Where have all the jobs gone?

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when i graduated in 2003, there were so many nursing positions. now there are a handful of jobs. where have all the jobs gone? i have a few thoughts on the matter: 1) nurses who retired are back in the workforce due to loss of spouse's job or loss (or decrease) of retirement savings 2) part-time, prn nurses became full-time 3) administration cutting back on nsg hours due to the economy (having said that, i'm not sure about due to the fact that you can cut back nursing hours, but you can't cut back on the amount of people requiring health care). do you have any theories on why?

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

There are a lot of threads related to this, and those are the main beliefs among many nurses. Many before have said, "there never was a nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses willing to work in hospitals. Since many are now the primary income in their home or have had benefits cut and are working again, the truth has revealed itself.

I pity the tons of new grads out there who cannot find work.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

also, people are putting off getting medical attention because they cannot pay for it.

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Census is low for some reason.

They are not hiring, instead are asking existing employees to pick up an extra four hours or an extra shift.

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I have been graduated for 3 months...I passed boards, ACLS, PALS and still can not find a job. I am willing to move anywhere in the Country and daily search for positions. Sad time...I have such a deep passion to help others but instead I am stuck at my old job (15 hrs a week) which barely pays the bills.

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I'm in the same boat. I've been searching job boards and sending applications and my resume to agencies, hospitals and nursing homes everyday for the past 2 months and I've got nothing. So now I'm applying for other types of jobs as well as nursing. When I began school it seemed the demand was so high.

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Specializes in NICU.

I graduate in a few weeks, and am absolutely terrified. I am going to have two degrees, and yet somehow am unhirable. My husband relocated to New England a year and a half ago when his company shut down here in MI. I stayed behind with our daughter because I had already started the nursing program here. His company flew us out to visit Connecticut when we were considering the move, back in 2007, and at a big community reception that the company threw for the possible new transfers, there were repersentatives at hospitals LITERALLY chasing me around the room. They were throwing business cards at me left and right. Now as I have started applying, I am receiving emails from these very same people saying 'thanks but no thanks, we are only looking for experienced nurses'.

I'm close to pulling out my hair. In MI the economy tanked so long ago...our unemployment rate is over 15%. My first degree is in El Ed, which there were no jobs available in when I graduated with in 2003. I wasn't that sad, because to be honest I wasn't that excited about teaching. But now history is repeating itself and there are no jobs available with my nursing degree, either here in MI or in CT. I'm really sad about that, becase I really want to be a nurse! At least the good thing for me is that in general, the economy in CT isn't in as bad of shape as it is in MI, so hopefully that means it will pick up quicker. It had better do it quick though....I really want to practice as a nurse, but I can't wait around indefinately.

And can I also add how frustrated I am when people say to me 'oh, you'll surely get a job right away, they ALWAYS need nurses'. I seriously feel like I'm going to punch the next person that says that to me.:angryfire

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I understand completely....I will also scream at the next person who says "but we are in a nursing shortage!" or "all my RN friends found jobs so quick, even while in school." I get so tired explaining to society that there is a huge lack of RN jobs.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

We are seeing it in Southeastern Pa..I work in LTC and we have recently had more RN's apply then I ever remember.They can't get jobs in acute care. None of our local hospitals are hiring.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I know there are many reasons and I am not saying this is the only, but just another...but what about the number of students schools are putting out? When I first started my nursing pre-reqs the schools were still going out to high schools to advertise nursing as a great career, they never had waiting lists, and their seats were not filled. During my pre-reqs was when the big to do was made about the "nursing shortage"and many news paper articles made nursing sound like a lucrative job. Maybe nurses that have been on here for years can attest to the sudden increase in nursing students in the last 6 years or so. By the time I finished my pre-reqs (I was working so it took me more than the year it takes most) and applied they had to create a waiting list. The semester before I applied was the first year that the JC had to create a waiting list due to the high applications. Luckily I got into a school that did merit ranking and I was never on a list.

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I also think there are too many students being promised jobs and being put through school...I was lucky enough to not be on a "list". In the end it is all about the $$$$

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I'm in NJ. The nursing homes here are not hiring new graduates either. They only hire per diem. I'm facing a choice either move out of state, or look for a non-nursing job.

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