Eenie Meenie

Everyone always hears about the nursing shortage in the US and isn't it ironic that many new grads from nursing schools are having such a hard time landing a job? Beside not passing the NCLEX, my second greatest fear as a new grad was not getting a job. Unfortunately the state of the economy has effected everyone. Even though hospitals need nurse and nursing schools are churning out new graduates every semester, hospital budgets either do not allow for more positions to be created or a lack of educators hinders managers from hiring new grads. Hospitals can't hire you if you lack solid experience and they don't have anyone or the money to train you.

I have heard from my classmates who have been LUCKy enough to get jobs that people from everywhere in the US are having to relocate because this particular hospital was the only one that would hire them.

I have truly been blessed to be among the few in my graduating class to have been given not just one, but a few job offers. Well, I've only officially been offered one job for a night-time position on a telemetry unit, but I recently had an interview for a position on a CCU/ICU (Coronary Critical Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit) floor and have another interview for an L&D (Labor and Delivery) position. I was offered an interview for a position on an Oncology unit, but I had enough oncology exposure during nursing school. I greatly admire oncology nurses, but I just don't have the heart for it.

I pray in the end that I get the job in the CCU/ICU department. The hospital is a level II trauma hospital, so I'll get exposure to a lot of neurological conditions and head traumas. They also do open heart surgery at the hospital as well. I think it would be an amazing learning opportunity and in the end I just want to experience it all. Not that the telemetry (heart monitoring) unit wouldn't be a good experience as well, but it is in a small hospital so I would be limited in the different cases that I could be exposed to. I'm not going to take the L&D job just because I'm not really passionate about the field. I mean, I find it interesting and there is always the "miracle of life" concept, but I'm really indifferent to the subject. I think it's my lack of experience in being pregnant that makes it hard for me to relate to the patients. Plus, there are soooo many nurses out there who go into nursing because they want to work in the L&D, that I would feel bad taking that opportunity away from them. Honestly, I took the interview because it would give me something to do during the day. It's hard to be home-alone and jobless... navy hubby is out-to-sea for two weeks.

Well, here's to prayers and keeping my fingers crossed. Unfortunately (damn I hate this economy sh*t), it will come down to $$$. With my husband getting out of the military in a few months and going to school, I will be taking over the majority of our expense and I need a job that will rival the salary that he is currently making if not exceed it. I hate money. I mean, I love what you can buy with, but the physical currency itself doesn't make one truly happy. I find that it can make life more stressful and complicated. Oh, to be a child without the concept of money and it's unfortunate, but vital necessity in our culture.