Prospective Student wondering about Job Opportunities in NYC

Nurse Connie · Dec 26, 2012

It's pretty bad here. I graduated last December and it took me 8 months to find a job and only because someone got me an interview. A lot of my fellow graduates are still not working. I know of at least one who moved to PA to work.

thomasc · Dec 27, 2012

Wow, that's pretty grim. Congratulations on finding a job though. Its such a big investment in time, energy and money. I wonder if it is any better further east, like Long Island? I suppose once NYU and the VA get back on their feet after Sandy, things should be a little better.

Good luck in your career.

DoGoodThenGo · Dec 27, 2012

HI all,
I went to an Informational at Hunter College today for the Accelerated BS in Nursing program. Seems like I need to take a few more pre-reqs before applying. At the Informational, someone asked about employment rates of graduates. The instructor said that hiring is down, and it may be better to look for work outside of the city (like long island or upstate) for a couple of years, then try to find something in NYC after gaining experience. So, what is the reality of jobs for new RNs? I would hate to take all of the pre-req's for a program that I may or may not get into, then find myself not able to find work. I am also looking at SUNY Down State (similar requirements), and Lehman (may only need one class to apply here). I would love to hear from recent grads on their experiences in finding work.
Thanks for any input.

Can only say the information given to you at Hunter's informational was spot on and refreshingly honest.

NYC nursing programs are and have been full to capacity with applicants and graduating steady numbers of nurses for the past ten or so years. Problem is the local employment market has changed for RNs and in particular new grads that there just isn't anywhere near the amount of hiring going on to absorb all the grads from one class/year, and yet more still follow six or twelve months later.

What has happened?

Over the past decade ten or more acute care hospitals have closed in NYC including the entire Catholic Healthcare System's facilities in Queens and Manhattan even their flagship Saint Vincent's in the Village.

Each time a hospital closes it not only means less inpatient beds or services to employ nurses, but displaces hundreds of experienced RNs who now must hit the streets looking for work. There were RNs from St. Johns, Mary Immaculate and the other facilities that made up Saint Vincent's healthcare network that hadn't found full time work when just a few years later Saint Vinny's went bankrupt and suddenly closed, followed quickly by North General in Harlem.

When the last bit of hospitals closed, most NYC facilities annouced they would freeze hiring new grads in preference of offering any available spots to experienced nurses from St. Vinny's etc. That was almost over two years ago now but a few other things came along; the financial/credit crisis and "Obamacare", both of which exposed the often dire financial situation of many NYC hospitals.

Inpatient census counts have plummeted in many places, along with reimbursements from federal and private payment plans. Long story short hospitals are having to learn to do more or equal with less and that affects staffing.

Finally there are the more generic and long term changes to both the profession and healthcare in general. Things such as the push towards more community/in-home care versus hospitals, shorter inpatient stays and reduction of readmissions as well. Hospitals also are becoming more "efficient" in how they staff/use professional nurses. And finally the what seems to be the push for BSN prepared nurses over ADN at least for new grads.

My standard advice today is that if anyone wants to become a nurse out of a passion for the profession, then by all means go for it. Long as one has the grades and core compentency skills sooner or later you'll land that first gig after school. It may not be where or what you want but everyone has to start somewhere. *LOL*

OTHO anyone considering the nursing profession because they need a quick way to earn a living had better think again. The days of whizzing through a ADN program, graduating and finding a job in say less than three weeks are pretty much over.

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2012

You best best to find a job is looking at Upstate New York: Albany, Syracuse, Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester. They hire new grads w/o a problem but in NYC area including Long Island it is very tight. Even Long Island is slow in hiring as many from NYC also apply there so to avoid moving too far from the city.

thomasc · Dec 29, 2012

Thank you all, so much for your input. I really get the scarcity of jobs out there. I will have to seriously consider the risk before putting in all that time to get in and then through school. This is a second career for me, and I am intrigued by the idea of continuing on to an advanced degree like Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Anesthetist. I would imagine the job market is different there, but still it requires putting in your time, and getting experience.

DoGoodThenGo · Dec 30, 2012

Here's another thing: all eyes are on Brooklyn at the moment. Interfaith just filed for bankruptcy and it is one of several hospitals in that borough on very shakey financial ground. Sooner or later one or two are going to have to go either via merger or outright closure. If and when that happens you'll have one less place for nurses to be employed and a couple hundred more experienced RNs added to the ranks of looking for full time work.