Out of Work Nurse

Published

Specializes in lots.

Wow, I've been a nurse for nearly twenty years with great experience and am without a job. Recently got married and moved, quit my job because of the travel never thinking I wouldn't get a job right away. Have had several interviews, was told a few times I was "over qualified", what? Have about 100 resumes and applications out there, this economy is getting the best of us. Thanks for listening just wanted to vent.

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Specializes in ICU.

14 years experience here, recently quit because the 12 hr NOC shift + 1 hr commute time was gonna kill me (or I'd kill someone else falling asleep behind the wheel). I don't regret quitting that position, but having a tough time finding new employment as well. It's Hell out there! :yawn:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

kathyshonk66 Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community! and.....Welcome to the new world of nursing!

Being

"over qualified"
is code for .........we don't want to pay an experienced nurses hourly rate. You have reached to that invisable line that has you amongst the highest in hourly wages. Hospitals don't want to pay you. Agesim is alive and well in nursing!!!!

The "target" that they are looking for is an experienced nurse with > 5 years experience but

With a plethora of grads running around they can hire two of them for the price of you.

((HUGS)) I am sorry you both are experiencing this......but this is the sad truth.

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kathyshonk66 Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community! and.....Welcome to the new world of nursing!

Being is code for .........we don't want to pay an experienced nurses hourly rate. You have reached to that invisable line that has you amongst the highest in hourly wages. Hospitals don't want to pay you. Agesim is alive and well in nursing!!!!

The "target" that they are looking for is an experienced nurse with > 5 years experience but

With a plethora of grads running around they can hire two of them for the price of you.

((HUGS)) I am sorry you both are experiencing this......but this is the sad truth.

^^^This is why I want to stay 24 forever. Ageism is alive in nursing.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

you have my sympathy. I am afraid this will be a chronic condition with Obamacare - as hospitals have more regulation and less revenue. Should not happen to an experienced nurse for sure!

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I am also currently going through interviews, awaiting word on any prospective offers and it is very frustrating. It feels like you either never get return calls, or always get looked over.

All you can do is keep trying! Hold your head high! :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Could you please explain how the Affordable Care Act will affect hospital revenue? I keep hearing this statement but I have read nothing that supports it with actual fact.

you have my sympathy. I am afraid this will be a chronic condition with Obamacare - as hospitals have more regulation and less revenue. Should not happen to an experienced nurse for sure!
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you have my sympathy. I am afraid this will be a chronic condition with Obamacare - as hospitals have more regulation and less revenue. Should not happen to an experienced nurse for sure!

Strange, my old job was running off experienced nurses LONG BEFORE Barack Obama even took office.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

We collect about 29 cents for every dollar that we bill. With the expected changes our CPA advised that our reimbursement would be lower, but who knows what it will be.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Yeah people need to be careful of this. There are certain areas in the U.S. that are super saturated with nurses. Can I ask what state or city you are looking in?

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Being is code for .........we don't want to pay an experienced nurses hourly rate. You have reached to that invisable line that has you amongst the highest in hourly wages. Hospitals don't want to pay you.

This type of thing, sadly, is not restricted to nursing. I know a man who applied for a part time security officer job at a mall and was told he was "over qualified" because he had prior law enforcement experience!?!?!?! When he challenged this they did admit they could not pay him what he was "worth". He said he didn't want what they thought he was worth only what they would pay any other part time employee -- in short what he needed was a job. Nope. Still didn't hire him. Its been two years now since he had a job (and some idiot on a 24 hour news channel said just a couple of days ago that the economy is "way better" now).

The reality is, unfortunately, that the bad economy gave many businesses, not just health care, a darn good excuse to cut jobs (true there were sections were they really had to cut but others just jumped on as an easier way to cut personnel costs). I doubt that we will ever see hiring levels again in this country where they were prior to the "economic downturn". The truth is that once people get used to this temporary or part time job society we have there will be no reason for those who make the hiring decisions to revert to anything more.

Sad really.

I wish all of you guys the best in your job search. Keep your chin up, and good luck!

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Yeah people need to be careful of this. There are certain areas in the U.S. that are super saturated with nurses. Can I ask what state or city you are looking in?

And then there are also areas of the US, sadly, where the "shortage" or "saturation" arguments are bounced back and forth to create whatever the desired outcome at that time is. "Shortage" is used to attract students (and the important student dollar). "Saturation" is used to explain why you can't get a job to pay off those student debts. California is a prime example of this from what I understand. They supposedly have a huge over saturation of nurses, and yet they continue to add more and more seats to nursing schools.

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