What The Bleep Happened To The Shortage?

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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:

Do you think you are overqualified? maybe requiring more $$ than they want to pay???? just a thought, I thought there was a great shortage, too....there sure is in the South......we have an ad in the paper all the time....we are constantly hiring new nurses, some stay, some don't....but usually work short staffed....Unless this is all propaganda to keep us all working short-staffed...someone mentioned this, now I am starting to agree....:banghead:

aloevera, where are you and what hospital do you work at that's hiring....live in Boston but want to one day soon relocate to anywhere with palm trees.:D

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, OR.

Just remember, when you send a resume' to a hospital as a new grad, all you have (unless you have other job experience) is your educational performance. People who have made excellent grades or who have recieved honors place them in the resume'. If they haven't made good grades only passed, they just state they graduated.

Your resume' is your personal advertisement. Hospitals don't hire you because they feel sorry for you. They hire you based on what you project on paper first then they make the final decision based on your interview.

I am sure that you all know this. But, just to make sure come to an interview with enthusiasm, willing to do whatever to get your foot in the door, and come with an idea of your 3,5 and 10 year career goals.

It costs so much to train a new nurse that you have to come prepared--specialty areas will not hire people who just show up and do shift work. They want involved, creative, critical thinkers who would like to stay put for a while.

Take a good look at your career goals and get a path planned for yourself. Hospitals will look at you more favorably. Unfortunately you have to pay your dues. You may not get want you want at first, but things change very fast in a hospital setting, jobs open up almost overnight. So once you get in, check the job boards frequently and talk with your supervisor, manager to let them know what you really want and they will work with you if you show that you are motivated to do a good job, show up on time,work well with others, don't call out and give good patient care.

If you can do those things, chances are you will get what you want.

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To Gerry 79....... I had a "B" average in nursing school, so there is no grade envy on my part. But, I never once thought I was any better than the "C" student across from me. We all have our gifts and talents, so I don't look down on people because of their grades.

You call it a broad stroke, but everything I am reading is dealing with grades. You must pass the nursing school curiculum and make the grade. You must pass the NCLEX, you must pass the hospital test to get a job and then the real learning begins.

Oh, and by the way, I have seen "C" nurses pass the NCLEX on the first attempt, whereas I have seen "A" nurses take it over and over.

I have also seen "A" nurses struggle on the floor and some actually quit.So don't throw that grade envy at me. Grow up and open your eyes and quit being judgemental.

Seems you may have a chip on your shoulder.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
To Gerry 79....... I had a "B" average in nursing school, so there is no grade envy on my part. But, I never once thought I was any better than the "C" student across from me. We all have our gifts and talents, so I don't look down on people because of their grades.

You call it a broad stroke, but everything I am reading is dealing with grades. You must pass the nursing school curiculum and make the grade. You must pass the NCLEX, you must pass the hospital test to get a job and then the real learning begins.

Oh, and by the way, I have seen "C" nurses pass the NCLEX on the first attempt, whereas I have seen "A" nurses take it over and over.

I have also seen "A" nurses struggle on the floor and some actually quit.So don't throw that grade envy at me. Grow up and open your eyes and quit being judgemental.

Seems you may have a chip on your shoulder.

Whoa, hold on here, that's a pretty harsh judgment there! You actually seem to be the one here who knows everyones grades and are keeping track of their performance on the NCLEX and as a nurse. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.
To Gerry 79....... I had a "B" average in nursing school, so there is no grade envy on my part. But, I never once thought I was any better than the "C" student across from me. We all have our gifts and talents, so I don't look down on people because of their grades.

You call it a broad stroke, but everything I am reading is dealing with grades. You must pass the nursing school curiculum and make the grade. You must pass the NCLEX, you must pass the hospital test to get a job and then the real learning begins.

Oh, and by the way, I have seen "C" nurses pass the NCLEX on the first attempt, whereas I have seen "A" nurses take it over and over.

I have also seen "A" nurses struggle on the floor and some actually quit.So don't throw that grade envy at me. Grow up and open your eyes and quit being judgemental.

Seems you may have a chip on your shoulder.

Sorry to have offended you, that was not my intention. Nor do I want to get into a p*ssing contest with you, but reading your post, you implied that A nurses were not as good as C nurses. Sure we must all pass the required tests to become an RN, so yes grades do matter in that sense. Also, I am not judging you at all, just wondering where you gathered your data for the statement you wrote. You still have not shown the empirical evidence that proves C nurses are better than A nurses. Those are your words, not mine. Also I graduated with a B average from my ADN program, and currently hold an A average in my BSN program so no issues here.

As I said earlier, sorry if I offend you. That was not my intention.

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One of the best nurses I will ever meet, the docs loved her, management adored her, the most wonderful, compassionate person you would ever meet and she struggled through nursing school and the NCLEX, but she is now a R.N. and the best nurse I know!!!! She is also my best friend.

It is not all about grades. It how you treat your patients and people, and how caring you are to mankind. You are making grades to be the the one and only factor in nursing. YOU ARE WRONG!

Your nursing license will get you in the door, but ultimately it is how you perform on the job that will determine your success! You could be an A+ student and be lousy.

So don't get cute with me...smarty pants.

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, OR.

lets move on

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Hi Gerry79,

I hope I did not offend you either.

Like stated earlier, my nursing instructor informed us that "C" nurses make some of the best nurses. That didn't deter me from not studying hard, because you always fear that you will fail. Nursing school is not a Cake Walk.

Also my husband said that "C" engineering students make some of the best engineers. Of course, he does not tell his students that. Also my best friend in nursing school really struggled but she is now the best nurse I know and docs love her, management adores her, and her patients always want her to be their nurse. I want to be just like her and she took the NCLEX 5 times.

I feel your success is not dictated by your grade point average. It is what you learn on the job, how compassionate you are to your patients, and how willing you are to flexible, easy to get along with and a true love for the job. Thanks, and I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Warm Regards.

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Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.

Aloevera, I am finding overqualification is a problem. My hospital won't hire me because I have a BSN and it's a few dollars more an hour. They hire mostly ADN and diploma nurses who are in an NP program. So the major acute hospitals are full and the subacute/LTC facilities don't want ya because you cost too much! It's ironic and sad.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.
Hi Gerry79,

I hope I did not offend you either.

Like stated earlier, my nursing instructor informed us that "C" nurses make some of the best nurses. That didn't deter me from not studying hard, because you always fear that you will fail. Nursing school is not a Cake Walk.

Also my husband said that "C" engineering students make some of the best engineers. Of course, he does not tell his students that. Also my best friend in nursing school really struggled but she is now the best nurse I know and docs love her, management adores her, and her patients always want her to be their nurse. I want to be just like her and she took the NCLEX 5 times.

I feel your success is not dictated by your grade point average. It is what you learn on the job, how compassionate you are to your patients, and how willing you are to flexible, easy to get along with and a true love for the job. Thanks, and I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Warm Regards.

:icon_hug:

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I don't think there really is a shortage, never thought there was. There was a time with nurses didn't chose to work because of the stress, the work load, the respect from MDs in some rare cases...etc. Hospitals say there is a shortage so they can run short. It is propaganda...nothing more, nothing less.

You made a good point. Believe it or not but of the arguments of the hospital industry why Mass can not implement safe nursing ratios is because there is a shortage of nurses....What a bluff..:down:

Although Mass Senate passed nursing bill on July 17, 2008, they eliminated provisions regarding safe ratios.

Read the crap below and let your State Senator know what you think about it.

Also http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/state_senate_rejects_patientnu.html

Carol M. Smith, executive vice president at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, which has 430 registered nurses, said the Senate bill is "a wonderful compromise."

She said quality of care could be weakened by hard-and-fast ratios set by the state. Smith said state-mandated staffing levels would have been too rigid and too costly.

"There is a nursing shortage," Smith said. "It would have been very difficult to find the higher number of nurses we would need to provide one nurse for every four patients."

:yeah:

People, remember you have to be proactive!!!!!

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
aloevera, where are you and what hospital do you work at that's hiring....live in Boston but want to one day soon relocate to anywhere with palm trees.:D

I PM'd you with the info......let me know if you did not receive...

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