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.

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.

You're welcome to avoid threads about struggling to find jobs. Maybe it would help you to realize that not everyone who comes to this site is in the same stage of dealing with a difficult job search. It can be demoralizing and frustrating and when your real life support system is confused as to why you can't find a job "because there's a nursing shortage and nurses are already in demand" you might need to vent and get support somewhere that understands that nursing isn't immune to the economy.

To the OP- I would continue on. I think I remember you posting before (your situation sees kinda unique, so I doubt we have another poster here completing a double degree at two schools). If nursing is your dream, I would try to find a way to make it work, and worst case scenario you are working on a back up plan. Nurse commissions in the military are harder to come by now, but with your prior service you probably do have a leg up there.

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Duh! It was supposed to be harsh. We are all adults here.

"Duh"? Are we all adults here?

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Get your BSN and go back into the navy as an ensign.

Didn't read all the replies, but this is some solid advice imo. Can also go into the Army as O1 http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/medical-and-emergency/nurse-corps-officer.html . You don't have to go to basic training as a medical officer. They send you to basic Officer Training course instead.

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While the market for new nurses is not great right now, the odds still are pretty good overall. It's not like any other majors out there offer any better assurances in the short term to land a decent job right after graduation. So if you want to be a nurse and practice nursing in the future and you're already accepted into a program, might as well go ahead and finish that nursing degree. If you weren't really interested in being a nurse and your primary motivating factor was to be able to easily secure a job, then I'd give different advice.

I would, however, question the ability to maximize your experience and opportunities as a student nurse if you are juggling two majors, at two different schools, nonetheless! The best way to increase your odds of employment, and just overall skills and confidence as a new grad, is to take advantage of whatever student nurse opportunities may be out there. Internships. Working as a nursing assistant. I don't know how you'd have time for that in your current situation. It also seems like you wouldn't be able to maximize your opportunities as a business student either.

And just curious, but I do have to wonder how one can manage to be able to fit a workable schedule together between full-time nursing school (lectures, labs, and clinical rotations) and a full load of classes at another institution.

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Specializes in Give me a new assignment each time:).
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.

No wonder I'm coughing while I am reading your post. :bdyhdclp:

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Well you are already familiar with the military, so go back in as a Nurse. Talk about job security, the military is the way to go. After you get out of the military employers will be wanting to snatch you up left and right because of all the experience you will have gained. I was formerly a Corpsman and am about to go through nursing school, and when i finish i am joining the Nurse Corps right off the bat.

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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.

Yeah, no one is ENTITLED to a job, but with all the able-bodied patients I see that DON'T work, it breaks my heart that people who work so hard and spend all that money on college and actually WANT to work can't get jobs right now.

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The current glitch in the economy is not reason enough to quit nursing school. There are people who get nursing jobs. You will not be one of them if you quit nursing school.

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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.

Can I ask, what city are you working in? When I finish school I would like to relocate to TX ... that sign-on bonus sounds GREAT right about now. :lol2:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
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.

You do realize that the market is supersaturated with business degrees? Business degrees are a dime a dozen; schools are cranking out said degrees a mile a minute.

And if you have a BSN, there is plenty you can do. Most jobs just require a degree, it doesn't have to be a certain kind. With a BSN, you can work in administration, pharmaceutical companies, and even work as a health teacher if you decide to get a teaching certificate.

A nurse can do anything a person with a business degree can do, but a businessperson CAN NOT do everything a nurse can do. Remember that.

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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.

Wow! So I guess people wanting the simple chance to so much as interview is now considered a sense of entitlement? Dang..people just want to work! Shame on them huh?

You're right. The economy is horrible. Out of all my friends who recently graduated college only about 1/2 of them were able to find gainful employment. Out of the immediate dozen BSN friends that I have 2 of them have landed part-time low-paying positions..the rest are still looking and volunteering for free. I did the math. It's all adding up for me and it's real clear. It takes 4-5 years to complete a traditional Bachelors degree...it takes 1-2 to become a RN (via ADN route...or Bachelors-BSN route). You know how they used to say Medical Assistants are a dime a dozen? ..and why did they say that?...the obvious..it takes 6-18 months to become a medical assistant and there are a million programs for it...............nursing=the new medical assistant. We're no better off than they are, anymore.

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You do realize that the market is supersaturated with business degrees? Business degrees are a dime a dozen; schools are cranking out said degrees a mile a minute.

And if you have a BSN, there is plenty you can do. Most jobs just require a degree, it doesn't have to be a certain kind. With a BSN, you can work in administration, pharmaceutical companies, and even work as a health teacher if you decide to get a teaching certificate.

A nurse can do anything a person with a business degree can do, but a businessperson CAN NOT do everything a nurse can do. Remember that.

I can't believe that you actually believe that lol.

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