Two years of med-surg are not magic.

[BonnieSc]

I see posts like this all the time from new grads looking for work: "I just need those two years of experience." "If I only had those two years, there would be lots of jobs available." "I'm looking everywhere for my two years of experience--I can live anywhere for two years." Sometimes I even see those phrases with ONE year instead of two.

Then there are the people who think (because it's what they've been told) that after working in med-surg for two years, they'll be able to transfer to their desired specialty. "I never wanted to do med-surg, but at least I'll be able to transfer after two years and it will give me a good background for almost anything."

I was one of those new grads who couldn't find a job--one of the first of the current wave, actually, back in 2007, when I would post about my jobsearch struggles here on allnurses and would still get incredulous responses from people who had never heard of a new nurse struggling to find a job. So I have every sympathy and I know you just want to find a job, ANY job, even if it isn't in acute care, and that if you can relocate you are going to, though most of you don't have the freedom to do that.

After two years of job-searching I was finally free to relocate, and then I found a job fairly quickly. It was in med-surg, which yeah, hadn't been my plan, but I was thrilled to have a job and actually ended up loving what I do. But the plan was always to stay two years and then move to a more desirable location. (I'm 2000 miles from my family and not in a city that I want to stay in, for various reasons.)

Guess what? It's still hard. The desirable locations still have tight job markets, even for experienced nurses. And what comes as somewhat of a surprise, because of what I was told during nursing school, is that no one seems at all interested in looking at me as an acute-care nurse for anything BUT what I already do--med-surg nursing. ER, critical care, peds, PACU--nope.

Since I'm looking first at only one major city, and med-surg positions for experienced nurses are few and far between there, I have thought about looking at the clinic, office, home health, etc positions available there, which seem to be more plentiful (and which I would probably qualify for). But my feeling is--since I'm already being limited as a med-surg nurse--if I take a job outside of the hospital, I'll probably have trouble getting back into acute care at all.

I don't mean to discourage new grad nurses from relocating or from taking med-surg jobs. (Wouldn't work, anyway--like I said, I've been there, you'll take anything and would be thrilled with any kind of acute care job.) Just don't get it in your heads that everything will be fine with the "magic two years of experience".

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

When I graduated in 2007, I moved to an undesirable area in AZ. I went into med-surg as a GN, took boards the following month and stayed there for exactly one yr.

Then an internal position opened for my 'drean job' NICU. Too many people applied but I was the lucky one to get it. I did one yr level 3 there.

Life happened and I had to move to TX. I applied high and low but even though this is an undesirable border town, every new grad and their mother applies here and well the market is now saturated. The jobs even for experienced nurses are PRN, per diem or very slim for FT.

I happened to start out a new program (float pool) and since I was the first employee was able to cross train to peds, picu, pedi oncology etc. I had my ACLS and NRP. I quickly got PALS, STABLE, along with chemo, conscious sedation etc.

I decided to stay as I loved working in different places and not just one floor. I have truly found my passion. I will be relocating in a yr and am super nervous because the job market sucks. I am afraid no one will even look at me with just 4 yrs experience.

I guess what I mean to say is that we are all on the same boat. I am grateful I have a job but scared for possible having to be anchored here because no one will be hiring unless you have 10+ yrs experience under their belts.

Nursing market stinks!

[79Tango]

The most important thing you can do for yourself is to "Be Ready". When our ER opened a Perm position-ACLS was the first cut. Those that had it in hand, were allowed to the interview phase. Those that didnt were allowed to apply with the understanding they would be getting it. I believe 2 out of the whole bunch had TNCC & the job went to one of them..

[oramar]

It just goes to show that in this economy many of the rules everyone swore by in other times just no longer apply. Please excuse this old timer for being slow to "get it". However, I must say that in your case I really respect the way you have taken control of the situation. You did find a job and you did get experience. I know you are impatient and disappointed but still take a second to take stock of your situation and give yourself a pat on the back. I think a lot of the things you have done are quite positive.

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

This is certainly true. But all the experiences and certifications in the world won't do all that much for you if there simply aren't any jobs to apply for.

I've also been trying to talk my way into other nursing specialties. (It isn't so much that I'm dying to leave med-surg, as it is that I'd like a wider field of positions I can apply for, and I have varied interests.) I point out my certifications, experiences, nursing school rotations, etc. Not that I'm going to stop talking that stuff up, but I think it's a sign of the job market that you can tell they've heard it all before when they say at the outset that the only applicants who are considered for, as an example, ED are "those with significant paid ED experience as an RN in the last two years, for at least two years".

This does seem to be the case now. ED and OR in my area usually only hires experienced RN's in that field. My hospital recently started back up their critical care and OR internships due to retirements and expansion. I was chosen to interview but those few that were hired were from the cardiac and resp units.....so I transferred to resp/cardio to get more experience in a diff field besides post op. Now I'm confident I could work any unit/shift in my hospital. Have you thought about your float pool to gain more of a varied experience?

[IMOKAY, BSN]

Thanks for heads up from the field..I'm a student and I've heard the horror stories of landing that first job...I did have hope as you did that after 2 years you could move to almost anything. My instructor said these exact words in class "after becoming a nurse you will have the world by the tail" Ya right!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

OP, I was reading your original post and did you say that it took you 2 years to find your first nursing job? Just checking.

[Ruthfarmer]

Thanks for heads up from the field..I'm a student and I've heard the horror stories of landing that first job...I did have hope as you did that after 2 years you could move to almost anything. My instructor said these exact words in class "after becoming a nurse you will have the world by the tail" Ya right!

When I visited the nursing school I was to attend (in 2007), the program director sat me down in her office and told me, "When you get your RN, there will NEVER be any reason for you to work anywhere, or any shift that you don't want to. You will be able to walk into any facility any where and get the job you want." I didn't take her little speech very seriously, and it's a good thing. I would have been sorely disappointed.

[BonnieSc]

OP, I was reading your original post and did you say that it took you 2 years to find your first nursing job? Just checking.

Yes, that's correct. I did a little bit of work as a summer camp nurse but was otherwise unable to find nursing employment of any kind in my area. My spouse at the time did not want to leave the area, so I didn't look elsewhere. Just before the two-year mark, we suddenly got divorced. I needed a job instantly and was worried that no one anywhere would hire me because I'd been out of school and not working for two years. I started sending out applications across the country and had few responses, but within approximately one month of job searching I was invited for an interview in the midwest. I had separated from my ex around March 1 of that year and started my new job on June 1.

[BonnieSc]

This does seem to be the case now. ED and OR in my area usually only hires experienced RN's in that field. My hospital recently started back up their critical care and OR internships due to retirements and expansion. I was chosen to interview but those few that were hired were from the cardiac and resp units.....so I transferred to resp/cardio to get more experience in a diff field besides post op. Now I'm confident I could work any unit/shift in my hospital. Have you thought about your float pool to gain more of a varied experience?

I have thought about that, yes. It's much easier to transfer to a different specialty in your own hospital. But I really don't want to live here any longer, so the idea of transferring to the float pool, ER, PACU, etc, spending another two years THERE, and THEN trying to move to a different hospital isn't going to work for me. It's definitely good advice for those who are happier with their living situations.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I've noticed whatever you have experience in is where they want you. It's a different economy from years past and the job market for nursing reflects it.

I had wanted to make a shift from ICU to ER, but found it impossible. I'm still in ICU, I like it, but hopefully I will get to at least cross train to ER someday.

[RNwillie]

You can get your ACLS/PALS both online at www.aclsonline.us. Also, I did my two years MED-SURG, then moved to a different state, and now work in a rural hospital. And let me tell you what....I now do ER, OB, OR circulator, charge nurse, MED-SURG and even just moved up to ER Manager/Trauma Nurse Coordinator. I have learned a lot in this rural hospital. So my suggestion is, if you can't find what you want at a big hospital....think rural. You can gain a lot of experience that will open up the job field and make you more of an asset!!!!! And don't think you won't see anything!!! You see everything and do everything. Your skills become more defined!!

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Until the economy changes drastically for the better, people need to be realistic and accept the jobs that are out there. That doesn't mean that you can't try for your specialty, but whatever applied for nurses 3 or 4 years ago does not apply right now. When I was in school in 2006, there were all kinds of jobs. When I graduated....nothing. Still, I managed to get hired before I even wrote my RN exam, and I don't mind my work.

On the other hand, many of the people I graduated with last year who are waiting to be hired into their specialties are still waiting...and unemployed.