United States. There may be oversaturation in certain cities, yes. That is why an NP looking for work, especially a new grad NP, must be flexible on location.

$90K a year is not chump change. That is good money for most people and not bad for a new grad NP with no NP experience! Nobody cares what you made as an RN. Experienced RNs are likely to take a pay cut for their first NP job and should have been well aware of this when making a career change. In the long run, most NPs are going to make more than most RNs.

If I decide to change careers right now and become a CPA, my first CPA job is going to pay me less than I am making now as an NP.

I'm going to focus on primary care, because that is my area. Primary care docs do not generally make a boatload of money. If they are on salary, $220K to $250K a year is pretty typical.

As a new grad NP just 2 years ago, my first year compensation was $125K. $115K salary plus $5K signing and $5K relo. This was in a very remote rural area in California desperate for providers, so they had to pay more. The plus side was that living there was VERY cheap.

In contrast, San Diego has an oversaturated healthcare provider market, and that includes for MDs, as a lot of people want to live there. In addition, wages are depressed for healthcare workers as there are a lot of military spouses competing for these jobs, as well as military retirees. I couldn't get a job there, but if I had been able to, I would have made about $90K as a new grad NP.

California has the highest pay in the country for NPs. A primary care NP can earn up to $150K a year here with experience, depending on location. Specialty NPs can make more than that. For example, I was offered a job in an interventional pain management practice for $160K per year to start. PMHNPs in California can make up to $200K per year. I call that good money.

Currently, I am in Sacramento, which pays NPs well. I have seen outpatient specialty NP jobs up to $180K per year here, excluding psych. PMHNP jobs here have been advertised, even now, for up to $100 per hour.

NPs are not worth the same as an MD. That is the brutal truth. We do not have the same level of education and training. I have no problem with MDs and DOs making more than I do. I just want NPs to be paid fairly.

RN/WI, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Apr 17, 2021

On 4/14/2020 at 4:34 PM, kdawnz said:

I need a pep talk or moral support or something. I'm an AGACNP-BC as of December and am having a horrible time finding a job. I've been a critical care/ER nurse for 9 years, teach PALS and mock codes, charge nurse, CCRN, all the things. Went to a public and reputable university and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. I live in the West and want to be in a smaller community, which I figured would work in my favor, but I am getting nothing. I have been a little picky about location because I want to be near skiing and biking, but even drastically broadening my search area I'm still getting minimal interest. I'm hearing back from some of the places that hopital jobs it took them over a year to fill in 2018 are having 10 applicants in 2 weeks. Jobs that used to have 5 applicants have 30. WTH?! How did things get this saturated so quickly?!

I just got set up with several recruiters in the last week or so and am considering locums assignments if need be, but I'm just really frustrated. I feel like I shouldn't have wasted so much time "mastering" the nursing role and just gone to NP school quickly like most of the other people I know. I feel like my whole RN career means nothing and that I'm stuck in this weird place where no one will take me without experience but I can't get experience if no one will hire me.

Anyone have any tips or positive stories or anything?were you able to find anything? If so how long did it take and what are you doing? Did the locum job work out ?
I totally agree with you. I understand that RN is not NP as I mastered every step along the way. I am an RN of 13 years prior to FNP.

My state is extremely slow with the licensing. I live in Wisconsin and it’s been 8 weeks and counting for the license:( The state is allowing NPs to expedite from other states , as well as allow NP s that have expired or retired to come out and be processed immediately, due to COVID... I have called and emailed several times. They sure take the money and cash it fast enough.

On average how long does the process of being licensed and finding an NP job take? I am 5 months out after graduation already.