Well the local nursing schools have FINALLY DONE IT

StillThinking · Dec 23, 2008

I find your comments interesting since here in Orlando we new grads are facing the same thing. There currently is a hiring freeze at Orlando Health, and the few GN spots that were available before the freeze were few. I have friends who finished over the summer of 2008 who still have not started working as RNs. What I hear from H.R. recruiters here is that there is a shortage of experienced nurses, not a shortage of nurses. Florida Hospital has nursing positions available if you have experience. Perhaps we new grads may have to expand our search options and not just look locally for a job. I never thought I'd be facing this and feel a bit duped, since for years and years all I ever heard about was the "nursing shortage".

Codeda · Dec 24, 2008

When I went to Florida hospital a few weeks ago ( tech position) there was only 1 new grad there with about 25 RNs that were experienced. A bunch of nurses shipped in from overseas also. I was thinking it was weird but I guess not. I am starting nursing school next year and I'm thinking that the plan is to move when I am done unless its easier for nurses to get a job by the time I'm done. The question is where to move? Is it a state wide thing ( heard there was a freeze in Tampa and Miami also). What to do.

jjjoy, LPN · Dec 24, 2008

This was an issue in some areas back in the mid-90s as well. In my area, southern California, there was quite a bit of downsizing and layoffs. Hospitals preferred to hire experienced nurses who would up to be speed and need less assistance than new grads. Most of my graduating class did not have job offers prior to graduation and it took several months for many to get jobs as RNs. Eventually, the demand picked again. So have hope that this is a temporary lull!

orlandocutie · Dec 24, 2008

I just graduated also, however I am not limiting myself to just hospitals... there's hospice, corrections, clinics, Dr. offices, schools, home care, insurance companies, dialysis..the possibilities are endless.

Apply everywhere....someone will hire you in no time..then once you get some exp, try at the hospital. This is my second career....I have a BS in business (useless degree) and worked in HR for 8 yrs. Changing to nursing is by far the best decision I ever made.

Good Luck in your job search!!!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2008

I haven't heard of that happening here in the Tampa Bay area.

Good luck.

StillThinking · Dec 24, 2008

Orlandocutie makes an interesting comment about including other facilities besides hospitals in our job search, such as clinics, nursing homes, etc. My only concern with that is that I have been forewarned by hospital nurses that once you switch to non-hospital nursing care, nobody will ever hire you again to work in a hospital. Somehow they feel that you have lost your acute clinical skills and are not skilled enough to practice nursing care to hospital patients. A friend of mine worked in a nursing home for a couple years after graduating and when she applied at the hospital she was told that she would need to take a remediation course to get her clinical skills up to speed. It is almost as if you are blacklisted if you leave the hospital environment. Have any of you ever heard of this? I thought that orientation would be enough for a nurse to get back into the hospital, but apparently nurse managers don't think so.

hawkfdc · Dec 25, 2008

I'm right there with you. I graduated in Jacksonville in August, got my license but couldn't find a job. I finally found a job in Ocala, 120 miles away! Shands is on a hiring freeze system wide, looks like until they get the new tower at UF open and get the AGH nurses transfered over there. Its brutal right now. I might have to unmercifully beat the next person that says "but there's such a shortage of nurses....." BS is usually what I tell them.

nurz2be · Dec 26, 2008

There are about 5 students in my class who are just considering taking their NCLEX in August, passing of course, and then moving out of state. 2 classes ahead of us that graduated in March this year, only 4 of 24 got jobs locally. A few found themselves relocating to Tampa, Tallahassee, and the border of Georgia just for work...... I am totally up to my eyeballs in the "what to do". At least I have a few months to get some more sense of what is happening before I have to get a UHaul.....sigh

Thanks for all your posts so far.

9livesRN, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2008

geez this is scarry, i was counting on being hired as soon as i am done!

i plan to move to tampa though... i guess i will try looking there also for a GN position

Golfguy72 · Dec 31, 2008

Hello,

I think you might want to go to Tampa Generals website. they need a couple dozen RN's.

Best of luck.

B

j621d · Dec 31, 2008

I just graduated also, however I am not limiting myself to just hospitals... there's hospice, corrections, clinics, Dr. offices, schools, home care, insurance companies, dialysis..the possibilities are endless.
Apply everywhere....someone will hire you in no time..then once you get some exp, try at the hospital. This is my second career....I have a BS in business (useless degree) and worked in HR for 8 yrs. Changing to nursing is by far the best decision I ever made.
Good Luck in your job search!!!

I beg to differ regarding the "useless degree." I have a Bachelors in Business Administration (prior to my BSN), and it has opened doors for me. When you are ready to leave floor nursing that degree will set you apart from other nurses, and I actually tell people to take classes such as business in order to set themselves apart from other BSN nurses. No education is wasted (maybe not utilized, but never wasted!)

:twocents: