What nursing shortage? Any tips on finding a job in Texas

DoGoodThenGo · Jul 3, 2013

I'm having a hard time getting interviews. My resume is great, I have some experience and yet I hear crickets. I am so bored and I have dropped of my resume everywhere in the area and I am considering driving 100 miles to Houston. How long did it take you to get a job? I made straight A's, passed my NCLEX in 75 questions.... here I was thinking jobs would be pouring in lol. WRONG. Guess I am learning now! I am worried it is my ADN status, which I am proud to have but will obviously need to expand to a BSN or MSN but for now I need work.

Saw something on Google news is that Parkland hospital is dying for nurses.

manusko · Jul 3, 2013

I'm having a hard time getting interviews. My resume is great I have some experience and yet I hear crickets. I am so bored and I have dropped of my resume everywhere in the area and I am considering driving 100 miles to Houston. How long did it take you to get a job? I made straight A's, passed my NCLEX in 75 questions.... here I was thinking jobs would be pouring in lol. WRONG. Guess I am learning now! I am worried it is my ADN status, which I am proud to have but will obviously need to expand to a BSN or MSN but for now I need work.[/quote']
Common misconception is that nursing shortage means more jobs in your area. There are shortages but they may not be at home. In my current city we have 3 BSN programs and a ADN program. With so many new nurses graduating each year there is a definite problem for those who want to stay in town. Later with experience you should be able to get where you want to be. I was told in anesthesia school that many people take the job location they don't want first to get where they want to go. 4 graduates from last year already moved across the country to their second job.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 4, 2013

Do you have actual nursing experience? If you do then I'm pretty sure you can get a job in your area of experience at least in the DFW area. I feel like Houston would be a good market also, though I don't know if the smaller cities job markets are holding up. My hospital is currently offering referral bonuses for ($2000 to $5000) full time hires.

When I talk to new grads they tell me most can find jobs, but it's extremely competitive if you want to work in a specialty area like L&D or ICU. The new grads in my unit (NICU) talk of hundreds of apps for just a few positions.

TXRN44 · Jul 4, 2013

Thank you! I wish my husband was able to move to DFW but he is not, so I am willing to commute the 100 miles to Houston. I am getting the "well right now we are looking at candidates with a BSN" and my experience is as an intern for 2 years while I was in school in a busy hospital so it is not what some want as experience. I have only had my license a week so I know good things come to those who wait, but I just want to get out there and bug people until I get a job :)

kguill975, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 4, 2013

All of the Memorial Herman facilities here in Houston still hire ADNs. There are 9 of them in and around Houston, so hopefully one of them will have something that interests you. Good Luck!

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 4, 2013

As far as BSN, our new grads have to sign an agreement that they will start a BSN program within 2 years (if not already BSN). We are one of the few NICUs locally that will hire non-BSN. Of course if you have decent experience then that's flexible. We have nurses that drive here from Oklahoma (not full time).

Because I am hearing more nurses state their job options were limited due to diploma/ADN, I have gone back to school.

MessyMomma · Jul 4, 2013

I know Scott & White is hiring. There's a new hospital being built in College Station. There are openings in many departments, for experienced nurses (RN & LVN) and new grads.

rumwynnieRN · Jul 4, 2013

Eh, Houston's pretty competitive. If what you said is true, you probably won't have as hard of a time finding a job (I went to Prairie View, graduated last December, GPA 3.06, moved to Arkansas, long story). A friend of mine who went to Texas Tech had a really hard time finding jobs when he moved back home to Houston, but his mom had friends at Methodist who pulled some strings. No, that's not everyone (I also have quite a few classmates who just applied to Ben Taub/LBJ, St. Luke's and Methodist, did well on interviews or bugged the hell out of HR, and got jobs), but I would caution you before up and moving without a job lined up.

As far as ADNs, the hospitals in Houston with the exception of Memorial Hermann (though they're definitely going in that direction) almost always require a BSN before they will even consider you. Prior to graduation, my GPA was below a 3.0, and Ben Taub's HR said flat out, "You need to have at least a 3.0." That said, there were a few ADNs and people with less than 3.0 GPAs who squeezed through (though they probably had 2.99s or something).

RubySlippers06 · Jul 5, 2013

I don't know where you are located byt Metroplex in Killeen (Fort Hood area) hires new grad ADN nurses.

Scooby-Dooby-Doo · Jul 5, 2013

Is Texas still new grad-friendly? I'm thinking about looking into Texas (even the less desireable places) to work. I'll have my BSN this december and will take the NCLEX after. Coming in from CA. I am working a VA hospital summer internship at the moment in Seattle. Looking for ICU positions literally anywhere in TX and was wondering where in TX are they hiring. The new grad nightmare is bad in the west coast.

I used to live in McAllen and then Moved to Houston. Lived in TX for 15 years of my life

ksyrae · Jul 5, 2013

You are absolutely right. In my city, we have 4 BSN & 1 ADN nursing schools. The trend from the area hospitals is to find reasons for firing seasoned nurses & hire new grads at a lower starting pay rate. However, there are only 3 major hospitals in the area, so flex time, cancellations, & on call for nurses really begin between late spring to mid autumn. A majority of new grads are moving away. Those who stayed in the area to practice have about a 6 month period before finding a employment.