is nursing even a good career choice right now?

Nurses General Nursing

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with the talk of lay offs, hiring freezes plus everyone and their mother wanting to be a nurse now has me thinking twice...

Specializes in Mental Health.
Congratulations to you Wezzie, but you are in the minority of new grads.

Thanks for the congrats.. but stay positive.. seriously.. my class of 48 has done really well. I think about 1/2 had jobs before graduation even, several worked as CNA's, PCA's, etc.. but many didn't. If you're truly passionate about nursing, positive, flexible, and willing to do anything and go anywhere to get started, I promise you'll find a job. :)

I'm not saying it's going to be easy, because it isn't. But then again, nothing worthwhile ever is. I worked my tail off applying and looking for jobs for 2 months. I filled out over 100 applications. It was a full time job looking for a job. Quite depressing getting rejection after rejection, or worse, ignored, but, I just kept thinking, their loss, and I only need 1 job, not 100+.

I'm not sure if you work as a CNA or PCA now or anything, but if there was one thing I could do differently, I would have done that in the summers rather than work as a laborer for a landscape supply company. It's no guarantee, but it seems to help.

One thing that will always stick with me.. It was my last semester in leadership last spring and we had a guest speaker from the hospital I just got hired at, the CNO as a matter of fact. It was known by our class that the hospital was not going to open their new grad residency to external applicants this year as this was the CNO from the hospital my class did the vast majority of our rotations at.. and a classmate asked her, "why wont the hospital hire grads this year who haven't worked there as CNA's?" .. and she said it in a tone that wasn't the greatest..

The CNO said, "Our census is down and we haven't had our graduate residency program open for 2 years, our goal is to not lay anyone off. Naturally, we will look at people we've had a prior relationship with and give them priority in hiring for open positions". Then she said.. "we hire based on attitude".. and intuitively I knew she was basically saying to her, "we don't owe you a job ya little snot".. lol..

Well, I never worked there, or anywhere in healthcare in any capacity, but, I am passionate about nursing, positive, flexible, and was willing to do anything and go anywhere to get started, and I got a job there as a new grad and will get the support of their residency program.

I'm soooooo excited to start!!!!

So ohcomeon.. enjoy the rest of school.. and just make sure you're in the minority.. ;)

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I also graduated this spring and although I applied to probably 100+ places, I did eventually get a job. At first, I was very frustrated because it was almost impossible to even get an interview. However, I found that in July, more positions became open and I started to get interviews (July is when the fiscal year is renewed at most hospitals in my area). One interview I went on for a new grad ICU position, they were interviewing 36 other people for one spot and over 500 had applied. So, it was very frustrating at times. I met with a nurse recruiter at the hospital I am working at and she told me that the job market is still tight, but it has improved since last year. So, hopefully it will continue to improve. Most of the people I graduated with have also found jobs.

If you love nursing, I would say go for it. You WILL get a job. It may take longer, but you will find one eventually. However, I know that nursing is absolutely what I want to do and I was willing to take the risk of a difficult job search.

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I think plumbing or air conditioning would be a good choice.

Actually, I would probably never advise anyone to pursue a career in plumbing H/VAC. I'm switching from H/VAC to nursing myself. It's a tough job. It takes a toll on your body big time. I'm only 27 and I have minor back and knee pain. People always seem to think, gee it must be nice to be in A/C all day helping people and making a lot of $$$. You should see the faces of many people when i tell them that I install/fix the broken unit in the freezing snow or crawling around in a 120 degree attic to fix/install whatever is broken only to leave when i finally get it to work properly. All I know is that i hate going into attics on hot summer days. I don't know about you, but I have had many days where I literally drink over a gallon of water and not urinate once all day.As for the pay, it's not that great. Sure you make more than the average American individual (mean), however; the average American makes less than $35k a year.

It took me a little while, but I will be staring nursing school next week. I can't wait. I have a fairly strong stomach and been through a lot of sh*t if you know what I mean. It might be a bumpy ride, but i was always one of the kids that sat int he back of the bus. I can't wait until I get out of school and get to work. I know it's a lot more comfy than the attic.

Congrats Wez, hope I can land a nice job in some kinda of ICU.

YzGyz

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

We've just hired on 11 new or fairly new grads into our critical care program. It really is area dependent.

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Specializes in ICU.

I am in a mobility program and just started my second year to finish my RN. I have had several job offers as an LPN, and just recently took one since they were really flexible with the hours they were offering. The thing is, I have never applied for a job as an LPN. These places just need nurses and when they find out you have your license they give you a call. About half of my class of 40 went ahead and got their LPN licenses to start working, and I haven't heard one of them complain about not being able to find a job. I do not expect to have any problem finding a job when I graduate, the LTC facility where I am starting at has already told me I can stay on with them as an RN (I don't plan to do this). The local ER where I precepted at is attempting to hire several RNs right now. I ran into the manager the other day and she told me that if I was an RN she would hire me on the spot, and told me to make sure and come back when I graduate. I know parts of the country are experiencing a glut of new nurses right now, and people are having a hard time finding jobs, but it is not a nationwide thing. I have been following the threads on here for a year or so regarding new grads, and most of the posts seem to be from a few select areas of the country. I guess if you live in one of those areas, and are unwilling to move, then you may have a hard time finding a job, but there are jobs out there. It is hard to make it through nursing school. If you are looking for reasons not to become a nurse, you will find plenty of them. The thing is, if you really want it, then you will not let anything deter you.

God Bless

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with the talk of lay offs, hiring freezes plus everyone and their mother wanting to be a nurse now has me thinking twice...

If you need to work, the choice is not whether to go into nursing or not, it's what field to pick above all others. So compare.

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Specializes in neurosurg,med/surg,trauma,flight,case mg.

As noted above, working as a CNA can tip the scales between you and another candidate -- experience is Always a plus! It will also help you define the areas of nursing that you enjoy the most. Employers seek to spend the least on internships and want someone who can jump in with confidence and give good patient care.

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Specializes in NICU.

A lot of it depends on your region of the country, your expectations, and why you want to be a nurse. Some regions are still hiring, while in others it is very hard for a new grad to get a job in any capacity. I think the current conditions are pretty awful, in general, and there is no reason to expect that they will be magicaly better in a few years. You have to ask yourself, in case the employment conditions are the same when you are job hunting as they are now:

Are you able/willing to move to an area that is hiring?

Are you able/willing to work in a less than ideal position, and/or in a less than ideal facility?

Are you able/willing to work a less than desirable schedule which will most likely include nights/weekends/holidays?

What is your plan to keep yourself afloat if after paying for and graduating from nursing school you are unable to find a job for many months?

What are you able to do NOW to make yourself more attractive as a potential RN/LPN hire?

After I graduated it took me 7 months and 200 applications to finally land my job. I'm not in a great area of the country for hiring right now, but my answer to 'are you able to relocate' was NO. I probably would have found a job quicker had I been able to move.

I really don't think it's any of my business to advise someone or judge them on why they might be interested in nursing as a career choice. Your reasons are your reasons, and that is fine with me, but definately think long and hard about the reality of your situation before you make any big career decisions. That really goes for ANY career right now, as hiring is down across the board.

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Actually, I would probably never advise anyone to pursue a career in plumbing H/VAC. I'm switching from H/VAC to nursing myself. It's a tough job. It takes a toll on your body big time. I'm only 27 and I have minor back and knee pain. People always seem to think, gee it must be nice to be in A/C all day helping people and making a lot of $$$. You should see the faces of many people when i tell them that I install/fix the broken unit in the freezing snow or crawling around in a 120 degree attic to fix/install whatever is broken only to leave when i finally get it to work properly. All I know is that i hate going into attics on hot summer days. I don't know about you, but I have had many days where I literally drink over a gallon of water and not urinate once all day.As for the pay, it's not that great. Sure you make more than the average American individual (mean), however; the average American makes less than $35k a year.

It took me a little while, but I will be staring nursing school next week. I can't wait. I have a fairly strong stomach and been through a lot of sh*t if you know what I mean. It might be a bumpy ride, but i was always one of the kids that sat int he back of the bus. I can't wait until I get out of school and get to work. I know it's a lot more comfy than the attic.

Congrats Wez, hope I can land a nice job in some kinda of ICU.

YzGyz

People will always be willing to pay for plumbing repairs, and for air conditioning repairs, particularly in the southern states.

Back and knee pain? There are plenty of back injuries and knee pain in nursing.

Going all day without peeing is pretty common in nursing too, but it's more likely due to being dehydrated because

there wasn't time to drink due to the workload.

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Ohh, there's no doubt that nursing is a easy or comfy job. It requires lots of skill, knowledge and education to be proficient in it. All I know is IMO, it's a lot better than plumbing/HVAC. The poo RNs have to face is nothing compared to being waist deep in a septic tank, or crawling around on your knees in a hot summer attic making sure that you only rest your knees on the 2 by 12's that make the ceilings below while lugging/dragging a 150lb ac unit around. And with the 5+ years of experience, I have yet to make more than $16/hr. I'm not trying to win a "worst job" contest. I'm just saying that nursing is what I choose to do for the next 20+ years.

Going back to school is one of the best decisions in my life. Hiving gone and acquire higher education really open my eyes to just about everything. You realizes the the world is about and have to offer (good and bad). Although I have little to no actual experience about what is to come nursing wise; all I know is that I'm not stopping until I become some kind of nursing specialist.

As for the outlook on employment in the nursing career; I too think that it is a regional thing. Like every other job in the world, you have to make yourself stand out from the crowd. You been to be able to sell yourself for all your worth and more.

YzGyz

YzGYz

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with the talk of lay offs, hiring freezes plus everyone and their mother wanting to be a nurse now has me thinking twice...

It depends on why, exactly, you would like to become a nurse. Is it just for job security and money? Is it because you genuinely want to help those in need? Nursing is a very stressful and demanding profession. Others don't understand this (even nursing students) until they become one.

If your heart truly is in nursing, I would definitely go through with the schooling and worry about finding a career later. It may take a while to find work, but you eventually will. I have had several friends who have looked for work up to a year after graduating, and then I have had some find something immediately. I was lucky in the fact that I worked at a facility that already had, and needed, nurses.

Best wishes :redbeathe

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Dear Thangbon congratulations on the switch of careers I do not think I could crawl around in hot attics either ,hang in there .

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