Unemployed Associates and Bachelors RNs

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Fox News followed up on a report by Forbes Magazine as if to validate the story that nursing continues to be a lucrative, recession-proof job. Personally, I think this just serves to mislead high school graduates, career-changers, and those unemployed by the recession to spend large amounts of money on getting a nursing degree, and then regret it when they can't find jobs on graduation! Nursing students spend stupendous amounts of time and money on their degrees. This money may either be sourced from long years of savings or from student loans. Time is diverted from family and fun activities to serious studying and sharpening skills.

Impeccable GPAs achieved, coveted internships and externships completed, graduated, licensed, job applications sent - so far so good. The glitch lies after the fact... no jobs for new graduate RNs. The few jobs that present themselves usually have some catch - poor staffing ratios, low hourly pay, unsafe working conditions, nursing area unrelated to area of interest, contracted employment commitment... there's usually something wrong. When all is said and done, there are no jobs and no backup resources - only shattered dreams, wasted time, effort, and resources, and regrets. Big-time regrets!

If people need to find out what the nursing scene really looks like, they need to talk to nurses and nursing management - they need to talk to the struggling new graduates on the verge of desperation. This is a sounding board for all of you nurses out there who would like to share your own stories or stories of nurses who are friends or family. We need to give the nursing aspirants a chance... a chance to evaluate their career choice - especially, if the choice was made made based on the attractive compensation package and job-security nursing was known to offer at one point in time.

Please share your stories by posting comments in response to the post HERE!

CLICK HERE to post your own comments, experiences, and stories or those of your friends and family

I agree with prinsessa-- I'm not being picky at all. Over 80 applications so far, in every area including LTC even though my passion is for peds. I tell nurse recruiters I'm available for any shift at all, and I actually apply for night and weekend jobs first because I figure I have a better shot at those. I've also been applying to jobs in the middle of nowhere that the thought of moving there actually depresses me... Maybe in some areas the reason new nurses can't find jobs is because of being picky, but that has not been my experience. :( I didn't realize home health needed nurses though... I just assumed that'd be a coveted job for more experienced nurses because of the better hours, but I'm totally going to look into that later today! Thanks for the tip :)

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Specializes in Home Care.

We've been talking about this months.

I'd like to see a state by state poll of new grad unemployment for PNs and RNs.

I got my PN license in October, there are plenty of jobs in my area for PNs with at least 1 year experience. I finally have an interview this Friday because 2 supervisors at the facility sit beside me in statistics class. I'm seriously considering delaying doing RN until the job market turns around.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
But, are we willing to be part of the solution?

Is it realistic to expect that people who have been fortunate to overcome the challenges faced by new graduates and get jobs would want to help out other new graduates who are still searching?

In other words, if I were to start a new thread titled 'Job-finding: Resources for New Graduates,' would we be willing to or able to contribute significantly to that thread?

Do experienced nurses in good standing with their employers have it in their hearts to offers leads and/or recommendations to jobs to new graduates who are in a very difficult place in this economic climate?

I'm not sure what you mean by "resources" in your proposed title. I think we've seen plenty of threads in which advice is being offered to new grads.

Regarding specific leads, to be perfectly honest, I'd be handing those along to my unemployed classmates, not simply laying them out on the internet. And recommendations to jobs? I'd have to know somebody pretty well before I'd offer my endorsement.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I agree with smartnurse - a lot of this unemployment is self-imposed. To be "unemployed," you have to be unable to find a job in line with your training, i.e. working as a CNA or a waitress with an RN license. A lot of new grads don't want to touch LTC or weekend shifts.
What I've observed from the new-grad trenches does not match what you say. If you really believe that this is about new grads being picky then I think you're out of touch with the present reality.

In California, according to the CINHC, about 50% of new grads will be unable to find ANY work at all in nursing. In some areas, that number reaches 90%.

This isn't about new grads being picky, it's about employers who simply are not hiring new grads in any significant numbers.

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I going to have to agree with what the others have said if your not being picky and you are not willing to relocate then you could missing out on a job. A friend of mine from California left and went to the south yeah he not in love were he is living at but he loves his job and is getting the experience which most employers are asking for. Now at first he wasn't going to that but now hes glad he did because tell this day some of his classmate still haven't found jobs. So in all its really up to the person and yes i do understand not everybody can do what he did.

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Specializes in ED.

Perhaps a better question is why people are watching a report from Fox "news".

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Perhaps a better question is why people are watching a report from Fox "news".

:yeah:

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Specializes in Army Medic.

I think there needs to be more education focused around nursing students into how to properly search for jobs, and what they can do while in the nursing program to maximize their chances.

There are plenty of volunteer and work study programs available among VA's, hospitals, free clinics, ect. that students can take advantage of - and in the end you develop the networking skills required to find work in the current economic environment.

I've seen students as naive as to think they will be offered jobs while in the RN program simply because there's a shortage - likes Hospitals actively go to classes and seek out employee's.

This kind of dis-information has to stop, a higher standard needs to be held by the instructing faculty, and it needs to be stressed that going that extra mile while in your studies will pay off in long term benefit for employment.

A lot of people don't want to volunteer their time and work for free while they're in training, tough. If you want to stand out in an unemployment crisis, you need to get that extra leg work put in. It's not easy, and I partially blame a lack education in respects to what it takes to really make it in today's job environment on that fact.

Imagine what an extra 2 unit course based around how to find gainful employment would do to help kids that have never worked a job in their life. Make it mandatory somewhere along the lines in obtaining a degree. This isn't the Clinton era anymore, jobs aren't just floating left and right. When you've got 10 year veteran nurses out of work, you can expect it to really suck with a zero experience resume.

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Regarding specific leads to be perfectly honest, I'd be handing those along to my unemployed classmates, not simply laying them out on the internet. And recommendations to jobs? I'd have to know somebody pretty well before I'd offer my endorsement.[/quote']

I'd agree that most people would do the same - and for similar reasons.

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Top Story: ANA SmartBrief for Nurses: March 1, 2010

Career opportunities for nurses are expected to expand [NurseZone.com]

Nursing experts say there will be greater opportunities for nurses as patient care becomes more complex, the population ages and chronic disease increases. And if health reform passes, it could increase the need for better-educated nurses and allow advanced practice nurses to lead multidisciplinary health teams in the community, experts say.

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despite the difficulties new grads are having, nursing still remains a very good job (above avg pay, job security, employment opportunities, etc. AND all that for very little education).....

I had a far easier time getting my bachelor's in computer science than getting my associates (for R.N.) in nursing. I also needed almost 2 years worth of pre-reqs before I could even apply for the 2 year Nursing degree.

Add to that my school raises the bar: an A is not a 90 but a 92. Below a 76 is a F (unlike other programs). And in many schools I understand if you fail out once or twice, you're done forever.

I would not call that "a little education". :eek:

We're in jobs where one wrong move can kill a patient or lose you your license. We're one of the few workers who must come in during snow emergencies and hurricanes. Nurses don't get 9-5 desk jobs; they're on their feet 10-12+ hours. It can be very stressful.

Yes, the pay isn't bad. But it's no higher than I would've gotten with my ComSci degree (at least, before all the programming jobs were outsources to India).... and there's no way I could've killed a client with a buggy software program. :lol2:

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Yes, the pay isn't bad. But it's no higher than I would've gotten with my ComSci degree (at least, before all the programming jobs were outsourced to India).... and there's no way I could've killed a client with a buggy software program. :lol2:

LOL :)

I'll say

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