Where are all the jobs!!!

avip123 · Jan 5, 2011

Come here to California! But to be honest, we are not as well off either!!!

misschiatia · Jan 5, 2011

Try the midwest, specifically the st. louis , mo area. Lots of jobs out here, but i did speak with new grad RN who says she has had no luck getting the hospital job she wants either(she also works in ltc, and she agrees with the opinion that time spent in ltc "gives you bad habits" and looks bad on your resume). Don't know why. Have never had any difficulty finding job myself, but have been nurse for years. Also I prefer ltc so most of my jobs have been ltc. Do notice that many positions(hospital and otherwise) ask for experience, but many others specify "will train new grads". I tend to think, they will consider a new grad even if they ask for experience sometimesi f you bring the right stuff to your interview. Wish you all the luck in your search.

want2banrn · Jan 5, 2011

Do you happen to know where the new grad you mentioned got her degree and what type (associates, bachelors). I've heard STL is good but that is discouraging she couldn't find anything in a hospital.

Mariposa2009, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2011

I worked in LTC for a year before I got a job in a hospital. So yes, it is possible. However, I recommend that you work in a skilled area of your LTCF i.e rehab, vents, etc. These areas are more skilled and will help you keep many of your skills current.

Darkfield · Jan 5, 2011

Central New York. Gray skies and high taxes, but an ICU will hire you right out of school.

Vicky Laursen · Jan 5, 2011

in denmark we pay 35-45% taxes. Ill take ny any day.

chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jan 5, 2011

I am a new graduate working in LTC, I have heard that it is hard to get a job once you started in LTC. I really didn't have much of a option because there is not alot of jobs at hospitals for new graduates!!! And the ones that have come up, I have applied but have not had any luck, yet!!! But I needed to start nursing somewhere!!! Is it true the longer I work in LTC the harder it may be for me to get a hospital job? . . .

Your experience in LTC iwill work against you only to the extent that it means you do not have the "ideal" background that the hospital is likely looking for (which is of course, hospital experience). I would expect that you would actually have a leg up on new grads for many hospital nursing job. The environment has changed and working in LTC is no longer the negative that it may have been in the past.

And what happened to the shortage in nursing? They is very few jobs for new nurses where I am living in WA and it isn't in a remote area but just no jobs!!! Where are all the nursing jobs????????????????????

Many media outlets continue to promote the notion of a nursing shortage because both government (specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and nursing organizations (such as the ANA and the AACN) continue to state that there is such a shortage. As an example, the the BLS website presently states that:

"Overall [nursing] job opportunities are expected to be excellent, but may vary by employment and geographic setting; some employers report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs."

My personal experience, along with most of the data I see, leads me question everything about the BLS statement, except the middle part. Here in the Phila area, I can safely say that not only is there no shortage of nurses, there is a substantial oversupply. As one example, there were only 3 openings for RNs posted this past month at one larger hospital (780 beds. 306 physicians). Very small numbers of openings have really become the norm for most of the hospitals in the area and openings for new grads or RNs with limited experience are essentially non-existent. Evidence of this may be found in the numbers from own graduating class (May 2010) where less than 10% of the class have found employment. The job situation is similar at LTC facilities in the area with very few openings and essentially none for new grads. The county-run LTC facility, long considered one of the worst nursing homes around and one at which nursing pay is considerably less than the private facilities now requires a minimum of 3 years of LTC experience for consideration in hiring.

While the presently ugly employment situation will change, it will be gradual and marginal. You are actually in a relatively good position since you are working as an RN. Odds are are that if you contuse to plug away, you will eventually find a decent hospital position.

netglow, ASN, RN · Jan 5, 2011

This is what I hear about Chicagoland - not good for new grads. You must have very tight contacts to get you in if you want a hospital job as a new grad, like family/friend/political with direct hire influence. The people I know working in hospital got in this way. How well they performed in clinical/school was not addressed. So it is really only about who you know for the most part.

Also hear that hospitals are now setting minimum qualifications anywhere from 1 year, to 2 years MINIMUM experience - which must be in an acute care setting. This minimum level of experience has been showing up for the last 6 months or more. A while back the minimum used to be 6 months acute care experience. These requirements are now often for those jobs that are posted as level I (staff or clinician I). Some will tell you that they will consider NGs if they did preceptorship in a certain specialty, but often the job will be given to an experienced nurse because the market is already saturated with experienced nurses as well.

opossum · Jan 5, 2011

I think *any* experience will help you, even if it's in LTC. I graduated in June 2010 and most of our class (myself included) is still looking for employment (I live in OR). A few of my classmates work in LTC now, with the goal of working at a hospital in the future.

It's true that hospitals require 1-2 years acute care experience for most positions. Just play up your assessment skills that you're utilizing in LTC and time management during job interviews. It's better than no nursing experience! Having LTC experience will definitely not hurt your prospects of working in acute care.

Good luck!

msdaschcav · Jan 5, 2011

When you find out, will you please let me know :uhoh3:cause jobs are surely not in Miami Florida. I got my license in NOV 2009 (while 7 mths pregnant) and still looking for a job. Unfortunately, no fortunately, I have a family and it is not feasible to move to some of the places where they are hiring new grads. Home health seems to be one of the places that will take new grads. That sounds risky to me since you get no actual training & are on your own in HH:devil:. I don't want to risk my license that i just worked very hard for. Luckily I still have my administrative job making ok $$ but I am ready to start working on my license.