Should I quit nursing school...?

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I was a Corpsman in the Navy and my experience influenced me wanting to become a registered nurse. Nursing is my passion and calling in life, but what's the point if there's no job for me in the end? I live in Southern California and the majority of the human resources department and experienced nurses have stated that SoCal is oversaturated with nurses. Schools are pumping out more graduates which exceeds the demand for them. I heard its rare for hospitals to hire a new grad w/o any experience. I currently attend USC's business school along with UCLA's nursing school. I'm not really stressed about taking the course load from both schools and I'm doing very well in each field. I am very optimistic with my double major in Business because I know many executives from the Big Four Accounting firms and have finished my paid internships in San Francisco over the summer. But, I have no experience with the field of Nursing with the exception of the clinicals we are required to do alongside with our labs/lectures. How does one go about gaining experience in Nursing if nobody is willing to hire? Military? Peace Corps? VA?

I still would like to do Nursing, but with all the bad news I keep hearing about nurses not gaining employment. Some have recommended me to relocate (which isn't a problem at all) to Texas or some other state. But, with all the new grads already relocating to these locations, I don't think there would be a job at all by the time I graduate. Some have even told me not to waste my time in Nursing. The economy doesn't seem like it will recover

anytime soon nationally, and specifically for CALIFORNIA! Education, health care, social security is all being cut etc.

Are there any recommendations/advice/suggestions that you guys may have for me? Any informative information would be highly appreciative.

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If it's your calling then keep on going, don't let the economy detract from what you feel you were meant to do. Also look places other than hospitals, you can go a million different directions with your RN.

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If you are already "all in" -to me that means past your 2nd year in school- then just finish. That is, as long as money is no issue for you. Pass the boards and immediately get your license. Keep your license by paying the fee and completing any CEUs your state might require on renewal. Here is the deal, you just need to keep your license valid for some time in the future should the stars change color and nursing becomes a working option again. If you never work as a nurse, fine. Just keep your license so your options are yours and you don't have to do anything over.

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Is anybody else as sick of this whining about nursing jobs as I am? This feeling of entitlement is totally killing me. Nobody is guaranteed job in this country at all, and we may yet live through even worse economy than we have now. Regardless of what happens, being a nurse is a respectable profession that is portable and actually has one of the better chances of finding jobs right out of college. But this constant complaining about inability of some new graduates to find jobs makes me think that people just slept through 2009-2010. Maybe this is a news to some folks but economy crashed and burned, and is still smoking.

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Specializes in Adult Acute Psych Inpatient.

I agree with onaclearday, although if you move to Texas, I believe you would have to put your licence on inactive status if you are not practicing.

(Excerpt from the Texas BON website, link here: http://www.bon.state.tx.us/nursingeducation/ceu.html)

Inactive/Retired/Volunteer Retired Status

If you are not practicing nursing, you may place your license on inactive status when you receive your license renewal notification. Continuing education is not required as long as you are inactive. Should you wish to reactivate and you have been inactive for less than four years, you must show proof of completion of 20 hours of continuing education, or attainment, maintenance, or renewal of a national nursing certification within the two years prior to your request for reactivation. If you have not practiced nursing in any jurisdiction for four or more years, and have not been practicing as a nurse in another state, in addition to the CE hours, you will be required to complete a nursing refresher or extensive orientation course.Nurses over the age of 65 are eligible for "Retired" status. The requirements for reactivating a retired license are the same as those for inactive status.

Texas is a great place to find a nursing job, even as a new grad (I am a new grad). Assuming you don't have more than 2 years left to your nursing degree, the jobs (should) still be available. We have many new hospitals popping up, and they seem to be keeping up with, and at times exceeding the number of graduate nurses. I just got hired, and there was even a sign on bonus because the hospital was hurting so bad for nurses.

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Yeah, but VMSR... nursing is nontransferable.

I am a second career nurse, yeah a business woman first. One cannot do much with a degree in nursing but nursing. If that is all you got, and the job market sux so much that you cannot get that hospital experience to get your few years experience, well then, you got nothing anybody outside of nursing wants. Nursing can, truly be a dead end.

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PA school anyone?

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I've got to disagree with you Onaclearday

Nursing is anything but a dead end

Hospital nursing however, can easily be a dead end

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Yes it is a dead end unless you can get your sea-legs and get started with the right training out of the box as a new nurse. You must begin your career on such a narrow track of possibility. If this start is not available, you have nothing. The business world is not open to someone with a nursing degree and no experience. Heck you can't go pharma now unless you are a specialized and experienced nurse, it didn't used to be that way. If you have a business related degree you can take a shot at the world of professions, a little training some extra specialized classes and streetsmarts working for you, you can change fields. I have worked with many areas, big healthcare, finance, aviation, nonprofit, etc. as a businesswoman. Yes, nursing is a huge dead end if you can't get the correct start. You literally have no future.

Jobs are hard to find, yes for everybody. But you can go much farther and be more flexible in your options with a business related degree. Think MD without residency = nothing. Same deal.

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If you're going to UCLA nursing school and doing clinicals at UCLA, I'd say you have a good chance of getting into their new grad program. A few friends from my school got in, and we didn't go to UCLA. Just keep a nice high GPA, make good strong connections at the hospital and keep them through nursing school, and get letters of recommendation from preceptors.

Also, doesn't UCLA have a program where you can intern there for a semester and get additional experience? I think it has to be done while you're still in school. Check it out - that would definitely give you a major leg up.

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Specializes in ER.
Is anybody else as sick of this whining about nursing jobs as I am? This feeling of entitlement is totally killing me. Nobody is guaranteed job in this country at all, and we may yet live through even worse economy than we have now. Regardless of what happens, being a nurse is a respectable profession that is portable and actually has one of the better chances of finding jobs right out of college. But this constant complaining about inability of some new graduates to find jobs makes me think that people just slept through 2009-2010. Maybe this is a news to some folks but economy crashed and burned, and is still smoking.

Pretty Harsh IMHO

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, PCU.
I was a Corpsman in the Navy and my experience influenced me wanting to become a registered nurse. Nursing is my passion and calling in life, but what's the point if there's no job for me in the end? I live in Southern California and the majority of the human resources department and experienced nurses have stated that SoCal is oversaturated with nurses. Schools are pumping out more graduates which exceeds the demand for them. I heard its rare for hospitals to hire a new grad w/o any experience. I currently attend USC's business school along with UCLA's nursing school. I'm not really stressed about taking the course load from both schools and I'm doing very well in each field. I am very optimistic with my double major in Business because I know many executives from the Big Four Accounting firms and have finished my paid internships in San Francisco over the summer. But, I have no experience with the field of Nursing with the exception of the clinicals we are required to do alongside with our labs/lectures. How does one go about gaining experience in Nursing if nobody is willing to hire? Military? Peace Corps? VA?

I still would like to do Nursing, but with all the bad news I keep hearing about nurses not gaining employment. Some have recommended me to relocate (which isn't a problem at all) to Texas or some other state. But, with all the new grads already relocating to these locations, I don't think there would be a job at all by the time I graduate. Some have even told me not to waste my time in Nursing. The economy doesn't seem like it will recover

anytime soon nationally, and specifically for CALIFORNIA! Education, health care, social security is all being cut etc.

Are there any recommendations/advice/suggestions that you guys may have for me? Any informative information would be highly appreciative.

I wouldn't go by what people say. I would search for myself. If you don't have a problem relocating there are fine teaching hospitals throughout the country that would hire you in a heart beat.You have a wonderful background. Teaching hospitals don't just look at the fact that you are a new grad. They look into your prior job history and your character. They look at your passion for patient care and how open you are learning new things under a very stressful healthcare environment. They would ask you or at least try to get a feel about how committed you are to staying with them after they have taken the time and money to develop you. Of course nobody knows the future, but it is nice to show a sense of commitment. University of Virginia in Charlottesville is a wonderful teaching hospital.

Best of luck with your search and decision-making process :yeah:

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