Somehow, this doesn't surprise me: http://www.wxii12.com/r/24947810/detail.html

The health care industry still ranks tops when it comes to employment, but some students are finding out that the pool is getting smaller and more difficult to jump into right after college.

That's the reality for recent graduates of Forsyth Tech's nursing program.

Nurses had been able to write their own ticket, from hand-picking the hospital where they wanted to work, the job they preferred and even the salary.

"I have friends recently graduated from nursing school, and it took them months to find a job," said nursing student Matthew Major.

"When I graduated high school five years ago, we were told, 'Oh, go into the medical field. You'll find a job wherever,'" said nursing student Amber Bales.

Nursing Dean Dr. Bonnie Pope said the problem is that most students want to work in hospitals, just like she did years ago.

"I literally had to beg for my job," Pope said.

She said the landscape in the Triad started shifting about three years ago.

"I do think what we're seeing is a direct result of the economy," she said.

Pope said that translates into fewer patients checking in for diagnostic procedures that they can delay until times get better. She said with the numbers down, Triad hospitals haven't been hiring nurses like they did just two years ago, and there's more.

"Nurses we thought were going to retire or had 401Ks either now can't retire or are choosing to stay for whatever reason," Pope said. "So those positions didn't free up like we thought they were going to."

She said things are starting to pick up some. Within the past week, one local hospital posted nearly 100 nursing jobs.

Still, Pope said she is telling her students that times have changed and they need to be willing to work anywhere, from nursing homes to dialysis units, or even relocate.

"Get your foot in the door," she said. "Get your resume ready. Be willing to be flexible, and put your best foot forward."

Forsyth Tech currently has nearly 400 students in its nursing program.