is pursuing a degree in nursing still worth it in this depressed economy?

diamondmeadows, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2010

I may as well throw my opinion out here too. I graduated in May 2009, and I have spent a year and a half of job searching. During this past year and a half, I have given a lot of thought to your question.

I notice a number of people on AN saying not to go to nursing school because you won't necessarily get a job. I see things another way. It's true that you won't necessarily get a job, at least maybe not for a long time, and maybe not exactly what you want. This is true for pretty much any degree right now. For this reason, I think you should go to school for what you love. If nursing is what you love, then go for it. If you just want to do nursing because you think it will mean a guaranteed job, then run the other way and pick something else. Despite what the media, the public, the schools, and everyone else says, there is no golden ticket to a guaranteed job. So just do what you want!

As many of you know, spending a long time looking for a job can be a very demoralizing experience, and you go through a lot of different emotions. During the desperate frustration I felt as I applied for job after job and was rejected over and over again, I sometimes started to feel a pang of regret that I ever went to nursing school and subjected myself to this. However, it always dissipated into the same old sadness because I knew that I didn't really regret becoming a nurse. I just hated the situation. There is really just nothing else that I want to do. I love nursing, and that's that.

As others have said, we can't predict the future. I really hope that things improve before you all graduate, because I don't want others to have to go through this same difficulty, but that may not happen. If you really want to be a nurse, then go to nursing school, but do whatever you can (work as a CNA, volunteer, etc.) to make yourself stand out so you will have the best possible chance of getting a job.

As for me, I thought things were hopeless after so long and that my career was over before beginning. However, I have just been offered my first nursing position. To make things even crazier, it is actually my dream job. It is the floor, hospital, shift, and number of hours that I wanted. I couldn't have designed a better position from scratch. So don't be too discouraged by what you are reading. Apparently, miracles can happen.

syckRN · Nov 13, 2010

These have all been thought-provoking responses. One thing that has not been mentioned is that when our service men and women who are fighting in the war right now come home...well, there will likely be a chaotic dash for more nurses. Already the US government is trying to recruit nurses to the reserves to care for the soldiers who have returned and those who soon will...there are a multitude of physical and especially psychological repercussions and not enough nurses to deal with them.

Food for thought.

SyckRN

fiveofpeep · Nov 14, 2010

in one word: no.

Im blessed with my dream job but Ive seen too many new grads unemployed and destitute. working any entry level job is better than being unemployed with student loans.

linguine · Jan 8, 2011

New grads often are told to take any job to get the experience. While there are some benefits to this, nursing as a career has also evolved to a point where specialization has become common for new grads. Whether it is true or not that students go into nursing school with an intended specialty, many do come out specializing now as new grads (med-surg is a specialty as well). Nurse residency programs allow for this specialization as well. Each field requires further knowledge in addition to the basic nursing knowledge we learn in school.

Pursuing a nursing degree may be worth it if you can focus on what you want to do with your degree afterwards, for example, which specialty you want to work in. With this desire clear, a student can focus on how they will get to that spot after graduation. For example, if you know you want to do critical care, consider what type of licenses are needed to apply for that job besides the RN. If interested in emergency, consider working as an ER tech while in school. If primary care is the interest, I would consider volunteering in a clinic throughout school, even for a few hours (I know some people who have gotten jobs this way in clinic work, which is usually more difficult for new grads to enter due to the experience needed for triaging).

Also, many professional nursing organizations (for specialties) offer discounted rates for students. Joining these organizations opens doors to networking and more education in the field of interest.

I think that nursing is still a fruitful career. I just think that to get a job nowadays, more focus and dedication to a specialty may be expected as nursing becomes more fragmented (into specialties). This is what I think nursing will look like in the future.

Goodluck with your decision!

RNJoInMI · Jan 8, 2011

Hello,

I am a recent graduate. I was 35 years old when I went back to college to pursue my second degree, a BSN in nursing. I had two small children at home and sincerely doubted that I would be able to pull the whole mommy, wife and student schedule off. I had no family, other than my husband, to help. With a lot of creativity, some very stressful days and many pre-packaged frozen meals, I made it work. I went part-time in the beginning, finishing as many courses as I could out-side of the nursing program to reduce the class load while in the program. I did it, part-time for 5 years. Please believe me when I tell you, I am not super woman, super brilliant or anything special. If a career in nursing is what you want, I say go for it.

Is it worth it? Absolutely yes! Is it the best degree for today's economy? Maybe not. There are a lot of other careers that are in much higher demand and that pay a whole lot better, however I think very few offer the flexibility of nursing. Nursing does not happen only in hospitals. You can work in a school, a clinic, a doctors office, an insurance office, testifying as an expert medical witness, proof reading medical content, a nursing home, teaching in a high school voc. ed program...lots of opportunities. Although, I am having a hard time finding a job right now. I do not regret nursing school. Not only will you learn a wealth of information about the art and science of nursing, you will learn so much about yourself. You will learn you have an abundance of patience, courage you never imagined and more perseverance than you ever dreamed. You will meet some wonderful people that will become lifelong friends. Nursing school was the biggest pain, most demanding thing I have ever done. I hated it at times. Funny how I miss it so much now.

The economy will turn around, it always does. More nursing jobs and jobs in general will be available. Plus, no robot or computer will ever be able to replace you.

Good luck to you.