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".
In the city I left most of the med surg jobs advertised wanted 5 years med surg. The specialties wanted experieince in that specialty. (some would say 5 years med surg will be considered).
Often times you become "type casted" in nursing: they'll see where you are experienced, and want to place you there (even if you express an interest in another field). That happened to me, in home care. It was my first job (I was unable to get a MS job in the mid 90's). Any responses to resumes came from their homecare division. It took me 3 years to get a hospital (MS) position.
With the market being as such, many specialties are not as willing to take a chance on someone who lacks experience in the field. It means a much longer orientation, as well as the likelihood that they won't cut it.
It's disappointing to be rejected; I know first hand. You just have to weather the storm. On the meantime, make yourself more marketable. Work on you next degree. That's what I did. And by the time I completed my BS, then MS, I was in my dream job (teaching). And everything I did along the way was experience to add to my resume.
The problem with working towards your next degree though.....when people are unemployed and can't pay off the loans they already have, well, it's suicide to keep taking on more debt. I hope to do a Masters. Until the economy improves, I won't go there. I know of many people who went that route. Now they owe even more, and still no job.
I see many nurses not lasting too long in med-surg because of the workload. Many nurses in the med surg unit I work are either unhappy, tired, irritable, and just dont care anymore attitude. Some are already looking for other jobs other than med-surg. I understand that with this economy, its hard to find a job. But happiness and health is also important to consider. If I would have known long ago, I would have gotten a job as a hemodialysis nurse. Why? Less stress and the retention rate as HD nurse is high. Or If I can do it all over again, I should have become a Physical Therapist. Why? They're less stress and happy with what they do. I am saying these things because I've seen it. I regret becoming a nurse in med-surg. But I have to pay bills. After I get my one year experience, im moving on....
It always makes me laugh when new grads say: I can't POSSIBLY move due to commitments in the community, kids, my partner doesn't want me to, etc - whatever. Well guess what? I've had to move all my life to get work, and even lived away from my fiancee which was hard I must admit, but it didn't kill us! Life isn't static anymore and it never really will be for nurses. Many people I knew or know have moved to even different countries to get experience and work, so you will all have to figure that one in.
And BTW, they do have schools in other areas you can re-settle your kids in - having kids is not a valid excuse for not moving. Employers won't see that as a legitimate worry. Many of my friends have re-located with kids, & their kids loved it and settled in nicely. Kids are more resilient than what you think!
Many people I know commute by train/plane for work and live somewhere else.
So new grads will have to change their mind set - if you're not flexible, you won't get the work.
After I get my one year experience, im moving on....
That's my whole point. This isn't another thread about how new graduate nurses need to take whatever they can find; it's about what it's like after you've taken whatever you can find. Good luck in finding something else with one year of experience, and I mean that sincerely.
It always makes me laugh when new grads say: I can't POSSIBLY move due to commitments in the community, kids, my partner doesn't want me to, etc - whatever. Well guess what? I've had to move all my life to get work, and even lived away from my fiancee which was hard I must admit, but it didn't kill us! Life isn't static anymore and it never really will be for nurses. Many people I knew or know have moved to even different countries to get experience and work, so you will all have to figure that one in.
And BTW, they do have schools in other areas you can re-settle your kids in - having kids is not a valid excuse for not moving. Employers won't see that as a legitimate worry. Many of my friends have re-located with kids, & their kids loved it and settled in nicely. Kids are more resilient than what you think!
Many people I know commute by train/plane for work and live somewhere else.
So new grads will have to change their mind set - if you're not flexible, you won't get the work.
This has been in my experience anyway.
Carol, you're ignoring several things. Living away from your fiance is, frankly, not the same as living away from your spouse. And maintaining two households and/or commuting very long distances by plane or train is not something most people can afford. Many people with children can't afford to move because they live near family members who help them with childcare.
But the main thing is that many, many people choose nursing at least in part because they expected, for good reason, that they would be able to get jobs in their communities. If they knew they would have to relocate, they would not have chosen nursing. No matter how much they wanted to be nurses, they wouldn't have gone to nursing school if they had known it wasn't going to be compatible with their plans for their families.
This is not, as I've said, a thread about new grads not finding work, though. This is about what I was told when I was a new grad, and what I hear new grads saying now: "After I have two years of experience, I'll be golden." That is not the reality I'm finding.
I see many nurses not lasting too long in med-surg because of the workload. Many nurses in the med surg unit I work are either unhappy, tired, irritable, and just dont care anymore attitude. Some are already looking for other jobs other than med-surg. I understand that with this economy, its hard to find a job. But happiness and health is also important to consider. If I would have known long ago, I would have gotten a job as a hemodialysis nurse. Why? Less stress and the retention rate as HD nurse is high. Or If I can do it all over again, I should have become a Physical Therapist. Why? They're less stress and happy with what they do. I am saying these things because I've seen it. I regret becoming a nurse in med-surg. But I have to pay bills. After I get my one year experience, im moving on....
I'm not sure why there is this belief that life is a piece of cake after Med Surg. I have worked on many different units (including med surg), and it was not the worst place I have worked in. "specialties" (and I use the quotes b/c med surg is a specialty too) can be even more demanding and stressful. Don't get me worng, Med Surg can stink some days (or even some weeks), but when I worked in Peds Oncology, some days staffing was horrible (yes, 5 kids with chemo, blood transfusions, triple ABX or bleeds... and their parents) is worse than 8 Med Surg patients. Nursing is hard work, no matter what specialty you're in.
I do understand that it isn't always feasible to relocate. However, in this economy, many people (including myself and a few friends) have had to do just that. Sometimes the choice is either...stay put and wait and wait, or move and work. I have loans, so waiting was not an option. I moved to a small town. I'm getting excellent rural experience vs staying in the city and only working PRN.
We need two full time RNs right now, but it is very hard to find people, since many do not want rural. So there are jobs, just not always in the ideal locations. That's the reality.
I do understand that it isn't always feasible to relocate. However, in this economy, many people (including myself and a few friends) have had to do just that. Sometimes the choice is either...stay put and wait and wait, or move and work. I have loans, so waiting was not an option. I moved to a small town. I'm getting excellent rural experience vs staying in the city and only working PRN.
We need two full time RNs right now, but it is very hard to find people, since many do not want rural. So there are jobs, just not always in the ideal locations. That's the reality.
It's just a shame (and I believe that's what other posters alluded to) that nursing is supposed to be a job where you don't NEED to relocate. It's one of those jobs where if your spouse needs to relocate, you can pick up with him/her and easily get a job! I live in NY, just outside of what many consider 'the city'. There are at least 20 hospitals within a 25 mile radius of here, and still, new grads are struggling to find jobs (as I did when I was a new grad). In theory, it wouldn't make sense to leave a big city (where there are seemingly more opportunities) to go to a town where there is one hospital. It is just very discouraging, and I really do feel for all of you who are struggling :heartbeat
It is very discouraging nurse educate, but that's what new grads are facing. I moved from a major city of 3 million people to a town 2000 miles away of 3000 people. Why? Hiring freezes and mass unemployment.
I understand this post. It took me several months to get my ICU job with my 2 years of experience under my belt. I thought I would be a shoe-in so many times but that is not the case.
anotherone, BSN, RN
1,735 Posts
In the city I left most of the med surg jobs advertised wanted 5 years med surg. The specialties wanted experieince in that specialty. (some would say 5 years med surg will be considered).