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 with me 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? Then I began filling out job applications online, as well as sending electronic resumes. Still nothing. No surprise there. Is it just me or are we supposedly in a nursing shortage?
 
I decided to take a step back and try to see things from a potential employer’s point of view. They would receive my resume in the mail in a clean, crisp manila envelope. They open up the envelope to find professional resume paper with a beautifully typed cover letter addressed specifically to the nurse recruiter. (I always did my research). They would find all my clinical rotations listed, my reasons why I felt I was the right candidate for the position, and my past job experiences.

I have the experience that many hospitals look for: I worked for one year in the emergency department and for one year on a telemetry unit. I have leadership skills, as I attended and graduated from both the Emerging Leaders Program and the Leadership Institute at Salem State, the college I attend in Massachusetts. I have received awards and I was involved in clubs on campus. Hmm . . . what’s missing? What more do these people want from me? My resume, in all honesty, shows leadership, organization, and most importantly . . . experience! What else is there? Is it just me?

I decided to bring my discouraged tales to the classroom and see if my peers were having better luck. Three of the other students had gone on interviews and been offered jobs immediately. That was it. Three people out of 48. I heard more stories about hospitals not hiring, hospitals not having new grad programs, hospitals that had accepted too many applications, it being too early to know what positions will be open in the summer, etc.

Whatever happened to us nursing students being told we would have no problems getting jobs when we graduate? It took us four (some of us five) long years to get where we are today. Our college has prepared us extremely well for our future careers as nurses. And no one is willing to give us the opportunity to put our nursing skills to work.

So, how about that nursing shortage?

Editor’s note: Do you have a similar experience that you’d like to share? Or were you able to snag a job after tossing out only a couple of resumes? We’d love to hear about it. Send us an email at mbriddon@hcpro.com and we’ll publish your story.