Nursing

The long, hard search for a nursing job

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, May 7, 2007

Tammy Adams, a senior in the nursing program at Salem State College in Salem, MA, took some time to share her story about finding a job in light of the well-known national shortage. The shortage varies from state to state, with California, Texas, and Florida at the top of the list. Adams told us about the difficulties she is facing in Massachusetts:

So, how about that nursing shortage? Remember when we were in high school, contemplating our futures, and our guidance counselors, our parents, and college recruiters convinced us that nursing was the way to go? There would always be jobs in the nursing field, we were told. "When you graduate from college, you will have a job right away," they said. These voices echoed throughout college, with our professors in the field telling us what excellent career decisions we made by going into nursing. We were told that we could make truck loads of money right out of nursing school. Although most of us weren't in it for the money, we were content knowing that we wouldn't be left struggling for a job, like our math and history major counterparts.

Like most seniors, I didn't begin the job search until the semester before graduation. In January, I finished my resume and had my nursing professor look it over. Perfect, she said. I wrote customized cover letters for each of the hospitals I was applying to, sure that they would offer me a job, no questions asked. After all, aren't we in a nursing shortage?

In February, I mailed out two resumes. One place called me back and set up an interview for the following week. The interview went so well; I knew I had won them over. It's been more than a month and I still haven't heard back. So I mailed out two more resumes. I heard nothing back. I then mailed out two more resumes. And a week later, two more. Nothing. Then I began calling the hospitals to check on the status of my applications, as we are advised to do. I got the same generic message from all potential employers, "Our nurse recruiter will look over your application and will call you if you meet our criteria. If you don't get called, we will keep your application on file for six months in case anything else becomes available." Thanks, but did I get the job?

For more of this story (plus a whole lot more!), please click here.

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