MiaNJ

Really? But are they hiring new grads or just experienced RNs? Where I am in the east coast, I know many new grads without jobs. I went to a job fair a few weeks ago, where there were major big and small hospitals, and none were hiring nurses without at least 1-2 yrs acute care experience. The nurse recruiters just kept telling groups of new and recent grads that the market was bad now, and to 'hang in there'. But they didn't think the situation would improve any time soon.

But different hospitals may have have other rules. I was just told by the NYU recruiter that they 'prefer' those who graduated within the last 6 months. Since they have so many applications, then it's just more likely to get chosen if you fit that time frame. But other hospitals may allow new grads that graduated within the last year. Since I graduated over a year ago, then I probably don't qualify for any of those programs anyway.

I didn't hear that from the recruiter, but possibly. I did hear from the NYU recruiter that they have a nurse residency program in Feb. But I don't qualify since I graduated over 6 months ago. Also, the recruiter said it's highly competitive, and they have limited slots since they can't accommodate every new grad. They require a 3.5 GPA+, and letters of recommendation from previous professors/clinical instructors. I guess alot of people can have that, but they still have limited openings. It doesn't hurt to try though, if you qualify.

I just went to a job fair last week in NYC, and every single hospital there said they are not hiring new grads right now. Some were major big hospitals, with long lines of new grads waiting to hand in their resume. They basically said that at the moment it was difficult to get any position as a new grad, and chances were slim of getting hired anytime soon, but they said 'hang in there'. Maybe next year things will be better, but I doubt it will turn around that quickly, and there are many, many, new grads in NYC looking for jobs and waiting to get called back. So it's not that easy in NYC, and the rent and cost of living is very expensive, so if you do move, be prepared to have a roommate or live in the not so good areas of nyc in a tiny apt. It's good to have a back up plan, and maybe have another job in mind. There are places that do hire like community centers, etc. but the pay is much lower than in hospitals, and it would be expensive to live in a decent apt. in NYC for that salary.

I went, but every single hospital recruiter there said the same thing - no new grad positions at the present moment. Some would take resumes, but others would not, and tell you to apply online. I asked one recruiter when the hospital (Mt Sinai) would take new grads and she just said, we don't know, and asked if I was aware of the economy, blah blah (duh, who doesn't), and that it may take months or a year or more, she wasn't sure. A couple other booths that said they had a 'big pile' of resumes to sort through, and don't expect to be called unless my qualifications meet what they are looking for (which meant at least 2 yrs acute care/med surg experience). I kept waiting in line and hearing recruiters speak to a group of new grads, all saying the same thing about how there were no positions for new grads now. It was quite depressing.

Anniee, don't give up. I think you should go anyway. I have been searching for longer than you have, and still nothing. Don't feel bad. There are many in the same situation. But you can't stop trying. Also, have you tried nursing homes or home health care?

There is another career fair next Wed. 11/4, by Nursing Spectrum. I wonder if that will also be similar to the Advance fair?

Try looking up some threads about new grads looking for NYC jobs. There are many who have been looking for a while and still can't find a job. It can be quite competitive to get a job in NYC in a hospital, especially. The bigger hospitals usually want a BSN nurse though. Also, some hospitals have a hiring freeze now. Have you ever been to NYC? It's a great place, fun, exciting, but can be very expensive to live. I live right next to NYC, in NJ, and pay alot less rent than some of my friends in NYC. The salary for new nurses in NYC can vary, but usually about $30-32/hr, but the rent for a 1 bedroom in a decent area is usually over $1200+, not always including heat (which can be expensive since it gets cold here in the east coast). I know people paying $1100 just for a studio, and not the nicest areas. If you want a very nice area, it will be more like $2000+/month. Plus, everything else is more expensive in NYC. You may get lucky, but I would advice you to look for a job way ahead of time before you graduate, and a place to live. It's not always that easy to get the best, least expensive apts in NYC. There can be waiting lists for those too. Or just not that available all the time, at least not in the decent areas. Or you can try living in an outer borough, not Manhattan which is the most expensive.

I don't know if that is possible. I have tried looking for a volunteer nurse position in hospitals or clinics, but they simply don't allow you to do any nursing functions unless you are working as a nurse. I was told that I could only do things like bring guests books, greet them, work in the flower shop, etc. But nothing to do with patient care, not even giving some basic health education about their condition. I know there are volunteer doctors in some clinics in the NYC, but have not found a place that allows volunteer nurses. I have also been told that even if I volunteer in a hospital, that does not guarantee a job, and does not give me an edge in getting a job either. I guess it's good on a resume, and it's something that many people just enjoy doing. But the experience itself doesn't count for anything in terms of what I've been told by HR managers. Plus, when I tell them I'm a nurse, they seem reluctant to even take me as a volunteer since they think I have plans to leave as soon as I get a job, and just doing it to get my foot in the door. Also, in many large hospitals, there's actually a waiting list and interview process for volunteering, and they require recommendations, etc. It's not always easy to get those positions either. I don't know about taking a lower pay, or if that's even legal. I am desperate for a job too, but it seems that it's just extremely difficult w/o some experience or w/o knowing someone who works in the dept or hospital you are applying, and gives you a recommendation.

I get that alot too, and I can't stand it. It's mostly from people who are not in the nursing profession and know nothing about the nursing profession. Another one I hate is when people tell me 'But when I looked in monster.com, etc. there's SO MANY openings for nurses listed'...that one really kills me too. They don't know that there are so many types of nursing specialties and that not all jobs are for new grads or nurses with no specialty yet. Check out this article below, from March. I copied it since it may not be viewed all the time w/o a subscription. You can show it to people that look at you like you are nuts when you tell them you can't find a job. But they probably won't read it all. At least you can point out the part about how New York Presb. Hospital has over 300 openings, yet would rather not fill them with new grads, and just would rather keep them open since now they can choosy due to the recession and experienced nurses more available than before. On a positive note, the article says this is only temporary, but who knows when it will end. There are also many new grads every year, and what will happen to the new grads who have been looking for a year or more? They will still have to compete with 'newer' grads. ...................................................................................................................... Nursing shortage eases ... ... but only while the recession lasts, experts warn By Joe Carlson Posted: May 18, 2009 - 5:59 am EDT Not even the profound pressures exerted by a recession can alter the demographic force driving the national nursing shortage, namely the onset of old age. Advertisement | Your Ad Here While the graying of the nurse workforce and the American public in general continues apace, hospital administrators across the country say they have far more applicants for each nursing job than in the past. Executives are enjoying their newfound ability to porifice resumes and skill sets for the perfect candidate, but observers caution that it's a temporary luxury, given the demographic trends. "That's the good news. It is a buyer's market," said Deborah Burton, chief nursing officer for Providence Health & Services, a 24-hospital system based in Seattle. "To those who don't take the long view in workforce planning, it looks like everything is better--when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth." The risk is that people like New Jersey nurse Rachel Lynn will stop believing the overheated promises regarding her job prospects and decide to change careers, which could undo some of the recent progress in addressing the nursing shortage. That could eventually leave the workforce even thinner than it was before the downturn. Lynn is one of the hundreds of nurses who came out of an accelerated nursing education program this year and then found herself in an unexpectedly long and difficult job hunt. Unlike many of her peers, who she said have become disillusioned, Lynn eventually landed a nursing job at a facility she declined to name. But she did this only after she found herself taking odd jobs during a five-month application process. "It was extremely difficult, because I would call hospitals and apply for open positions, and was told that positions were being filled by more experienced nurses who were returning to the workforce," Lynn said. "I was under the impression that there was a nursing shortage and ... that I would have the pick of jobs." Such attitudes have left nursing groups scrambling for ways to publicize an awkward message to prospective nurses: Don't stop studying nursing, even though your peers who just graduated say they can't find the jobs. Or at least the jobs they wanted. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recently published a two-page list of talking points on the situation, urging advocates and policymakers to see past the current trends and focus on the scholarly research that projects a stunning 500,000 shortfall in nursing ranks by 2025 if current demographic patterns hold. "This is a short-term trend on top of a long-term dynamic that really has no change in its fundamentals," said Carol Brewer, a professor of nursing at the University of Buffalo. "This shortage has gone on long enough that some good things have happened, and if some of those good things go away, that would be tragic." The average age of a U.S. nurse is 47, and because more nurses retire than graduate each year, that age is only going up. Yet as baby boomers approach retirement, students are finding themselves rejected from nursing schools by the thousands because of a shortage of nursing faculty. Now those nurses who do manage to get into a school and graduate say they can't find jobs because the recession has caused droves of part-time nurses to go back to full-time work; more-experienced nurses to delay retirement; and laid-off nurses to apply for positions once reserved for newbies. "Our vacancy rate is down, and so is our turnover rate, which is clearly a function of market-slowing. People aren't leaving their jobs," said Suzanne Boyle, vice president of nursing and patient care at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Weill Cornell Medical Center campus in New York. "There is more stability in the current workforce now. So obviously you do fewer hires if your turnover is down and your vacancy is down." Statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics last week reported that in healthcare the so-called "quits rate" of workers who voluntarily left their jobs in March was 30% lower than the eight-year average for the month. At Christus St. Patrick Hospital of Lake Charles in Louisiana, it was not uncommon for the 288-bed hospital to have 50 or more vacant full-time RN jobs after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Today, only 12 RN jobs are open. "This is really great for us right now," said Shelly Welch, assistant administrator of human resources at the hospital. "We are able to be much more selective in our hiring process." Five-campus New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the largest nongovernment employer in the nation's most populous city, could fill all of its 300 vacant RN positions tomorrow with new graduates, if that was the goal, because the waiting list has grown so long. But that's not the goal, Boyle said. Administrators can now afford to look for the right person for each position--a change from the days, not long ago, when hospitals had to accept the responsibility of letting applicants grow into more challenging positions. "Sometimes maybe your standards were not exactly at the standards you wanted," said Jeff Wicklander, chief nursing officer at Allina Hospitals and Clinics' 449-bed United Hospital, St. Paul, Minn. "In this current environment you can be more selective." Even when the right person does come along, it can be a challenge to hire them. Providence managed to hire the top graduate from this year's class at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, but Burton said the number of responses to a systemwide e-mail asking about interest in interviewing the candidate was abnormally low. "We got her about four interviews and we found a place for her. But in the past I would have had 60 e-mails asking to interview her," Burton said. Academic researchers say the tightening in the market for nurses has ample precedent in past recessions, because nursing is a female-dominated profession in which salaries are considered secondary household incomes. In a downturn, many women temporarily re-enter the workforce to supplement or replace the primary income in the home--a process that can reverse itself quickly when the recession ends, Brewer said. The recession has also changed retirement plans for many. Susan Hassmiller, the senior nursing adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said a colleague in a hospital human resources department recently recounted a situation in which she had nurses who were due to retire, and even had all of the paperwork filled out and signed so they could leave as soon as the time was right. "They were on their way out, and they wouldn't go," Hassmiller said. The experienced nurses who are staying in the workforce are not only limiting job openings for new graduates, but they're taking the plum positions that green nurses once expected to be able to walk into: niche specialties such as critical care and pediatrics, said Linda Cape, a managing director with Huron Consulting. That means many starting nurses who can get jobs end up on general med-surg floors--which is where they ought to be starting anyway, several administrators said. "Yes, it may not be the glory days when nurses could name their salary and could get a huge signing bonus. But things have sort of normalized a bit," said Cynthia Kinnas, president of the healthcare staffing division of Clinical One. In other cases, newly educated nurses can't find openings at highly regarded or even middle-of-the-road facilities and wind up taking jobs in nursing homes or in home healthcare. Hassmiller said she's even advising some new nursing graduates to take volunteer positions at homeless shelters and Red Cross clinics just to show they've been doing something productive with their time. "I'm telling new graduates to hold tight," Hassmiller said. "This is a blip." Hospitals should feel a responsibility right now to manage their workforces as assiduously as possible, Burton said. If declines in revenue and patient volume force layoffs, administrators ought to work cooperatively with other hospitals to make sure that every nurse who loses a job to downsizing has another position elsewhere. The recession is eventually going to end, she said, and the healthcare sector should do everything possible to hold onto the workforce it has. "Those of us who have done this for a living understand that we need to get our head down and get through this and get ready for the other side," Burton said. Kinnas of Clinical One said if she was a hospital administrator, she would be worried about the industry sending a message that recent economic conditions have solved the nursing shortage. "It's a dangerous message," she said. "Administrators who have been around for a long time will know that it always comes back with a vengeance." http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20090518/SUB/905159977

When I was in nursing school, I'd say about half the class was early-mid 30s, and some over 40. You'd be surprised at how many people either change careers or decide to go to college for the first time after 30. Besides, I think the average age of a nurse in the U.S. is mid 40s. If you really want to do it, I think you should look into different programs to see which would be easier for you, and time-manageable. Also, these days, many many people change careers mid life, and I think 34 is actually not mid life anyway, since people are living so much longer now.

That's really disheartening for me. What will happen to all the 'new' grads who have been looking for a months, a year or more? I didn't get a chance to do an externship, and now it's too late for me to enter those programs. I also have been told by some recruiters that my experience in a nursing home is not considered good enough for some nurse managers to consider me, since it's not acute care. I've applied to nearly every hospital in the city, some more than once, and walked into a few floors, etc. so I don't think anything else will work. I also had help with my resume from a pro. I am thinking that maybe I just need to do a refresher and see it that will give me a chance to get hired.

I learned from different instructors and doctors that BP guidelines of 120/80 are just a guideline, and sort of outdated now anyway. There are many people whose BP is under 120 systolic, and it's normal for them. I happen to be one of them, usually with a systolic of 100-110 on some days when I've gone to get bloodwork done during fasting, it was between 90-100, and doctors were never alarmed. Some people can be fine with that BP. I also read that recent research shows a systolic below 120 is actually better, and people live longer that way. Now if someone normally has 120 and suddenly goes down that's different. But I think you would have to know what the pt's actual 'normal range' is to be sure what is normal or not for them, esp. when they take BP meds. I think alot of pts fluctuate though, and from what you wrote it didn't seem like an alarming situation. I think some nurses just like to give other nurses a hard time for whatever reason, especially if you are a fairly new nurse. Don't be so hard on yourself though.

I'm not sure how to help, but just wanted to let you know that many new grads everywhere in the U.S. are experiencing the same thing, and some have been searching since last year. Check out this thread below. If you do a search on this site, there are many others about new grads having difficulty getting jobs. It seems to be mainly due to the economy right now. https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/new-grad-positions-414362.html

In all fairness, the 4 year programs don't completely encompass 'only' nursing core or 'only' science programs. Any 4 yr Bachelors college degree includes several 'general ed' courses such as college level English, Math, History, Social Sciences, Art, Electives, etc., which usually take up at least 2 yrs of credits, when you count them all. I have friends who took the 4 yr BSN program, and their curriculum of the 'actual' nursing core courses was very similar to mine, and took the second degree BSN. I already had taken all my general ed courses during my first 4 yrs of college, PLUS the required science preqs to get into the nursing program took me at least 2 semesters full time, which is equivalent to 'one year' of regular college. My nursing program was 4 semesters full time, back to back, equivalent of 2 yrs, so with the year of preqs and the previous college courses, I easily have 4 yrs+ of schooling and classes just like my friends who did the regular BSN. I've also looked at other 4 yr BSN programs, and could not see a whole lot of difference in the 'core curriculum'. About clinical hours, I did just about the same as the regular 4 yr program, but they were just more condensed in a shorter amount of time. Maybe some programs have less clinical hours than others, but I don't think there is much variation in the actual core classes. I don't think a nursing program is going to have 4 entire years of solely nursing or solely science courses. Not even premed BS students have that type of program. Unless it's medical school, which does involve alot more science courses.

Nursing school is very challenging and stressful for alot of people. It's by no means an easy curriculum, whether a ADN or BSN program. I don't think just 'anyone' can pass the program or even get in. In my class, there were several who got kicked out due to failing more than one class. A grade below C+ is usually considered failing in most nursing schools. It's funny, but I recently heard a few acquaintances say that they are thinking of getting into nursing since they can't find a job, and they see 'so many' openings for nursing online. They think it's an 'easy' 'fast' program since they can do it in 2 yrs or less in some cases. But little do they know that just because they see job openings, doesn't mean they are all for new grads,and many new grads can't get jobs now. But not only that, but they don't realize how challenging nursing school is, and they don't even have a clue what it's like to be a nurse. These are people who are used to working 9-5 (no weekends, no holidays), in an office, and when they feel a little down or stressed or maybe lazy one day, they can have an 'off' day, where they take it easy, and do light office work and put off their projects till the next day. But even their most stressful projects are nothing like working with patients whom you have a great deal of responsibility for as a nurse, and you can never have an 'off' day. They also don't realize how so many nurses don't always end their shift exactly on time, and how they are responsible for so much, and they must always be critically thinking even during days they may feel a little down, they can't just sit back and have an easy day when dealing with patients. So it makes me laugh when people think it's such an 'easy' quick career to get and make tons of money. Even if some nurses make decent money, they don't always get what they are worth, or for the amount of work they actually do. Nursing is not easy work by any means. Even for those nurses not dealing with highly acute care, anytime they care for a patient, they have great responsibility and this itself can be very stressful at times,or most of the time for many nurses.

Don't think it's just about not having a BSN. I have a BSN, and have applied to MANY hospitals in the past year and am not able to get a job there. It's bad in most places, so it's not just about having a BSN. I think what counts most is experience, and alot of positions I see open require some experience. I ended up taking a LTC care position since it's all I could find, and I needed to get some type of experience and of course money.

I understand what you're going through. But believe me, you are not the only one. Check out the New York region section on this board, or other past posts about new grads having difficulty finding jobs in the NYC city area. It's mostly the economy, and you will find posts with new grads looking for several months and still haven't found a job. It's also very competitive in NYC, and some hospitals don't even have many new grad positions. Keep trying though, that's what alot of us have been doing.

I think most recruiters will definitely ask about the time gap between graduation and job searching. If you do search on this board about nurses looking for jobs in NYC, you will find that many nurses are having trouble finding jobs there, even experienced ones. I graduated over a year ago, and haven't been able to land an acute care position due to the economy, but have been working in long term care since that's the only job I could get. Yet, most nurse recruiters that I've talked to in NYC have told me they prefer acute care experience, and I'm no longer considered a 'new grad', for some internship programs. Lots of recent grads are having trouble finding jobs in NYC, and for ICU, I have always seen that they require experience. I think you should just apply for any position you could get at this point to get some experience. Good luck in your search.

Do you mean New York City? If so, there's alot of nurses in your same situation. I have applied to all hospitals in NYC in the past 6 mos, in most of the boroughs, not just Manhattan. I have not had one interview or call back. It's not that easy to get a job there these days. Maybe if you have a few yrs experience, it's easier than those with little or no experience. But I also have a few nurse friends with more experience who are also having trouble. In most top hospitals in NYC, they don't even let you walk in and talk to a manager or recruiter, you have to apply online. Have you tried Long Island? Maybe a long commute, but there are many hospitals there. Look at this recent post, and the comments about NYC nurses looking for jobs. https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/new-york-citys-420840.html

Brokenheartern, I completely understand how you feel. It is tough for many new grads to find jobs. I graduated before you did, and haven't been able to find a hospital job, and it seems that the more time passes, the worse it looks on my resume. I am doing long term nursing home care since I had no other choice, but still looking for another opportunity. Have you looked in LTC?

Why do you say it's ridiculous? I know several people in her situation, and they HAVE applied to over 100 positions, some even more than 200. It is possible to apply that much, since in just one hospital website there could be 5-10 positions that a person can submit a resume to, and a different hospital, another few positions, etc. etc. So in one month someone can send 20-30 resumes, to different places, and sometimes the same place but a different position. In 9 mos, 20-30 applications per month easily can equal 200. There are many new grads applying to the same positions, so there is also alot of competition. Just because I know a few new grads that got positions doesn't mean they all are getting them.

Thanks so much for that article. I will look into it. I definitely don't want to keep getting needless x-rays. I told my doctor about the BCG and treatment that I had as a child, but I was still required to get a chest x-ray for entering nursing school.

Well the article states that it has always been known that x-rays can pose a risk, but it had always been considered 'minimal' risk. My doctors used to tell me that all the time whenever I hesitated to get x-rays. But this study is saying that the risk is much larger than previously thought.

I didn't know where to post this. I heard about this study, and it's disturbing to me since I have always read that x-rays only pose a 'minimal risk' for cancer. I guess I'm concerned since I've had several x-rays throughout my life, and the majority have been to get medical clearance for PPDs, due to having had the BCG vaccine when I was a kid. I wish that I didn't have to have a chest x-ray every so often. Is it a law or requirement to have this done every 2-3 yrs if you can't get a PPD due to a past positive result? The last time I had a positive result was back in grade school, and I was even given meds 'just in case' for a year. I hated them, and the side effects, and the fact that I probably didn't need them. I wonder if I will test positive now or was it just that one time? Or maybe a allergy to the PPD? I have cousins who also had the BCG and they didn't test positive. I've never had anything abnormal show up on x-rays,and I hate getting them. Is there any way around this? article: http://www.healthjackal.com/conditions/2009/08/27/study-shows-x-rays-and-ct-scans-may-raise-cancer-risk/