tight job market in CA of all places?!?

almoret · Dec 18, 2006

Do you mind telling me what NP stands for?Thanks

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 18, 2006

Hello, almoret,

NP=Nurse Practitioner

This is the Advanced Practice Nursing - Nurse Practitioner (NP) forum

core0 · Dec 18, 2006

Ive been checking the job market in my area for nps and it seems that there are only a handful of opportunities and I mean like 3 openings! I figured CA would be the best place for NPs but it seems not to be so. Furthermore, all of the positions require at least a year of experience. How does this work then? Are most new NPs employed at hospitals first?

Where are you looking? If you are looking in the newspaper then probably not. Look at the various California nursing sites and some of the headhunter sites. I get a couple of E-mails a week that probably have more than 50 California NP jobs. Also if California is anything like Colorado then most jobs are going to be word of mouth. Networking will be the key.

David Carpenter, PA-C

Susyq25 · Dec 19, 2006

the CANP website & craigslist are also good resources.

I agree most jobs are word of mouth.

Trube · Dec 19, 2006

I'll be honest, that surprises me. I graduated from my NP (Nurse Practitioner) program just over a year ago and have not had difficulty with employment.

Part of the reason is that I was already working in one setting while going to school, but I also started working part time for one of my preceptor sites after I graduated.

Is this an option for you? Where in CA are you located?

fiveofpeep · Dec 22, 2006

I live in Orange County. Perhaps I am not looking in the correct places. I am not a nurse practitioner, or I would be the world's youngest.

I am exploring the field because I want to leave options open for me so that when I am 40 I wont have to work in conditions I might have enjoyed when I was 20.

fiveofpeep · Dec 22, 2006

Thank you for your responses and advice.

SueBee RN-BSN · Dec 23, 2006

I used to live in So. Cal. We left because of poor nursing nursing jobs, poor education opportunities for nurses, and violent doctors. I work in three different hospitals in So. Cal., all were the same. The California Medical Association (CMA) is going to rid the place of NP's, with AMA backing. The main reason is $$$$, but they say it's because NP's are unsafe.

Try looking for work with the VA, any military base (hospital), and Kaiser Permanente. These are NP friendly places.

Sheri257 · Dec 23, 2006

Obviously the Cali NP's would know better than me but ... I heard it was due perhaps to competition from PA's?

:typing

suzanne4, RN · Dec 24, 2006

The large number of NP programs has more to do with it than anything else. CA produces a large number of nurse practitioners........look at the number of programs that are available as well as the number of direct entry master's programs.

The issue more importantly is that a facility does not need that many NPs. The number of actual positions per facility is much smaller compared to the staff nurse requirements.

LA County facilities employ NPs in all aspects of patient care. Most of the government facilities do......and most will not hire a new grad into the role.

Halinja, BSN, RN · May 21, 2008

California isn't the most nurse friendly state. (that's where I graduated from nursing school) There might be more opportunities for an NP in other states. Here in Oregon NP's have prescriptive abilities, and are not directly under a doctors oversight, if I understand things correctly. (Not an NP myself) I see a lot of openings for NP's where I am.