Question for Grads from 2000-2005

jammin246RN · Mar 11, 2011

Graduated 2005. It took me a month to get hired the first time. After that I haven't had a problem getting a job. The math adds up and after this economic downturn we will be seeing a severe shortage. I don't think there is truely a glut of nurses currently....it only appears to be. Economically speaking it is more advantageous for a hospital to hire a nurse with experience vs one without. Soon hospitals will be scrambling just to get any nurses. Keep your chin up :)

Trauma Columnist · Mar 11, 2011

I graduated from an LPN to RN program in 1994. No jobs then either. I content to work as an LPN for six months until I got a rotating med surg position at the VA. Got that job only because I'm a vet.

ckh23, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

I didn't have any problem finding a job and I graduated in 2005. New grads were going right into the ER and ICU. I don't remember anyone in my graduating class having a problem finding a job. I went on multiple interviews and had multiple job offers. Times were different then, but I think there will be similar situations in the future.

millhouse · Mar 11, 2011

Grad in 2003... no problem for me either! There was jobs everywhere at that time. I agree, give it some time... right now not many are willing to hire new grads. It'll pick back up I'm sure... as I am sure you are aware that people are sicker and sicker these days!

LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

I graduated in 2005. I was hired on to my first job before I even graduated and took the NCLEX. I did not have that much trouble finding my second job, even though I was living overseas. I happened to land a job at an Army hospital. I have faced some challenges this time around. I sent out resumes and applications 15-20 or so since November. Now due to my husband's job and an upcoming deployment I am unable to work weekends and nights due to childcare issues. I interviewed for 2 jobs, received 3 thanks, but no thanks emails, had a nurse recruiter call me but I was unable to talk with her at the time only to leave her a couple of voice mails and I never heard from her again. I had another nurse tell me that she forwarded my info to the hiring manager, but they were looking for someone with a med/surg background. The posting had said preferred, not required I figured I'd apply and see what happens. I have not heard from them. I had not heard anything else from the other jobs. I was offered the second job I interviewed for. I should start by the end of the month.

There are several colleges and universities that are pumping out new grads in the city where I live. I think that I might not have had as hard of a time searching if I was looking for an L&D job and was not limited in my availability. But I will never know since I did not apply for an L&D job or one that required nights, weekends, or call.

Jules A, MSN · Mar 11, 2011

I had a job before graduation and have never had a problem even in the past two years getting jobs. I'm in psychiatry and there always seems to be a fair amount of openings in this speciality though.

digitalgirl20 · Mar 11, 2011

I graduated in 2005 and found a job in the med/surg unit after one month i graduated. Now that i have a number of years under my belt as a nurse, I am seeking for a new opportunity in another field other than med/surg. I have noticed that it is harder to find a job now versus back in 2005. It may due to several things as far as our economy and as well as the growing number of people that have taken nursing as their career. So it is getting competitive. There are health staffing agency companies as well that helped me with the job search. So recommend you try that as well.

rockabye · Mar 11, 2011

I actually graduated in spring 2007 and the economy was still strong for new grad nurses then. I landed a job before graduation and had 3 job offers. My other classmates seemed to fare about the same or they got jobs within a month after graduating. I wasn't so much worried about finding a nursing job as I was just finding one in the specialty I wanted (NICU:redbeathe). I actually had one hospital I turned down calling me multiple times asking if I wanted to change my mind and work there instead! I even knew of some classmates who were getting sign-on bonus offers to work at hospitals further away that needed nurses. I consider myself really lucky that I graduated when I did since the market is so tough now! I wish all the unemployed new grads a lot of luck in finding good nursing jobs!

mediatix8 · Mar 11, 2011

I graduated in 2005 and it took me 2 weeks to find a job. I was actually nervous that it took "so long" as many of my classmates got jobs before graduation. I didn't start applying until after graduation though. Back then, they hired you before you even took NCLEX. I applied to about 6 places and most of them eventually called me back (the one I remember that never called me back was for an OR position). I only actually interviewed for one place because they hired me and I accepted, so I didn't interview anywhere else. The HR recruiter was very excited and smiling the whole time. He asked me about 4 easy questions. The nurse manager and clinical nurse specialist on the unit didn't ask me any questions, besides what clinical I enjoyed the most. We had a good conversation but it just wasn't the typical question and answer type of interview. I remember most of the job ads didn't specify "new grads welcome" but at least some did. And I'm sure many of the ones that said experience prefered would have hired a new grad anyway. It was common to see job ads that said: part time, full time, flex, all shifts. new grads encouraged to apply, sign on bonus. In fact, my offer included a $5,000 sign on bonus, given to me in chunks over a 3 year period. It also included one free round trip airfare for 2 anywhere in the continental USA. My nurse manager used to ask us at every unit meeting if we knew any RN's, new grads or experienced, that might want to work for us. We used to get $3,000 for refering a nurse if they were hired and worked at least a year or 2. LOL times have changed, but I believe in a few years it will go back to the way it was.

But I will say this. The working conditions then were horrible compared to how they are now. The turnover was so great that no one knew what they were doing. We were all given more patients then. And they used to hire just anyone with an RN and a heartbeat. Some people were horrible to follow and you spent half a shift cleaning up the mess they left you.

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 11, 2011

I graduated in 2007 and I had two job offers for ER and one ICU job offer two months before I actually graduated!

I think 2008 was the last group of new grads that could easily find new jobs...

Happy

freebirdRN86 · Mar 11, 2011

it's crazy how times have changed! sign on bonuses? that would've been great! i'm a new grad and i almost got to the point where i wanted to offer the hospitals "hire me bonuses."