Nursing Jobs

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2015

A nurse at my job told me that there is a shortage of nurses everywhere because a lot of older nurses are retiring.

Do not believe everything you hear. Many 'older' nurses who are of retirement age cannot retire at the present time because their 401k accounts and retirement funds dwindled during the 2008 economic meltdown.

In addition, many nurses in the 'older' demographic are trapped in their jobs because they must financially support adult children who cannot find jobs that pay a living wage in this economy. Also, some of these older female nurses are financially supporting spouses who are disabled, unemployed, or underemployed in part-time jobs.

As you can see, the reasons for glutted employment markets are multifactoral. Some regions of the US have a shortage of nurses, whereas other areas are totally saturated with more nurses than can be reasonably absorbed by the local employers.

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2015

If you plan to move to GA, I would only do so after you have secured a job. Apply to as many job positions as you can and do so early, about four months before you graduate. Apply to all positions, put in 5-10 applications per day until you have a few interviews. Depending on how far you have to travel to the interviews, doing this while finishing up your last semester of nursing school will not be easy or fun, but it will pay off in the end.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Jul 6, 2015

Sigh. Yes. Nurses make all of that up to keep the good jobs to ourselves...

Why is it that a lot of people are saying that it's hard to get a nursing job after grad?
I feeling like a lot of you are over exaggerating, or focusing on mainly hospitals. Am I wrong or is it really that hard to get a nursing job?

DowntheRiver · Jul 6, 2015

It depends. Florida is tough and the pay is low., people flock to the area for the environment and increase competition for new jobs...ASNs are relegated to LTC and other non acute settings.

I never had a problem in the Tampa Bay Market finding a job as a new grad. As soon as I got my license I applied to three of the major hospital systems, a correctional facility, and a pain management facility. I had call backs from four of them within a week, and had a job within a month.

I'm an ASN, and I never even applied to LTCs. I also graduated from an exclusively nursing, private, for-profit school. I do believe I had a good education because all they had was nursing at the school - LPN and RN. I had two years of prior experience as an MA/Unit Coordinator.

Maybe it was luck of the draw? I vigorously applied to jobs every day even though I still worked FT, looked at every job website possible, and even applied to jobs I wasn't well qualified for. I also made sure my resume was short, to the point, and was well tailored. It was also only a page.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jul 6, 2015

I never had a problem in the Tampa Bay Market finding a job as a new grad. As soon as I got my license I applied to three of the major hospital systems, a correctional facility, and a pain management facility. I had call backs from four of them within a week, and had a job within a month.
I'm an ASN, and I never even applied to LTCs. I also graduated from an exclusively nursing, private, for-profit school. I do believe I had a good education because all they had was nursing at the school - LPN and RN. I had two years of prior experience as an MA/Unit Coordinator.
Maybe it was luck of the draw? I vigorously applied to jobs every day even though I still worked FT, looked at every job website possible, and even applied to jobs I wasn't well qualified for. I also made sure my resume was short, to the point, and was well tailored. It was also only a page.

You made it your job to find a job, had a concise advertisement (your resume) to catch and hold attention...this is the plan of a successful graduate, and you were successful. THIS is how you overcome obstacles such as a popular area, ASN from a private for profit school (which if you present yourself in a positive, concise light as you did) and were persistent. New grads should learn from your example.

Seriously, I would suggest you expand on this post to enter one of the article contests on how you made it your job to land your first nursing job in an otherwise difficult market. You would hit a large audience and have a good chance at winning!.

squidbillies · Jul 7, 2015

It has been my experience that jobs are aplenty. Sure, this is very likely not the case in all places.. but if I want to definitely get a job (particularly a specific specialty) then I wouldn't be doing my job search in, say, Los Angeles. OP in your case, I think you're ok depending on the part of Georgia you plan to move to. Especially since you are willing to look at nursing homes and other settings. Good luck to you.