Colleges With Nursing Programs Offer Job Possibilities

Colleges with nursing programs are in high demand these days. With many anticipating a shortage of nurses, programs have opened doors wider to accommodate the influx of students applying to nursing programs. A few people have criticized this action, some saying that these programs have now flooded the industry with too many graduates and not enough jobs. However, those colleges with nursing programs contend that with the right leverage of the degree, students can and do find jobs.

“I tell new grads all the time that there’s still a nursing shortage. It’s just in a bit of a lull right now,” Susan Battaglia, nursing recruitment director at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, said. “We also tell people not to put all of their eggs in one basket. I think people think the only nursing jobs are in a hospital, but there are clinics, nursing homes, schools and physicians’ offices as well.”

With that said, colleges with nursing programs should emphasize to their students that there are many more places to work than in a hospital. Not only that, but many hospitals prefer candidates with experience over those that do not have much, so the competition for the fewer jobs is fiercer.

Nursing Homes

• As the population gets older, nursing homes may see a surge in new patients and will, or already have, been hiring for nursing assistants, LPN’s and RN’s.
• In addition to providing healthcare to residents, RN’s and their counterparts strive to keep residents as comfortable and happy as possible.

Home Care

• RN’s will travel to home-bound patients and provide care to them as needed. It could be on call or scheduled, depending on each patient or company they work for.
• This type of work allows nurses to be more one-on-one with a patient and because of the nature of the job, nurses are always on the move and are not confined to one place all day.

Physician Office

• RN’s working in physician offices generally enjoy regular hours.
• They work as a team with the physician, though they are usually the first person that a patient sees before the physician comes in to initially assess them.

Schools

• School nurses see children and teens on a daily basis, treating them for more common illnesses. They also design health programs at the school to raise awareness about health issues.
• RN’s at schools may also learn the signs of abuse or neglect, and other issues like an eating disorder, and help the student find the right kind of help.

These are only a few of the more popular places that RN’s can work at or for. They can also be found in corporate companies, insurance companies and as instructors (with the right graduate degree). Colleges with nursing programs need to make their students aware of the many possible job opportunities, not just those typically found in a hospital setting.