Mar. 6, 2005: Nurses in high demand in Arizona:"Arizona ranks at the bottom of the 50 states for nurse-to-population ratio. The shortage of skilled nurses is particularly acute in forensic nursing and home health, experts say. According to Kathy Player, dean of the Ken Blanchard School of Business at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, the average age of a nurse today is 48, and fewer than 9 percent of all RNs are younger than 30. Education requirements for nurses vary. While a registered nurse can obtain a degree in two years, bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing also are offered at Grand Canyon and other universities in Arizona."
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0306jobsmain06.html
Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.comMy husband and I are going to be moving in Dec. to queen creek area. I am a new RN grad with no experience. I am currently looking into Gilbert mercy, Phoenix childrens and John C lincoln. Isit going to be hard for a new grad to get a job? does anyone have any hospitals they would recommend?
Finding a job won't be hard. Finding a job on the shift and type of floor you want might be.
You may need to settle for evening or nights to get your foot in the door.
Depending on how bad the shortage is and how desperate they are for nurses, you may be able to walk right into a hospital and get trained.
Depends on where you are. I'd look for a facility with ample precepting time and training. The better facilities will hook you up with a preceptor for 3 to 6 months and send you to get telemetry and ACLS certified (among other things).
Look at some of the local papers, chances are you'll see a lot more "New Grads Welcome" opportunities around.
Be wary of sign-on bonuses. They're not going to offer $5,000 or $10,000 sign on bonuses unless they're desperate for nurses.
If you do get lured in, realize you'll be walking into an extremely shortstaffed environment that can severely compromise your chances of getting a good orientation experience. In the first six months, many nurses quit the field, or decide to leave.
I'd take a low paying job with an excellent precepting/orientation, over a high paying, high stress and high burnout environment.
My two cents.
Andrew Lopez, RN
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