Nurses are not in high demand!

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I need a job, want a career that I can work until I retire or die which ever comes first. I worked in detox for a year and 3 months, and felt my skills dwindling. I have no idea how to get a job with training and such without med/surg experience, I worked in a nursing home for a brief period and found that it was way too stressful with wound care, accu checks ,neb tx, medications, tube feedings and ivs with anywhere from 20 to 40 patients in your care. Any advice please. I am more than willing to work 12 hour night shifts!

Around here it is said that for every position there is over 200 applicants, how does one compete?

Specializes in ICU.

It's too difficult in Illinois??? What???

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Thank you, I just feel that 20 to 46 patients in a SNF is too much for one nurse. I really want to try behavioral health, I feel that might be a good fit, I have yet to find my match. I really want to help people,and work in my community.

After six years in med surg, I started working in behavioral health and find it very "easy". It's a small, locked, well-staffed voluntary unit. The majority of patients are schizophrenic and come from board and care facilities. I have no straight psych experience, but the med/surg experience definitely seemed to be a selling point. I tried to get a psych position right out of school, but everyone wanted at least a year of med/surg.

I also just started, so I reserve the right to change my mind about the "easy" part at a later time. :cyclops: It probably helps that I have an affinity for the population.

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Specializes in ICU.

Two of my new coworkers are originally from Illinois. We work in Oklahoma. One of them stated that she never would've been able to find a job in an ICU as a new grad like what she was able to get here. I think there are still nursing shortages, but you just have to be willing to move to where the shortages are. Plus, once you get some really good experience under your belt, you're much more marketable when you move home.

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The nursing shortages are places outside of hospitals and large cities.

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Thank you, I just feel that 20 to 46 patients in a SNF is too much for one nurse. I really want to try behavioral health, I feel that might be a good fit, I have yet to find my match. I really want to help people,and work in my community.

SNF ratio of 20-40:1 is the same here in NJ and NY. And they don't even use RNs they use LPNs. I am almost sure, the only reason the State can't shut them down is because where will all the old folks go? We can't throw them on the Subways, and make them greet people!! Well maybe we can, but we aren't going to do that....are we?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
When I graduated in 2009 it took 6 months to find a job...a job in a nursing home like what you described. I toughed it out and developed organizational skills. I went on to another SNF but this time a larger facility as an IV nurse. Then into a hospital. Then into the vascular access team.

I found my path by grasping on to the first place that would take me, took it as a challenge and learned as much as I could, then moved on to the next place and the next place until I found home.

This was EXACTLY what I did c.2013; it took me 8 months to find a job; had to regroup from said job and specialty (critical care), and went right into a nursing home, from nursing home to pediatric post acute, right into a Level I ED where I am thriving. :yes:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
If you find SNF too stressful, you probably won't be happy in med/surg, either. My hospital hired some SNF nurses into their first med/surg jobs and they transitioned well ....they didn't find it easy or less stressful, though.

I think most SNF nurses transition well into the hospital is due to the high amount of organization, prioritizing, delegation and learning how to use how to assess without technology (at least in my experience) and chart legally all while managing challenging patients, coworkers and families and administration, a hospital IS a cakewalk compared to the facilities and the working conditions I have endured.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
If that is too stressful you don't want to go anywhere near a hospital/acute care setting where you can add TPN, Peritoneal dialysis, lab draws, PCAs, Epidurals, pain assessments, narc wastes when you can't find a second nurse, no break for a 12 hrs shift which ends up being a 15 hr shift by the time you get your charting caught up. Plus MDs calling you , family members wanting you to call the MD....... Discharges, admissions etc...

In acute care you have 6, maybe 8 patients max (depending on the shift), not 20-40.

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Specializes in Emergency and Neonate.

First of all, you have to start somewhere as a nurse. All of us here started as a rookie.

Something newcomers take for granted are the skills you get from their workplace. If you found a place where you can practice all those skills from your "Fundamental Book of Nursing", you started on the right place. So that when you apply for your next area, you can say in confidence that you have a strong basics when it comes to skills and theoretical knowledge.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
Illinois

Generalized area please, my facility is hiring. If you're near or in Chicago then that is your issue right there...

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Crystal lake

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
Crystal lake

If you were able to come down to the middle you would probably have way more options, where you live is still pretty close to glutted Chicago.

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