No jobs or nursing shortage-- Nursing isn't in demand!

U.S.A. New York

Published

Now that I have your attention..I have to say that I am a LPN. I turned down a RN program because of the way I see health care (particularly nursing) going. Seems to be slipping down hill at a sad rate. Pay is being cut, nurses are being laid off left and right, and thousands of BSN grads have been searching for ANY kind of position that they can get...some for over a year. What makes it worse, is, a lot of the new grads I know live here in NYC..where I live. You'd think it's better up here, but it's not.

I'm a new LPN and I know many people look down on LPN certificates...they feel we should go for our RN, BSN in specific. But please save that, because I went this route to get a feel for things and I'm hating what I am "feeling" so far. I left an eeeeeeassssssssy $48,000/year desk job to pursue nursing and I swear I could just kick myself some days. I really love helping others out, but the stress that I have been through, I am positive will only get worse once I really land my first nursing position..if I ever do :( I'm not picky and I literally would work anywhere. I have applied at 100 places, so far. Yes, you read it right..100. Before I started nursing school I had no degree..and I LITERALLY had 2-5 employers/agencies calling me, per day, for work..all ranging from $30,000-$65,000/year depending on the position. Not too bad, since I am not bilingual and truly don't have too much that stands out against others.

I guess this post is a vent. I'm not going to give up and I have yet to have landed that 1st nursing job. To be honest, I am already dreading it. I did my rotations at the hospital and saw what the RNs had to go through. It was just insane. Most of it was politics...cattiness...nonsense. All of them told me they can never relax when they go home because they are always worrying they did something wrong.

I'm in my late 20s and my family/everyone is pressuring me to "finish what I started"..but I am so sad about the way I see nursing going. I was ok with the stress and the workload..but the fact that thousands of BSN RNs are graduating every year and can't even land jobs...and the fact that they have to be virtual slaves/maids/housekeepers/customer service agents/etc. whilst dealing with all that other drama..just turns me off. I am praying/hoping that maybe it was the rotations that I did..maybe it was the facility..but I just cannot see how anyone in their right mind could stay in a field like this. I'm sorry..but $40,000-$60,000/year is just not enough.

Anyway..I love Human Biology...doing medical procedures on patients...and I even love being on my feet...so I am going to give this nursing gig a chance. I'm a little scared..again...100+ applications and not but 2 call backs that seemed to be so general they lead no where. I cannot move out of the city for marital/financial reasons...but have even opened myself up to cities within 1 hour of here. Hope something gives way. I'm praying nursing is a worthwhile career..but I have a feeling it's not what people hope for...and either way..I am just going to be very glad that I only spent 12 months finishing my LPN and trying it out this way first. *sigh* Anyone else frustrated out there?

Specializes in Med./Surg., Diabetes, Med. ICU, home hea.

i have to agree somewhat with dns on the go, above. as a new grad rn, most are going to have difficulty getting that first job, unless you've got someond on the inside pulling for you. and, in todays economy/situation, once you take that 1st job in what ever specialty it is, you will find a lot of difficulty moving on to the specialty of your dreams, but given enough time and patience, if your 1st job is in a multispecialty facility or "system," you will eventually, possibly get it.

good luck on your decisions. i'm keeping my eye out for jobs outside nursing, but for my circumstances, those are difficult, also.

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What was your old job?

I want it!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
The desk job has probably disappeared, along with the millions of other jobs that no longer exist since the economic downturn gained momentum a while back.

Well yes. Precisely. I continue to be a little amused/amazed at the anger and bitterness that comes out over learning that nursing is not recession proof after all. ANYTHING people are graduating from college to do is in a downturn right now. It isn't just new nursing grads but rather new grads period. It was a lovely, comforting lie to believe that nursing would never suffer such a downturn. Business minds knew better.

OP, I do hope you find something soon and I am sorry for your unhappiness. Hopefully you will be able to get enough experience to know whether this is what you really want or not. Keep your chin up - life has a marvelous way of working out exactly the way it is supposed to, and human beings a remarkable way of adapting and carrying on even when that means not getting what they thought would happen and/or what they wanted. You are in crisis right now and that understandably has you frustrated with the situation.

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
Well yes. Precisely. I continue to be a little amused/amazed at the anger and bitterness that comes out over learning that nursing is not recession proof after all. ANYTHING people are graduating from college to do is in a downturn right now. It isn't just new nursing grads but rather new grads period. It was a lovely, comforting lie to believe that nursing would never suffer such a downturn. Business minds knew better.

OP, I do hope you find something soon and I am sorry for your unhappiness. Hopefully you will be able to get enough experience to know whether this is what you really want or not. Keep your chin up - life has a marvelous way of working out exactly the way it is supposed to, and human beings a remarkable way of adapting and carrying on even when that means not getting what they thought would happen and/or what they wanted. You are in crisis right now and that understandably has you frustrated with the situation.

I wonder where that idea came from sometimes. I know the schools pushed it so they could fill their rosters but dang, did people really believe them that much?

Funny part is, you just have to talk to anyone who has nursed for more than 10 years. They'll tell you about the "cycles" nursing goes through. Heck, nursing suffered "downturns" when everyone else was booming. Why would we not suffer one when everyone else is falling?

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I think it came from media hype and governmental hype and the very natural human desire to believe something is true simply because it says so on the Internet. ;) It is a lovely little lie - one I still wish I could believe to be honest. But I don't and as such, am better armed to deal with the situation. Its just the sense of bitterness/entitlement that stands out to me. Nobody is guaranteed a future, ever. Sometimes it is harder than others. This is a harder time.

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Actually, it was not only hyped by the schools but equally be the media.

A few years back I wrote a paper about the nursing shortage and I found hundreds of articles, painting this picture of an upcoming catastrophic disaster if we couldn't get this shortage under control.

I really believed it back then. And so did my college teacher, haha.

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Actually, it was not only hyped by the schools but equally be the media.

A few years back I wrote a paper about the nursing shortage and I found hundreds of articles, painting this picture of an upcoming catastrophic disaster if we couldn't get this shortage under control.

I really believed it back then. And so did my college teacher, haha.

I think the shortage came from the "good times". People are now delaying or completely avoiding elective surgeries because they don't know how long they will have a job. Hospitals have empty beds and are forced to cut back.

In past decade or so, schools ramped up in response to this "shortage". Now there's a glut of nursing programs. In my area of 300,000 there are seven nursing progams. And they are graduating students two or three times a year.

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Hey you guys! Responses have been overwhelming..good and not-so-good. I appreciate those who aren't attacking me and are openminded enough to see both sides of things! :) I didn't go in nursing thinking that I would come out and be able to snap my fingers and have employers begging me to work for them..but jeebus..it would be nice to know that going back to school at least would give me an opportunity to have my resume so much as looked at.

As far as the old job goes..I was working in a legal department for a utilities company..practically a glorified administrative assistant...doing clerical/organizing stuff...you better believe that position is long gone lol. Last time I heard, the company has a hiring freeze.

I'm going to keep trying to apply..but truth is..I'm ready to get a job at Starbucks or Denny's just to get some kind of income coming in. I'm totally floored at how bad it is.

I don't really have the means to move out of NYC. I don't have a car and the place I am staying in now had rent paid for in advance for a while..thanks to my loving sweetheart :)

So I try really hard to be positive..I don't have kids or a mortgage..I really don't have crap..feel like I sold my soul to nursing school and haven't experienced so much as a lick of the fruit lol. I know people say I am lucky that I don't have children, etc..but I don't have them or anything else because I was busy dedicating my time to nursing..so far..I'm high and dry..hope that won't always be the case..but I am not that lucky. I don't have a job or the means to at least move up in the world, period. :( I'm not too far from being 30 and I'm watching my friends get married, have children, and have fun...never thought being a LPN would allow me to live like a Rockstar..but it would be nice to know I at least have a chance to make an honest living.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Something will come up, but this is definitely a rough time. The thing is, no one could have expected or predicted just how awful things would get. When I was working on the first two years of my degree, they couldn't hire people fast enough. There was no problem to find a job in 2006 and 2007. It was from the end of 2007 on that jobs became scarce. And, there IS a shortage. But facilities are opting to cut expenses, rather than hire the staff that is actually required. Just keep applying, and try to make some contacts.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

To all the US nurses unable to find work ...

Are you able to come to Australia ? There are jobs here and I know several US citizens who have moved down here. I'm in Sydney... also know that other centers are hiring.

Have a look at the International forum -> Australia/NZ Forum.

For those interested - remember you don't need an agent

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Thanks for the info Pedicurn RN. Australia was my plan all along. After I work up here for a year or 2, I'm coming. I've visited Australia, and I loved it. I also have a good nurse friend in Melbourne. Better weather and economy. What's not to like?

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it's all relative, nursing is in demand compared to most other jobs, the economy sux and has suxed for years now and is gonna sux for at least another 1 yr or 2.

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