New Registered Nurse Grads Face Tough Job Market

For the first time in many years, new Registered Nurse graduates face a contracted job market, and may face tough employment prospects, adding to an already dismal national economic portrait.

Researchers such as Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and others have warned about the impending Nursing shortage. However, because of the poor overall economic conditions of the United States, many experienced RNs have foregone retirement, and or have come out of semi-retirement or translated part-time and PRN jobs into full-time status and have therefore made many hospitals flush with Nurses.

Previously, many experienced Nurses would have taken PRN (Latin for “pro re nata,” meaning “as needed”) or part-time positions, working anywhere from one shift every two weeks, 12 hours weekly, or in some cases no more than 24 hours weekly at most. Most Nurses are hospital-based employees, and work 12-hour shifts, and a typical full-time work week for Nurses is three, 12-hour shifts in a 7-day (one week) period.

Nursing has been, and continues to be a predominately female-populated profession, so the indicator of hospitals flush with Nurses is indeed a fascinating observation on at least two accounts. It speaks volumes about dire national economic conditions because women have found themselves in the unenviable position of having to work, and in many cases being their family’s primary breadwinner.

In an article published by Alabama & New Jersey’s State Nurses Association, Dr. Buerhaus shared his perspective on “The Short and Long-term Outlook for Registered Nurses in the US.” He wrote in part “that once the jobs recovery begins and RN’s spouses return to work, many currently employed RNs could leave the workforce.”

He noted further that while RNs’ employment prospects continue to be… To read more, click here.