RNs tell your hospitals to hire new grads

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Hey, you can have my reserved parking space too! :)
I don't really have a parking space.

I parked in a spot market ER physician, lol. He was younger than I and can walk farther!

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Here new grads make $17-18/hour and are grateful to get that, lol. Of course that is at a nursing home. Hospital doesn't pay any better, but not hiring new grads OR ADNs. I sure wouldn't hire anyone with such a giant chip on her shoulder though, regardless of the rest. I really think my surviver idea is awesome. We could really weed out the trouble makers this way!

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

It makes more sense to have an institutionalized nursing residency system like that than the advice being given here to many NGs: "go volunteer and/or do per-diem flu clinic so you have some experience while you are an unemployed new grad for the next 6-24 months."

Well, I personally think that volunteer work is more about character than experience. I'd hire a new grad who spent a few weekends over 6 months working with Remote Area Medical over someone with 2-3 years experience for instance. Character still counts for something in my book. I'm not in HR or any longer in a role to have any decision making influence, however.

wooh, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Somehow I don't think divisive threats are the ideal way to build cameraderie between experienced nurses and new grads.

Yeah, the threatening tone of the OP soooo makes me want to find out her personal info and go to my manager and demand that the OP be hired.... :rolleyes:

It sucks to be a new grad right now. I'm about to go back to school for a job that will suck to be a new grad. I've already got planned the networking and applying for internships that I'll need to seek out before I graduate so that there's hope of finding a job when I do graduate. And I'm keeping my foot in the door at my current job.

Us experienced nurses? It's not our fault that you don't have a job. Threatening us will do nothing to get you a job, and really just makes you sound like a psycho that I wouldn't want to orient. Think about THAT.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Well, the bottom line is really that it is a foolish "threat." No hospital is going to hire new grads over experienced staff. They have plenty of ways to torture us already, lol. But seriously, this is not an assembly line and we are not making widgets. It simply isn't a realistic scenario. Depressed wages, yes, possible. However, $40/h for an associates degree is already overpaid IMO, so I think that is reasonable as well as realistic. Until nursing requires the BSN as entry to practice, they can't demand starting wages like that and hope to sustain it. Take a good look at what is happening in WI, OH, IN. That could easily happen in health care. But replace experts with novices in acute care settings? No, not likely.

RN7776 · Mar 5, 2011

Yeah, the threatening tone of the OP soooo makes me want to find out her personal info and go to my manager and demand that the OP be hired....
It sucks to be a new grad right now. I'm about to go back to school for a job that will suck to be a new grad. I've already got planned the networking and applying for internships that I'll need to seek out before I graduate so that there's hope of finding a job when I do graduate. And I'm keeping my foot in the door at my current job.
Us experienced nurses? It's not our fault that you don't have a job. Threatening us will do nothing to get you a job, and really just makes you sound like a psycho that I wouldn't want to orient. Think about THAT.

I am a recent, employed, male new grad...you catch more bees with honey than infighting really. As far as accepting lower wages for orientation - I don't agree with that at all. People constantly use the terminology that RN schools are "pumping out new grads" at allnurses.com. Do a macro level evaluation about the post WW2 population boom and you will see if we "pumped out" double or triple what we are now, it still wouldn't nearly account for the nurses that will soon either retire or code on the job lol (sorry, but some people don't retire and don't want to/can't afford to). The generations X and Y won't nearly fund social security....what makes anyone think there isn't a scary shortage looming. This one won't be like minor shortages of the past, but much, much worse. In the future they will have to hire far more unlicensed assistive personnel and RNs will be hired to delegate more and more care. Unless nursing educators magically become high paid and more RNs go in that direction, there simply isn't the ability to "pump out" more new grads. I have also seen several threads about so many new nursing schools opening, but I know a lot that have closed down. Not to mention, with hospitals essentially shutting out ADN grads these days, how long before ADN becomes irrelevant and everyone wants a BSN? Not saying it could happen, but that it essentially is happening now de facto.

Finally, how long until new grads of recent years give up on nursing completely and just work in another industry, never to return (I know several of these). How long until people looking at nursing school wake up and realize that OT, PT, PA, OD, even MD are far better for job security these days - at least for a recent grad.

Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

I guess I am out of the loop. Just like the "nursing shortage" discussion. Nursing is just like any other job market to me. Some places will hire new grads first b/c it's cheaper (such as a LTC facility...just using as an example). Some will only want the ones with higher education (BSN, MSN, DNP...etc.). Some will want some with lots of experience. That's just the way it is! Just like any job, you have to search for a job. And with other jobs you just have to take what is offered until something better comes along. Sure, some people do get hired for what they want right after graduation, some aren't as lucky. Sometimes it just depends on who you know.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

There are so many unemployed new grads out there that pretty soon we are going to be willing to work for minimum wage if things don't change soon. I bet hospitals would be willing to hire lots and lots of us at that price. That might even translate to loss of jobs and decreased wages for those experienced nurses already employed.
You might want to encourage your hospital to give new grads a chance instead of requiring experience for every job posting they have. Maybe be a little more enthusiastic about helping to train them.
Anyways, its worth thinking about.

I'm not working as a nurse for minimum wage.

The problem is regional to a degree, but it's funny how my nurse instructional staff keep harping that "you'll always be able to find good jobs."

I'll just go back to doing my present career with the mere addition of

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

******* University; Aug. 2010 - May 2012

to the bottom of my resume under the other degrees and junk I've got. :rolleyes:

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

The other point to keep in mind for some of you recent grads is the reality that at this time, more facilities are requiring a BSN. That's the way it is. So many of the recent advanced degree grads may find their Job Search more challenging. For example, where I live, a BSN is the only option if you want your RN. No exceptions anymore. Which means, fair or not, all the two year grads are unable to compete for the jobs. Perhaps something to consider when you decide on a program. Unless you decide on the LPN route.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Lemme just toss some reassuring thoughts out atcha all.

Soooo many grads, so few opportunities. A few semesters out now, just working crap so called "Nursing Jobs" with no orientation to speak of, very little learning going on. Just keeping their heads above water, maybe. Soon you or your family will come in direct contact with them because they will be considered experienced having been a year or two out. These are the ones that stay in hoping for a change and a chance working home health or hospice or dumpy LTC, what ever they can get. Sure a few have got a decent crack at nursing and landed a great hospital orientation - that's just a few tho.

My school's enrollment has dropped due to word of mouth of the poor support for new nurses. Nobody wants to knowingly go into tremendous debt and ruin themselves and their family financially. Word of mouth spreads.

Problem is, if the economy improves, nursing will still be seen as a huge gamble to take with poor working conditions due to a lack of corporate support (it'll never return). Then, you've got your scores of poorly trained nurses... and you need to take a family member to the hospital. Good luck.

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

If I could work for minimum wage at wal-mart, or doing what I spent many years training to do, what do you think I will choose?
As for it costing X amount of dollars to train a new grad nurse, if they were working for minimum wage, that figure would shrink considerably.
Was I not clear in my original post? The point was, if new grads are increasing every year exponentially, and they are not being employed, they will be induced to work for less, perhaps even minimum wage. That in itself will cause more experienced nurses to lose employment, because as we all know the mighty dollar is king. Hospitals will see the benefit of hiring people for less and will let nurses go who demand more.
So, to avoid all this unpleasantness, it would behoove experienced nurses to look out for their jobs and wages now by encouraging hospitals to hire new grad nurses, before it gets to that state of things.

that would devalue our profession as a whole to ever advocate minimum wage training. Trust me its not the way to go. Find a nursing home , group home, psych facility and get your foot in the door. Its really hard right now but it is in every profession across the spectrum , in this economy you may have to move far away but 'something' is out there for new grads (and it may be a not so great job, but perhaps just a stepping stone) As nurses we much continue to advocate for the professionalism of our profession as a whole, and that includes advocating for fair wages for what we do. Hang in there, im sorry your having a rough time.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Honestly, my best advice to new grads that don't want to advance their education, do volunteer work and learn a foreign language. Whichever one is predominant in your area. That is a real edge. I'd have given my right arm for a nurse that was fluent in Spanish. Rosetta Stone is hella cheaper than a masters degree, lol.