fildien

Congatz to you!
How are nursing needs in your area? We seem to be full to the brim here which is really odd since it wasn't that long ago that we couldn't find nearly enough. Leah started school recently herself she was going to do nursing but instead is looking at more the administrative side of medical stuff first given the total lack of nurses around here.

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Nurta <Shark Baby>
Mind Trick - Empire

Thormir

This area has around 8 major hospitals but also 6 or 7 nursing schools, so there are always plenty of new graduates. Normally, however, there is still a fair amount of competition among employers to draw new hires. I benefited from a UNC program that offered very nice loan packages repaid merely by working at UNC. They dropped the program after my cohort entered school.

UNC Hospital had 400-500 applications for around 50 positions. I was somewhat lucky, as the departments I applied to (Oncology, Peds Oncology/Hematology) had only provisional openings, and the Peds spot was snatched up by a fellow student who had worked on that floor as an NA. Someone in Radiology saw my resume`, and they called me up out of the blue to interview -- ultimately they hired me.

Nursing is often described as recession proof ("nursing shortage" has been a buzz-phrase for years), but retirees are returning to work, and some who could retire are hanging on. The biggest hospital in Raleigh dropped their new grad program entirely this year.

I received no sign on bonus, and I won't make as much as I anticipated. Still a good field to enter into, but not unscathed by the current economic woes.

Kelraz Bladesinger

I wouldn't worry about not making as much as you anticipated. The baby boomers are going to retire en masse soon enough.

Thormir

In 2 years I'll have worked my loans off, and I'll have the chance to look at other hospitals. Staying at UNC might be best -- I'm already vested in the state from previous work and could accrue further benefits -- but there's another local hospital I did clinical time at that might be a good target for transfer. And yes, the baby boomer retirement will keep all of us very, very busy.

fildien

That is awesome and gives hope that things will turn around here too hopefully

We have several hospitals around here as well though nothing like those big university ones in your area. Mostly things like Hershey Med, York, Lancaster, and a few smaller ones. Some of the people we know were sitting around for months after graduating until getting hired b/c fewer and fewer older nurses are retiring. My employer recently decided to phase out all LPNs and only have RNs they offered current LPNs the opportunity to get thier RN if they wanted.

We are moving to CPOE in a huge way and it is changing the way the floors do business. Even the clerks and unit secretaries need formal education. Hopefully in two years it will be better and she'll get a job.

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Nurta <Shark Baby>
Mind Trick - Empire

Thormir

I certainly wish her luck. CPOE is the standard here, and education is increasingly vital for all healthcare roles in this area. I'm hoping to find out how many grads from my class are still job hunting, as well as how many failed the NCLEX (the difficulty of which was increased in May -- a completely miserable test I'm happy and relieved to have passed).

Binuven

Grats!

giena

Thats awesome Thormir!! Congrats on your certification, a wonderful accomplishment!

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Shibbie
Gnomer Mage
Stormrage Server


Giena Mountainstorm
Ayonae Ro Server
Retired

Oipunx the High Elf Cleri

Grats )

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Thormir

Thanks much, folks =)