New Graduate RN's and the Nursing Shortage

Sadly, it is acurate. I know from personal experience.

I am a new nurse in FL who can't get a job. All the media talks about is how recession proof this field is and it's making me sick to my stomach because I graduated LAST YEAR and despite hundreds of applications, not so much as a single callback.

This article accurately debunks this myth that having a nursing degree/license is going to payoff in the immediate future. From where I'm sitting, unless you have a hook-up in the hospital prior to graduating, you will be hard pressed to find anyone who wants to hire a nurse without experience.

The story is unfortunately, accurate. I graduated from an RN program and passed boards last summer here is California and have submitted at least 75 resumes the 2 inverviews I went to told me I did not get the job due to lack of experience as an RN. I can not even volunteer, they turned me down for that as well. So frustrating.

I think this article is right on the money. I wish it wasn't true but it is. Unfortunately the only people who seem to be aware of this problem, are mostly the new grads that are going through it. Everyone I talk to about my recent graduation is in disbelief when I tell them I can't find a job. I wish more people were aware...perhaps it would also help this very unfortunate situation we are facing.

I wish this article would have been published before I wasted 3 years of my life (1 year waiting list to get into nursing program + 2 years to graduate) and racked up over $20,000 in student loan debt. I graduated near top of my class, passed the licensing exam on first try, applied to literally every hospital and med clinin within an hour drive of my large metro area, and not so much as a call back. When I inquired to some hiring managers, I was told there are sometimes hundreds of new applicants each year and the jobs just aren't there. If I could go back in time I would have never bought into the hype of the "nursing shortage". People who write such articles (and college entrance counselors who encourage students to enroll in nursing, knowing full well their chances of getting a job are slim) should be ashamed of themselves.

I can't get a job and really don't know how to get a job now because they require one year experience everywhere. How can I get experiences if no one hires me???

This is a shame really, I never thought a day will come when i will be unemployed despite having a BSN degree. Everyone is saying things will open up in a year or two but i don't believe that at all. Don't get me wrong, some new grads do get nursing jobs mainly through a friend or family member working in the nursing facility. The media and all these schools need to stop the massive advertising and the lies that nurses are in demand. They may be in demand alright but only to those with experience, how will one become experienced if no one is hiring? Another thing i don't understand is how the current economy affects hospitals. Healthcare facilities are not like business corporations where you voluntarily seek their services. Anyone can fall sick or get involved in some kind of accident and when that happens they have no choice but to seek medical treatment which is covered by insurance at least for 90% of Americans with insurance. The only healthcare service that i know are voluntary services are elective surgeries and medical check-ups. So i don't see why hospitals are cutting back. So what if it costs money to train new grad nurses? weren't nursing managers and all these experienced nurses once new grads? if no one took a shot at them will they be where they are today? this whole thing is a mess, it will take too long to get better, new grad nurses today won't be so new later when they start hiring.

There is a nursing shortage

We are experiencing a nursing shortage and it will only get worse as our population ages and require a greater amount of care. Data from the 2006 U.S. Census showed that people over age 65 account for 12% or 37 million of the total population. This figure will dramatically increase during the 2010-2030 period when baby boomers retire. So will our need for nurses. Unfortunately, current statistics show that this need will be difficult to fill. A study in 2009 by Dr. Peter Buerhaus of Vanderbuilt University revealed that the nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 RNs by 2025.

One of the factors that contribute to this shortage is increased workload. Staffing issues are forcing nurses to care for more patients with increasing levels of acuity. This limit the time nurses can spend with their patients and greatly affects the overall quality of care given. Job dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion could influence nurses to leave the profession.

Another factor contributing to the shortage is the aging nursing workforce. The 2004 National Sample Survey data released by the Federal Division of Nursing showed that the average age of nurses went up from 45.2 in 2000 to 46.8 in 2004. On the other hand, the population of nurses under 30 dropped 1% in the same period.

Maybe the most important reason behind the shortage is the fact that we are not graduating enough nurses to keep up with the demand. There are plenty of applicants for the nursing program but we only have a limited nursing faculty. Financial compensation is viewed as 1 reason why not too many nurses go on to teach. Partly as a result of the lack of nursing faculty, AACN reported in 2009 that U.S. nursing schools have turned away 49,948 qualified applicants for baccalaureate and graduate programs.

We could argue that there isn’t really a nursing shortage because nurses, especially new graduates, might find it difficult to get jobs in today’s economy. As Marian Henderson mentioned in her article, the recession is forcing health care institutions to limit hiring of new nurses. New nurses have to be trained and precepted by an experienced nurse and the training itself is time consuming. These are added expenses that health care institutions cannot afford at the moment. New nurses are also facing increased competition from part-time nurses who are now working more and from nurses who have left the profession but are now coming back. The reality is that jobs, not just in health care, are scarce given the current recession.

However, this doesn’t change the fact that nurses are a major player in health care. Nurses are required in most (if not all) settings of health care. Nurses make up the majority of workers in the hospital setting. In some community areas, nurses are the only link the public has to health care. There is a need for nurses but the economy’s effect on nursing jobs is masking that need. Eventually, we have to acknowledge that need whether or not the economy recovers right away.

When the economy gets better, job satisfaction will once again influence nurses to limit their working hours or leave the profession altogether, aging nurses will eventually retire, and our lack of nursing faculty will continue to limit our ability to graduate nurses. Yes there is a nursing shortage and it will only get worse. If we are to prepare for the worst part of the shortage, we have to address these issues now. We must develop or continue programs that improve nurses’ working conditions, provide funding to make nursing education more affordable, increase clinical sites, and provide incentives to nurses who decide to teach. Maybe then we don’t have to rely so much on importing nurses from other countries when the time comes.

Marvin from Arizona

As a recent graduate, with a degree outside of health care, I could not find a job either in my field and decided to apply to nursing program as it appeared more recession-proof job than many other fields. However I was surprised to learn that our RN's cannot find jobs at the time when nurses from Phillippines keep filling few jobs that are out there. It just doesn't make sense...

I agree with this article. And would like to add a comment about the comment on April 5, 2010; There is no NURSE shortage only nursing JOBS shortage. I graduated with good grades, passed NCLEX on the first try and the hospitals in this area are only looking for experience. Every job states that one year med/surg experience required, NEW grads will not be considered! What is a new grad supposed to do if no one will hire them so they can get experience????

Here is why this happened, all the retirement aged nurses went back to work or kepted working when their 401K's tanked. They then made changes to more conservative 401K's based on financial planning idiots and never recovered their losses when it went back up. Now they are stuck back working as long as they are able. It happened to my Mom. Wallstreet will bring this country to its knees again and again until we learn not to be so greedy.

Keep trying.......other occupations even have a much harder time finding a job. I recently going hire at an acute hospital, in a specialty already with no experience what so ever. There are openings out there. Try applying at hospitals that aren't advertising. Find someone who can refer you.

If you cant get a job at a hospital go to a psych facility or a nursing home...they hire people all the time because burnout results in a high turnover rate. After 6 to 8 months of shooting schizos with thorazine IM's go back and apply to the hospitals, they will probably hire you then knowing what you endured in a psych facility. only drawback is psych facillities pay a little less.

In part, everyone is missing the boat, the real reasons there is a nursing shortage. One comment suggests that there is not a shortage of nurses, only a shortage of jobs. That may be correct to some degree. One thing to remember is that nursing has now become a specialized occupation much like medicine. This make for mass shortages in some areas of nursing and over abundance of nurses in other areas. Organizations are not willing to provide the training of nurses in shortage areas and often positions in shortage areas require not just one year of experience but often 3 to 5 years of experience. Just as disadvantaged are those nurses who left nursing to raise families or care for their aging parents or any number of other reasons. Even though these nurses may have had the experience, that in itself is not enough because it needs to be recent or within the last couple years. Has anyone bothered to look at the unemployment rate for nurses, including new grads who have passed their boards. Sadly, no one wants to spend the money to provide the training it will take to nurture the nurses that are available. Many organizations who employ nurses seem to forget that going to nursing school is only the foundation. A new or re entry nurse needs the opportunity of experience and guidance through that experience to truly develop the level of competence and confidence required to provide safe compassionate patient care. For those of you who have been nurses and happen to read this, perhaps you recall the phenomenon of "Nurses eat their young" This hasn't changed because the powers to be refuse to acknowledge or address this issue. This and lack of adequate orientation and on the job training are only two of the factors contributing to the high turnover rate of new grads. New grads are considered a risk and therefore are not provided adequate opportunity to participate in their chosen profession. Legislators want to blame the nursing shortage on overcrowded nurse education programs and lack of educators. This will only result in more unemployed nurses which does not solve the crisis. In fact, it only contributes in raising the already critical unemployment rate overall. One other factor I wish to call to attention is the recent resurgence of pre-employment tests that screen out individuals. This only reinforces the idea that organizations want to pass blame for their organizational and legal problems off onto individuals who they inadequately trained. Its all about the bottom line, profit or nonprofit everyone has to meet their budget. Just remember, many of the pre-employment assessments/surveys that are sometimes required during the application process, are really just tools for Human Resources to screen out individuals who may be a risk to the bottom line. These assessments/surveys are presented in a superficial manner and often the applicant is unaware of their true purpose. So next time you fill out an online application and they require you to complete a 111 question survey as part of the process, do a little research. These assessments/surveys are designed to hire for fit and if you are a new grad, chances are you are not a fit for the organization. They generally provide a rating based on a norm. Question is, a "norm" where, in the US or in the other countries from where many of our nurses come from? With such a diverse population of nurses, how can these pre-employment assessments/surveys not be discriminatory in hiring practices. If you don't fit within the norm, then you often won't even be contacted for an interview. Problem is, you may never know and HR and hiring managers will continue to use this strategy to benefit the bottom line. Imagine if you could tell a regulatory organization that the reason your organization is short staffed is because of lack of qualified or "best fit" individuals to fill the positions. Unfortunately, instead of these regulatory entities addressing the on the job orientation and training issues, they support and condone the lack of experienced individuals to fill the jobs. Talk about stress and poor patient care, its no wonder because the real problems are being ignored. There are only so many qualified or "best fit" nurses. If ignorance of adequate training/orientation as well as the screening out those who are not "best fit" continues, so will the nurse shortage and the unemployment rate for nurses.

By the way, psych facilities are not hiring either and with the loss of mental health budgets, particularly in California, it will only get worse. Additionally mental health organizations will give you the least amount of training needed to provide safe patient care or for that matter safety for yourself than any other area of nursing. If you come out of school and go into mental health, you will rob yourself of opportunities in other nursing care areas later on.

It is sad, frustrating, & depressing. In my situation I worked as a LPN for abt 3 yrs when I decided to go back and get my ADN and achieved my license to practice as a RN December 2009.

Due to the economy and with me in school I was forced to choose [continue to work as a LPN or complete my ADN] I chose the latter b/c of the time, money, energy I put into achieving this degree and the amt of time left to complete what I started. I chose the latter thinking that I could return or find a job somewhere. Boy was I ever wrong.

Even though I do have abt 3.5 years working experience and knowledge as a LPN -- as a NURSE; no one are hiring. Which I thought it was pretty interesting with some of the reasons that were told to me why they are not hiring such as:

Due to the color of our President
Due to who our President is
Due to a freeze
Due to the economy
Due to the Health Reform Bill
Due to the distant of driving to and from work
Due to where you live
You have the experience we are looking for; but we are going to hire the PRN nurse full time
Due to not being specialized [this was at a doctors' office]
Due to lack of experience
Due to not being ACLS certify
Due to not knowing anyone in our facility

Since January 2010 I have been told these reasons along with a few more by the Human Resource Department or the Nurse Recruiter or the secretary to the DON to why they are not hiring me.

I have put in, faxed, emailed, and mailed I know of at least 50 (if not more) resumes' with applications to doctors' offices, hospitals, LTC facilities, home health/hospice agencies, nursing agencies and any other places that might hire nurses. Even calling talking to the people who hires. I have actually heard from 3 companies/people who does the interviews [and yes their reasons for not hiring me are posted].

One agency has me in their files and I have done two jobs with them but nothing major and nothing steady or continous; granted I have done two jobs as a RN within the 7 months of being an RN, but the work is not steady nor continuous and thats very frustrating and depressing.

And as I read through the comments it is true for a lot of these facilities its really not what you know but who you know and thats so sad.

Its even sadder because the facilities are abusing their employees with the shortage by overworking them and placing them under great stress with more patients then there are nurses which ultimately can lead to a major law suit because of harm or death to a patient.

Because of this I find myself frustrating and depressed and even finding it hard to pray. There is nothing I can do except to keep searching and hoping and yes pray that one day soon the nurse jobs will be open and that there will not be a nurse rather she/he are a experience/seasoned nurse or a new graduate with experience or a new graduate with only what she/he learned in the classroom.

It is very true. I have 16 years of nursing experience in the dialysis field and home health. However, because I have no experience in the Acute care setting, I am unable to get hired at a hospital. I am burnt out on dialysis and did not like home health. I was faced with the same situation when I graduated. This is how I ended up in dialysis. I also had to drive 120 miles per day to my first RN job.

If they keep this up, health care industry will soon suffer. The govt. should take the initiative to require companies to hire new grads because they are the future nurses. The aging nurses will soon be replaced and they need to think of a well thought system teaching, or teaching, OR hiring new grads NOW without the ONE year experienced required. (It sounds so stupid every time I see it from job postings.)

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Yes very frustrating I am a 18 year lvn and finially went back and recieved my RN. I can not be upgraded in my hospital because I do not have a year of acute and the hospital I work for does not have the facility to train me. The sad thing is after 18 years as a LVN I have to continue to work as a LVN even though I am a RN.I am frustrated at who is making these decisions and sadely feel that once we are short of nurses again it will be the hospitals that said no to new RN students that will hopefully feel this crunch. I believe that we are truely in need of a break even if we work for free to get are year this was not what we went to school for to beg for work in the acute setting!

I work in recruiting at a hospital.. we have about 150 applicants to each nursing position posted... and that goes for most all health care jobs. It's only going to get worse because all these articles about how we are in demand for healthcare jobs. NOT TRUE! they need to check there facts before writing this articles.

This article is very true. I submitted my resume to over 100 jobs from Alaska to Virginia. I graduated in December and have been hard pressed to find a job that does not require previous experience. I understand that training a new nurse is costly, both monetarily and time-wise, but I wonder why someone would think we are not worth the time? We are completely new and have no pre-concieved notions and are much more open to doing things the way the institution wants because we don't already have the bad habits created from years of practice. I finally found a job 800 miles away from my home. If you are willing to move, it might help increase the chances of finding a job. And I would recommend opening up your options from just hospitals to rehab hospitals, nursing homes, anywhere that hires nurses.

I wish I had read an article like this before wasting so much money on a career in nursing. I graduated in May 2009 with a BS in both nursing AND psychology. I cannot get a nursing job anywhere and I have been looking for well over a year, and yes, I've applied to plenty of non hospital positions as well as the typical hospital positions. I wanted to go into mental health nursing, hence the psych degree by inadvertantly taking so many psychology classes in school. Sadly, everyone wants at least 1 year experience, even the hospitals. I want to be a nurse so badly, but I also want a better paying job to put food on the table. I've looked for a career with my psych degree, but every place wants a Master's or higher to take you. There isn't much you can get with a BS in psych. Now, I'm stuck in a dead end job as a cashier that pays me $7.50 an hour wishing I had chosen a different path in college so I could be starting a career in a better paying job and on my way out of college debt towards a family. I had to lie to get the cashier job (refrain from mentioning my nursing degree) cause the second anyone hears that (who is not a nurse recruitor... in the non nursing fields) they turn me down saying I am over qualified (cause they know I will eventually leave them for a nursing job...). If I did not lie, I would be on the streets homeless and unemployed. It doesn't really matter how much you want to be a nurse if you do not know someone to hook you up, and my desire to be a nurse doesn't change the fact that I cannot put food on the table, hence my regret.

I graduated from an LPN program in 7-2009, passed my test, got my licensed, send hundreds of resumes daily, I'm signed up in every website possible (hotjobs, monsters, etc) & I STILL can't get a job. No opportunty, no consideration, noone seems to care let alone do anything about it! I thought we all needed "CHANGE" when we voted for the president & yet I'm still waiting. Massachusetts is brutal for new graduate nurses & I am a victim of this economic downfall. I can't get unemployment or welfare. I can't buy my feminine products, get gas, pay my car insurance, I don't have a cell phone since I can't afford that. I can't get a job at a fast food joint when they see I am a nurse, lying on my resume has gotten me nowhere.

what can I do?

The article "New Graduate RN's - Resources, Help, and Information" provides a few additional tips (web link is above in the "Additional Reading" section). The best advice is to just keep trying. The job search is difficult and discouraging, but do not give up the search. Keep drawing attention to the shortage of new grad nursing jobs; visit nursing forums, voice your opinion, and contact leaders in the nursing profession. Also keep submitting applications - retaining new graduate nurses in the profession is literally a matter of life or death.

I wonder when this recession will be over. everyone keeps saying that it will get better and that nurses will be needed as before. but that is true for every field...one day ...maybe...america will be back to how it used to be and all professions will be able to find jobs.....i wish they would stop misleading everyone and just hire us new grads rather than adding on to the number of jobless new grad rn's. i remember being in nursing school and one of the instuctors saying, "can you imagine signing your name and putting an RN at the end?": i had gotten so happy about that. now that i am able to put the RN.... it really angers me. cause i wish i hadn't WASTED my time on this field. i wish i never quit my job to go to school and i wish i had just tried to study business and tried to just keep getting promoted at my job. i would have been making what a nurse makes by now at my job. now i have quit that job, can't find a job as an RN, have kids to support, and bills to pay. unfortunately my husband is also a new grad RN and we are both STUCK in this lie that was said to us. OH WELL, you live and you learn. hopefully at least one of us get a job. ..............we'll see.

I am a new graduate of a nursing refresher return to practice course in Northern Virginia. New grads are having problems finding work, to be sure. I too am having trouble as I was out of nursing for 20 years....and had 16 years of hospital and community health work prior. I also have advanced degrees, RN, BSN and MSN. No one will even give me an interview. It appears that when I complete my applications, the no recent work category must stand out in the reviewer's mind. I am thinking about volunteering at a local hospital or clinic and ask the supervisor to assess my performance after 6 weeks and then consider hiring me........Any ideas?

It the same with teaching, I'm a laid off teacher now considering nursing. The only job I can think of that has a 100% chance of hiring is that of a doctor, and most people don't want to endure 8+ years of intense training. There is a shortage of teachers as well, forced out by the economy, but schools have no budget to hire more and continue to lay teachers off. I don't know many people right now who, if they were forced out of their current job, would easily be able to find a new one. My cousin is a lawyer and had to accept a $15/hour position clerking, and that position took her 6 months to get. He husband is also a lawyer and is still unemployed.

I do not think there is a nursing shortage. I think there is a MONEY shortage, therefore making nursing jobs hard to come by. I know a few DON/CNO around North Louisiana, and they all are in desperate need of positions, yet do not have the money to hire new nurses. The VA in particular has ICU nurses on a 4:1 yet cannot post new positions. Unsafe if you ask me.

I wonder if Nursing is going to be the same as the IT field. Break the American worker (new graduates) and bring in the foreign worker with the experience.

Sad but true. I graduated in 2009, have submitted over 200 applications and can't even get a single interview at a hospital! There really isn't a nursing shortage because if they truly needed nurses, they would hire all of the people that worked so hard to get their nursing degree! I wish I would have known this before dedicating the past 5 years of my life to becoming an RN only to get slapped in the face and constantly get told that I need experience to get hired anywhere...how am I supposed to get experience if no one will hire me!?!

Here is what I think... If you are thinking about going to nursing school don't do it.There are no jobs. - New Grad here 100+ applications no interviews