I honestly don’t get what’s going on with the job market for new grad nurses right now. It feels completely backwards. Everywhere you look, there’s talk about shortages and burnout, but then you graduate, get licensed, and suddenly nothing.
I’ve been applying for months. I mean everything, hospital postings, clinics, long term care, casual, part time, full time, anything remotely within my area. It genuinely feels like I’ve applied to everything under the sun at this point, and still no luck. It’s exhausting and honestly pretty discouraging.
Like, what is the actual plan here for new grads? Are we just supposed to sit around and wait indefinitely?
For those of you who have managed to land something, how did you do it? Was it connections, timing, luck, something else?
And for those still in the same position as me, what’s your plan right now? I keep seeing people suggest moving to northern Ontario or even another province, but that’s just not realistic for everyone. Relocating costs money, and not all of us are in a position to just pick up and leave.
I’ve also looked into extra certifications, but even those cost money and time, and there’s no guarantee they’ll actually make a difference in getting hired.
I guess I’m just trying to figure out if there’s something I’m missing here, or if this is just the reality right now. Any advice or insight would really help.