Nursing Jobs

[kwnancy]

My DH and DD graduated May 2009.

Both had jobs before graduation. However, DH and myself relocated to Texas and DD relocated to Arkansas, both from Florida.

Both have jobs in the speciality they wanted (DH - Cardiac ICU and DD - Ped's) and in teaching hospitals.

Both started sending out resumes and applying for jobs in December. Each had phone interviews and face-to-face interviews during spring break, airfare was our expense, though hospitals paid for hotel. I estimate each applied for about 100 openings throughout the country.

So bottom line, jobs are available BUT maybe not in the geographic area you are looking for. I know DH and I have a three year plan to move back to Florida. He'll have 3 years experience with CCRN certification. DD is set to start graduate school - Ped Nurse Prac progam in the fall. Parttime while working.

Hope things work out for you,
Nancy

 

[badblackpug]

We just hired about 10 nurses. The Philadelphia area has lots of jobs. Unfortunately, many specialized departments are reluctant to hire new grads. Try a large, university-based hospital. You may have to work a med/surg or telemetry unit for a year or so until you can transfer into a more specialized unit.

 

[Belle1962]

No NICU but the VA (Veteran's Administration) is a great place to work. www.usajobs.gov

One of the neatest things is that if you need/want to move and you are in a field that requires boards/testing for licensing, etc you do NOT have to retake them. Once admitted to the VA system you are "in" for any State you may transfer to.

 

[Deb & Bill]

No NICU but the VA (Veteran's Administration) is a great place to work. www.usajobs.gov

One of the neatest things is that if you need/want to move and you are in a field that requires boards/testing for licensing, etc you do NOT have to retake them. Once admitted to the VA system you are "in" for any State you may transfer to.

Plus if you happen to train with the VA while you are in school, you may have a leg up on getting a job.

 

[My_3_Mi_Princesses]

This worries me, too. My son is starting an accelerated second degree nursing program on May 10th. He will have his BSN in one year. He already has a BS in Biology. We live in the Detroit area and this economy is really rough. We were hopeful that nursing would be a good choice for him. Obviously, nothing is ever a sure thing.

I hope the economy improves a little by the time he graduates in May, 2011.

My wife is a nurse in Metro Detroit (she as been out of school about 3 years now). One thing that helped her get hired was working as a nurse assistant for a few months at St. Mary's. Which I can belive you can do once accepted into Nursing school. As for actual jobs right now, its hit or miss. I know Beaumont was on a hiring freeze (kinda of hard to believe huh?), but St Joe's is hiring as I am sure other hospitals are. One thing I know he won't get is a day shift right away, most likely it will be rotating (some weeks days, some nights) or all night shifts.

 

[disfan07]

they are in need of nurses in the LA area.

Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, childrens hospital LA are 3 that are in LA and than outside of LA (in teh LA area) there's Providence Holy Cross.

All 4 are looking for nurses and the other hospitals here probably are as well.

 

[hugabearjo]

So Texas, and LA sounds like the sunshine is calling my name... Darn I hate that. LOL.... I love the sunshine. and the ocean. Maybe relocating is a good thing

 

[fkj2]

Things are tight here in NE Ohio as well. When I first graduated in 1975 practically ALL of my class was hired without any difficulty. Getting a job in nursing locally was a foregone conclusion. I was out of the field for about 10 years caring for an elderly mom and when I returned, I entered a different type of nursing. Oh, how things had changed.

I had a PT night turn job in a for-profit (and minor) ER that closed in early October last year. I signed with a temp agency, did a few flu clinics and got a one-day a week position with a community mental health facility that has since been sold. Nothing changed for me (through the agency) but everyone else took deep cuts. I took an opportunity to sign on with a visiting nurse association and I think that looks very promising. Totally different than anything I'd done, but I think that's the future of a great part of nursing: caring for folks in their homes.

It's undoubtedly a lull because of the economy but there are a TON of nursing grads, both LPN and RNs, but things should turn around once the economy does. May not match the past but what will????

 

[phred52]

I have been per diem for 22 years. No benefits, EXCEPT if I work 936 hours per calander year, then the hospital contributes a small percentage of my salary into a retirement fund. (averages out to 18 hours per week)

I do NOT receive a higher hourly wage than my peers. I have always and I do mean ALWAYS been able to work as many hours as I want. If I don't get put on the schedule for as much as I'd like, I let it be known I am willing to 'pick up hours' and believe me, my co-workers offer me more than I can possibly work!

I originally went per diem so I could be very flexible and work very little after my dd was born. I never looked back. Now, both DD's are in college, but I am still per diem because we love to travel. I typically take off December and January and most of the summer.

 

[hugabearjo]

Thanks again for all the input. I will definately look into per diem. If that would get my feet wet and help me be avaliable for more floors.

I will apply next week.
Just praying for something to give.

Good luck to all of us looking. I pray we all find jobs.

 

[joha]

Hang in there...I'm a CRNA and I'm also having difficulty finding a job locally.

My children are also in high school, my daughter is graduating in June, I'm also considering re-locating, the hospitals here are cutting back and there is a saturation of new grads (in my specialty).
Rough times... start working as a tech if you can, and apply in Med-Surg units as they always need nurses, is not going to be easy but it will make you a better rounded nurse. Once you have at least six months under your belt apply for the specialty units, be flexible, the shift that you may want might not be the one that is available. As a new nurse I worked nights, weekends and holidays...nursing as you know is not easy, but if you really love what you do, it would be rewarding in many ways.

All the best to you.

 

[badblackpug]

Thanks again for all the input. I will definately look into per diem. If that would get my feet wet and help me be avaliable for more floors.

I will apply next week.
Just praying for something to give.

Good luck to all of us looking. I pray we all find jobs.

Just be aware that per diem has no benefits. No insurance, no paid time off, no guarantee of hours.

 

[nunzia]

Do you have an Assoc. in Nursing or a Bachelors? I know more places are trending toward wanting their nurses to have the 4 years. My daughter is a labor and delivery nurse at a high risk university hospital. Any trouble pregnancy in the state is airlifted there, and they have a great NICU. Have you thought about looking in other parts of the country? My daughter had a couple hospitals that were hesitant about hiring new hires in high risk area, so maybe be willing to start in a different unit. But..I still say nursing is a great field to be in and I'm sure you'll find something and be on your way to a great career. My daughter is now looking at continuing on to get her Nurse Practioner.
New Mexico isn't so bad...I know Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Albuquerque & El Paso Tx have openings.

 

[connie254]

You have to remember a couple of things. There are 3 different education entries for RN-associate degree(2 years),diploma(2-3 yrs), and BSN(4 years). When the economy started going downhill was about 2 yrs ago and those who got in at that time are now looking. When the unemployed lost their health insurance, they didn't go the doctor that often and a lot of patients come in via the doctor's office. They weren't having elective procedures either. The census in hospitals dropped, therefore the budget tightened there and the hiring freeze. It'll take awhile between the economy and the health care reform enactments to get things moving again.
When I graduated in '85, the hospital I trained at hired 5 fulltime and 10 parttime out of a class of 52. 10 of us went to South Carolina to get hired. The graduating classes the year before and after us did the same. Most of us trickled back here.
Get hired in a hospital or rehab center or nursing home. Get your feet wet. Move where you want to go and progress into your dream job. I hated critical care when I was a student and slowly progressed into it. It's never a dull moment. I work on a pulmonary/neuro unit. It's hard work but I work with a great bunch. It was a horrible unit when I started there and now we are the gem of the hospital. I really wanted ob/gyn when I started but realized I needed challenges and believe me it does get challenging.

 

[pediatric-rnp]

I graduated as an RN in 1973 and as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in 1979. The economy these days has certainly changed the job scenario for new grads. Nurses aren't retiring as early as they used to, and many are staying on part-time, also. There used to be pages of jobs listed every Sunday in the paper -now only a few. They say this will be changing within a few years, and is just a temporary situation. I hope so. The organization I work for had over 40 reples to their job listing for just one RN - many were new grads who had been looking for over 6 months. One word of advice to those considering going on for their NP - as much as I love pedi nursing, I would become a family NP if I had to do it over again, rather than a PNP. It's much more marketable, IMO, since you aren't limited to just one age group.

Wishing you much success!

 

[Berrie]

My Mom has been a per diem RN my whole life. Can't be all that bad. I know she picks up a lot of shifts for other RN's who want time off, but then she has freedom to not work ANY TIME she wants. We've been on a lot of neat vacations