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i have been told that there is a shortage of nurses, is this true? i live in northern illinois.

I also have been told that it won't be difficult to find hospital work.

would love everyone's opinion/thoughts. i am finishing my degree sometime in 2014.

i'm nervous with some of the things i've read....

is there anything i can do or study more or certificate or education wise to give myself a boost up so to speak for a better job etc??

thank you :)

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The only people saying that there is a nursing shortage are damn nursing school who use this tactic when the economy was going down and people were not going to school cause it was too darn expensive. This was the only way nursing school could recession-proof themselves. Many many people have fallen for this false advertisement and what do you know, so many people flooded nursing school and many graduated without any job a year later.

Hospitals are weary of hiring new grads because they are too expensive to train and right now hospitals have been affected by the economy too. If there is a new grad program, you can bet that they will be slammed with over 500 applicants fighting for 10 positions or even less. Basically you literally have to know someone from the 'inside' to get hired in the hospital now a days. Or else many nurses are forced to work in LTC or home health.

And the sad true is that, this is happening EVERYWHERE!

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Do not listen to what other people (who are not in the profession) told you. It got me irritated sometimes hearing people saying "Nursing is in demand". Not really. One in demand is experienced nurse. NOT NEW GRADUATE RN.

Here are things that I wished I did to increase my strengths during nursing school: Sell yourself during clinical and impress the nurses and clinical instructors. If you have your clinical at a hospital or unit you like, introduce yourself to them and make connection. Get your CNA and work part-time as a CNA. Get an externship/internship as soon as you can. Start looking for job at the beginning of your last semester. Many new grad program deadline end mid last semester so if you start looking early you will get all you need and will not miss it.

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Specializes in none.

Nursing shortage? Depends what part of the country, specialty and RN 0r LPN

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

There are nursing shortages on the Indian reservations, along the Mexican border and in other locations that tend to be seen as undesirable. In the suburban hospital? Oh heck no. In the teaching hospital? No way. In anywhere you might dream of working? Nope. Sorry.

The best way to get a leg up is to build connections, keep them fresh and treat every encounter in the hospital as a working job interview.

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