What The Bleep Happened To The Shortage?

Published

i live in boston, i graduated from a well known school of science with a bs in health sciences and then got my adn . i am more than qualified to work in a great hospital but i still can't find a job where i want to work so i have to ask...what the bleep happened to the shortage???????? :argue: every time someone says "oh, you won't have a problem getting a job as a nurse, there's such a demand" i just wanna kick them in the stomach but instead i say "oh no my friend, there are more nurses in ma than the states knows what to do with". i feel a little betrayed, schools don't tell you that the shortage is over in ma and go get a bsn because thats what hospitals really want and that's if you can get them to look at your resume :down:. does anyone else feel this way or am i just bitter that there is no shortage! :banghead:

Let me add my voice to this! Instead of what the bleep happened to the shortage... perhaps it would be interesting to ask: WHAT nursing shortage?

I took a RN Refresher Course after staying home to raise children for a number of years... had graduated years ago with a BSN with Honors, member of Sigma Theta Tau, did well in my refresher course clinical and classroom settings.

I have been looking for 2 months for a position doing any sort of nursing that would offer a day shift, and finally found a Per Diem position at a home health agency. Not my first choice, but a place to start.

The irony is that hospitals will hire traveling nurses and pay big bucks for their work, while overburdening and under-serving their own staff RN's.

Another irony is the level of competence of the nurses already employed in the sorts of jobs I applied for and couldn't get.... apparently quality of care is not a consideration. :twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
i live in boston, i graduated from a well known school of science with a bs in health sciences and then got my adn . i am more than qualified to work in a great hospital but i still can't find a job where i want to work so i have to ask...what the bleep happened to the shortage???????? :argue: every time someone says "oh, you won't have a problem getting a job as a nurse, there's such a demand" i just wanna kick them in the stomach but instead i say "oh no my friend, there are more nurses in ma than the states knows what to do with". i feel a little betrayed, schools don't tell you that the shortage is over in ma and go get a bsn because thats what hospitals really want and that's if you can get them to look at your resume :down:. does anyone else feel this way or am i just bitter that there is no shortage! :banghead:

come to michigan, there is plenty of nursing jobs here

Up Vote Up Vote ×

there continues to be a nursing shortage.. unfortunately most hospitals will not look at you until you have a minimun of 6 mo experience.. many ltc facilities also want experience.. it is very expensive to train someone.. it means 2 nurses for 1 job.. and then.. following that.. after maybe 3 months.. the new nurse knows it all and decides to move on.. this makes facilities wary of taking new grads.. look for bldgs that welcome new grads and want to work with them.. also.. look at ltc .. it is a great way to learn.. it hones your assessment skills and critiical thinking.. i relish new grads for their thirst for knowledge.. desire to succeed and sense of adventure..

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, I don't know what's going on in your neck of the woods, but there is absolutely a nursing shortage in some areas of the country. I live in central America and I can assure you there IS a shortage.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Well, I don't know what's going on in your neck of the woods, but there is absolutely a nursing shortage in some areas of the country. I live in central America and I can assure you there IS a shortage.

You must mean the heartland of the USA, not Central America?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Agreed - it depends on where you live. I am in California and the hospitals in my area have plenty of open positions. I visited my Dr. this past Friday and he had plenty to say about the need for nurses out here. I have done some job searches in neighboring states and they also show lots of openings.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well here in Dallas you could find a great job at Baylor, they want you right out of school and into an internship program. Also Children's, Parkland, Medical City and Presbyterian Hospitals to name a few. We NEED nurses. Also they are offering sign on bonuses and relocation. We have great benefits too.. There is a shortage here and with a BS and ADN you can find a job.:twocents::nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
Let me add my voice to this! Instead of what the bleep happened to the shortage... perhaps it would be interesting to ask: WHAT nursing shortage?

I took a RN Refresher Course after staying home to raise children for a number of years... had graduated years ago with a BSN with Honors, member of Sigma Theta Tau, did well in my refresher course clinical and classroom settings.

I have been looking for 2 months for a position doing any sort of nursing that would offer a day shift, and finally found a Per Diem position at a home health agency. Not my first choice, but a place to start.

The irony is that hospitals will hire traveling nurses and pay big bucks for their work, while overburdening and under-serving their own staff RN's.

Another irony is the level of competence of the nurses already employed in the sorts of jobs I applied for and couldn't get.... apparently quality of care is not a consideration. :twocents:

It sounds like your expectations are a little high. You might want to consider taking a nightshift position, proving yourself, then applying for days.

I'm curious, how you know the level of competence of nurses working there already?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i am also in california.. orange county to be more specific.. we definitely have a shortage.. i am looking for nurses and all i get are applicants fresh out of nursing school.. or those from foreign countries... i see very few american applicants.. we have a nursing shortage... and one that will continue for many more yrs to come..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It sounds like your expectations are a little high. You might want to consider taking a nightshift position, proving yourself, then applying for days.

I'm curious, how you know the level of competence of nurses working there already?

Hi, I cannot take a night shift position due to parenting responsibilities while my spouse is deployed with the Army. I know about the competency because of my clinical experiences during the RN Refresher course, 120 hours at a local hospital and hospice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You want to relocate you can pick your job (to a point). I'm in the Dallas area and !right now! there are jobs. The facility I work at has, I believe, around 100 openings. I could work seven days a week, seriously! What's hard to find is quality/qualified nurses to fill them.

$: New grads... don't hold me to it... I think start in the mid $20's in this area.

One of the major healthcare players in this area is the Baylor system. They are building a new facility, north of Dallas, within a 3 minute walk from my house. Opening with approximately 100 beds with plans to expand to 400. We're all asking how're they going to staff it? Another major system has plans for a facility here also. Guess pay is going up! :yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg, post-partum, ER, psychiatric.

There is a nursing shortage:sniff:; however, as one writer posted, for EXPERIENCED RNs unfortunately. I went down the same road, when I was newly graduated, in trying to find a job that would accept a newly graduated RN. Add to that I was (and still am) a medic.:yeah: I wanted to focus primarily on working the ER; however, much to my amazement (and discouragement), because it was NOT nursing experience, I was not eligible to be hired into an ED:crying2:....go figure.....I could do more things than an experienced ER RN in some cases..................but it was not "nursing" experience.......forget the fact that pre-hospital, we have to make life and death decisions for a patient, get that patient stabilized before transport, make decisions of which we "stay and play" or "load and go" depending upon that patient's situation/status at that moment, make decision of we air lift or ground transport, and so forth. Talk about having to use some major "critical thinking" skills.................and get that patient stabilized enough to get to the ED (and pretty much "cleaned up")........all the while dealing with gawkers, the noises/sounds, triaging (prehospital), the smells, multi-casulaties in some cases...............so tell me where that doesn't qualify a medic to work in the ED as an RN.:banghead: It got to the point, that I said I would hire on as a medic/EMT vice RN and then when I was "deemed worthy" enough to be an ED RN, then hire me. I did have two ED's who finally were willing to "preceptor" me, but by that time, I opted to change paths a wee bit and get into psychiatric nursing (by the way, I ended up, before going the psych route, working medical-surgical to get that "experience".........and did a few "rotations" in the ED (and since I worked in a smaller hospital we RNs essentially did it all (minus the OR of which had their own team)). Did some L&D,post-partum, M/S, post-op, ortho, ER, et al............even with that, and pursuing the ED route, still "not qualified" enough.............it was then I indicated I would work as a medic/EMT in the ED first....................At any rate, yes, there is a nursing shortage overall but for those in experienced/specialized fields. The challenge is to get that "experience":jester:...........it's there and it takes some work to get "there!".:typing..................There are some hospitals that will do "preceptorships" for newly graduated RNs and especially designed for newly graduated RNs.......especially before they pass their NCLEX and are still GN's......

I work in a state psych hospital and love it overall. It's challenging and most definitely never ever a dull moment. I am also still a medic of which my certification runs out the end of this year, but the department I am with, will retain me as an RN, so..............................at any rate, don't give up hope and try not to be discouraged.............if I can do it, so can you...............you just may have to beat down several doors before "getting there!".....................:banghead:

Posted by fellow RN who's "been there and done that!" in the job quest.

:-) :loveya:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion