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My dream is to become a nurse but whats bringing me down is that I have been hearing that there are no nursing jobs and not many hospitals wants to hire new nurse grads. I'm so scared and I am now reconsidering nursing. What about nurse practitioners? Are there no jobs for NP's either? I'm only in high school right now and I REALLY want to be a nurse, specifically Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Should I still go for it? Thanks SO much.
If this is your dream and this is what you want, and you see yourself in nothing else but nursing. Just do it. Why are you worrying about something that is so far off in the future at the moment, and that you have no control of? Sweetheart, you're still in high school, enjoy it while it lasts. College will be there when you get out. Just do the best you can in school. Make sure to take all the science classes you can while in high school.
If nursing is your goal, you should go for it. Everyone in pretty much every field is going to face some competition for jobs when they are new grads. Yes, it might take some time to find a job, and you will not have the luxury of being picky about your first job, BUT, with persistence, patience, and endurance, something will work out. Just work hard in school, learn a lot, and make sure you have earned that first nursing job.
Two pieces of advice: 1) As PPs said, consider becoming a CNA or PCT, and work at least part-time through school. Don't go crazy trying to put in too many hours, but having some experience will give you an edge when it comes time to search for your first RN position. If you like the unit you're on enough, and the staff and manager there like you back, you may even find you have a job all lined up for you before graduating. I have a friend who got her first job this way, although I'm not sure how often this happens. 2) Consider new grad programs at the hospitals around you. Again, I'm not sure how common this is around the country, but where I am (Baltimore, MD), lots of hospitals offer new grad internships where you get a very in-depth orientation, exposure to a specialty of your choice, and the opportunity for extra classroom and clinical training. Here is one I'm considering applying to as an example (click on Paid Nurse Internship Program at the top): Internship & Residency Opportunities in Rockville, MD - Adventist HealthCare.
nurs1ng
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I agree! 100%