New Nurse and Jobs

[airjay81]

Ok, I am actually posting on behalf of my wife. She just finished her 2-year ADN program and is looking for a job as a nurse in the Philadelphia area. She is enrolled in a BSN completion program as well, but will be a RN after she takes her boards in the next couple of weeks (assuming she passes of course - I'm not too worried, she had a 4.0 in her nursing program). She has a bachelor's in another field and significant professional work experience (although not directly in nursing). In talking to her and doing various research myself, it has become apparent that it is incredibly hard for new nurses to find jobs these days. This comes to a shock to someone not in the medical field like myself, but it seems to be pretty true for anyone who does any amount of searching on the web on the topic.

She just landed her first interview for a job in a doctor's office, and is optimistic about her chances after the initial conversation with the hiring person. The pay is not great ($18/hour and about 32 hours a week), but it would at least be a start in the nursing field and a chance to gain some actual nursing work experience. On one hand, it is tempting to tell her to just take whatever nursing job she can get - start getting the experience and you can try for better jobs later. On the other hand, she has not passed her boards yet and really hasn't been applying to jobs for that long. In that sense, it is tempting to tell her that she shouldn't take a job like this just yet - she should give it at least a couple of months of applying for jobs at hospitals after she is actually licensed before settling on a job like this. On the whole, I am more of the opinion that she just take whatever nursing job she can get to get her foot in the door, but I thought I would solicit advice from others.

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[markpajak2]

I recommend not accepting the doctor's office position, unless it's a side job to make extra money. If her ultimate goal is to become a bedside nurse, a highly trained clinician who can work in acute care, the doctor's office job will only delay her advancement. The doctor's office job will teach her to practice in a doctor's office and little else.

If she has problems getting into a med-surg floor, then I strongly recommend sub-acute rehab. You find those jobs in local nursing homes and similar long-term care facilities. Sub-acute rehab is very similar to practicing medical-surgical nursing in a hospital. I've worked in sub-acute rehab for 3.5 years and that job taught me 90% of the things I need to know to practice in a hospital. It taught me time managment and 95% of the medications and interventions used in hospitals. The main difference is the hospital where I work now is highly computerized; everything is in cyberspace, whereas the sub-acute rehab job still had old-fashioned paper charts and paper documentation. Otherwise the jobs were very similar.

If nursing is her second career then all my friendly healthcare recruiters advise me to use the functional resume format, not a chronological resume format that lists the previous jobs. If she used to work as an engineer or a land surveyor or whatever, the recruiters will be screening her out because of unrelated experience on the resume. The job market doesn't like radical career changers (I'm one of them); they are considered high-risk candidates and will be screened out unless they have a cleverly written functional resume.

Do a keyword search on functional resumes and learn why they're so important for career changers. There are many examples of functional resumes online.

Searching for a hospital job in a large city like NYC or LA or Chicago is the worst right now because of tremendous numbers of nurses who are living there and applying all over the place. Also, each of those areas has 30+ nursing schools and those job-hungry grads are also applying everywhere adding to the mayhem. However, nursing home positions such as sub-acute rehab are still available.

However, I don't blame the hospital recruiters for being reticent to hire people without experience because it is VERY DIFFICULT, repeat VERY DIFFICULT, to orient a new grad to a hospital floor, even if they graduated on top of their class. Also, it is very expensive because it takes the trainee a very long time to become fully productive and start "making money" for the hospital.

Also, get a BSN as soon as possible. It will open up new doors of opportunities not available to LPNs and ADNs. There are beautiful opportunities for Master's degree nurses that are beyond the reach of the LPNs/ADNs.

Good luck.

[jennastiltz1986]

Gosh, when I started my bsn program 8 years ago, nursing jobs were wide open. Basically you interviewed the interviewer. Now they are in control thanks to this economy. All of the nurses married to the hot executive guys who lost their jobs in 2008, are now back in nursing. Lucky for the hospitals. I have been reading this funny book called The Male Nurse. It was written by this guy, Jake Duke, who is an RN and has his masters. Whatever, it really is a good book and tells so many true to reality stories of the frustrations of nursing school and nursing during his first few years as a nurse. I bought it off of LULU.com while I was searching for a book to let me know my aggravation is not just me.

[kathy_vacationland]

I would recommend the doctors office job for more than one reason and of course that depends on the MD. Most Md's are really glad to teach you if you ask the questions. What type of practice does he have as to speciality etc. If it is a surgeons office compared to Oncology? You pick up all kinds of different infomation as to Ins. medicaid/medicare billing etc. It is a different prespective but is very helpful and helps you develop as a nurse. Sub acture rehab is a good choice also but I would say stay away from long term care due to fact there is not enough training, tend to get overwhelmed, charting is horrendous since they ususally have two or three entities to satisy to pass inspections. At least with a office job she can learn on the job still keep her skill up and computer knowledge etc. In my own opion.

[Frankreich]

Excellent response! Unfortunately, there is a nursing glut. There never was a nursing shortage. Nursing schools are money makers and popping up everywhere. Pumping out more graduates then needed. Hospitals in my area(Chicago-land) are downsizing/rightsizing and laying off nurses especially in areas such as pediatrics.

The baby-boomers are still working and not leaving in droves as expected.

[markpajak2]

Excellent response! Unfortunately, there is a nursing glut. There never was a nursing shortage.

There are hospitals that cannot meet their growth goals because of insufficient RNs, especially BSNs.

There is a shortage of BSNs and the demand is especially high for those with at least 1 year of acute experience. Once they get their 1 year of med-surg, they are in good shape. I'm seeing it. I'm seeing kids from Illinois who have just 1 year of med-surg and they're moving to Florida and other cool states because the opportunities are wide open.

The situation is far from grim, but the candidate has to be open to the possibility of relocating in response to labor pressures. If you live in Chicago or LA or Seattle and there are 30 nursing schools within a 25 mile radius (Jesus Christ!) then you know there will be 300 candidates for each spot because the new grads alone will spam the jobs with so many applications your name will get lost in the sea of humanity.

However, a majority of the cities and towns in the country don't have RNs growing on trees. Once you move away from the large metro areas suddenly you're in the demand beause local communities have few college grads living there.

Living in a large metropolitan area gives a false impression of a nursing glut. Everybody wants to live in a hot metro area like New York City because that's where the night life is, but if that's what they want they should be prepared for the price to be paid, especially in terms of job competition.

[NURSEDETROIT]

Nursing shortage? Administratively created shortages yes, hardly for the #'s of nurses out there . . . Granted, the powers that be would like to see all BSN's; but, who is going to or wants pay for that education/expertise? Nurses have never paid what they are worth. The fewer staff RN's are being utilized to supervise all the unlicensed personnel being substituted. Most institutions, AKA administrators have created their nursing shortages; limiting staffing #'s for a given patient population; substituting unlicensed personnel; to occupy the limited "FTE's," allowed; this to stretch slim staffing budgets. It's a version of and is called a "creative staffing mix."

This all is further aided by the lack of appropriate information being front loaded into staffing programs; thus skewing the actual #'s required for given patient populations. Inappropriate information leads to poor staffing #'s; then the unrealistic expectations are placed on remaining/existing staff. . .Who suffers besides the nurse? The patients. They are not being provided with the care they expect/deserve; things get missed or staff is forced to take shortcuts. . . Detrimental for ALL those who are affected. . .However, it is ONLY the administrators who are unaffected, in their positions being insulated; no liability; they rarely see nothing wrong with any of it. Doesn't affect them directly. My question has always been; why are there SO many levels of administration, assistants to the assistants, etc., etc., . . . How about they cut out a few layers, then place those $'s where they will actually benefit patient care, towards increasing utilization of the #'s of nurses to staff units? Think I'm exaggerating? Just check out the hierarchy in any given organization anywhere; therein lies the truth. . .

[FamiliesProsper]

There are avenues where nurses can be their own boss; noone can fire us and we decide our hours and income. There is more to nursing than the biomedical models. Of course, all of the experience prior has made me stronger. However the education, drive and desire to help others is what will ultimately breed success. I'd be happy to mentor anyone that would like to take another path.

[jennastiltz1986]

Yep, nursing is tough, especially for new graduates. I think a sound critical care foundation for a year or two can serve a nurse very well down the road. I am reading a really funny book by a male nurse who describes the realities of a nursing career. It might give her some insight. It's by a guy named Jake Duke, and it is called The Male Nurse. The book Web site is malenursebook.com. Well worth the money.

[ZuziRN]

Ok...to many words..for a single straight TRUTH....andyou need to face it. You are a new grad and you need a job.

Nothing will count, neither yor grades, neither your background, neither even your age or how smart you are...neither your language ..if you are an AQUITANCE for facility they will take you and the aquitance means...WITH YOU or WITH YOU Integrated IN THE TEAM, they will make money, will not spend money, fill a postion hard to be filled, in areas unusual, use you on different shifts at any hour when anyone one dosen't want to work, for overtime and short staffing, and you will be enough mature to adapt to any conditions SMILING and not complaining and be part of the TEAM, whatever team God will bless you with lol...then YOU HAVE A JOB.

Now when you know how you need to be find a job...try again: positions to be filled with new grads are always in ICU, PICU, medsurg.

Stay away of easy jobs will not bring you the experinece that you need. And never forget from the first step NURSING MEANS MONEY, first and last!

You are in the money making circle you ARE A NURSE, you dare to be a NURSE forgeting about bussines....will going out BAD!.

You will find a job.....stay away of politics, politics are MONEY...and nurses are part of it, unfortunatelly! Hugs!

[markpajak2]

double post

[markpajak2]

Yep, nursing is tough, especially for new graduates. I think a sound critical care foundation for a year or two can serve a nurse very well down the road. I am reading a really funny book by a male nurse who describes the realities of a nursing career. It might give her some insight. It's by a guy named Jake Duke, and it is called The Male Nurse. The book Web site is malenursebook.com. Well worth the money.

So what are the 'realities' according to this guy?

I learned a majority of nursing jobs out there SUCK. I mean you get your $20-$25/hr and I'm sure for people who are struggling financially the cash alone means a lot, but the novelty of making more money wears off, and exhaustion sets in, especially if you have a toxic boss and nasty coworkers.

There are superb opportunities out there, and the better your education the better your chances. However, what I want to tell the new grads is that good nursing jobs (where you work for a great company and you like your team) are relatively few.

You will have to work extra hard to get the great jobs. A lot of nurses don't make the extra effort. They land in some hell hole and then they just give up thinking that slaughterhouse is the reality of nursing. But I believe we have the power to make our own reality.