Will I be able to find a RN job in Portland, OR in 3 years?
October 15, 2010 1:18 PM Subscribe
Considering nursing school (RN) in Portland, OR. Will there be jobs for me in the area when I'm done? I'm leaving a good job now. I'm really excited to do something new, but want to be sure I'll be able to find a job when I finish school.
I know nothing is certain, but I'm having trouble assessing the job market. There are lots of job listings, although most seem to call for significant experience. I've seen similar questions, here, but it seems like this is kind of a local-specific question. Thanks for the help.
I know nothing is certain, but I'm having trouble assessing the job market. There are lots of job listings, although most seem to call for significant experience. I've seen similar questions, here, but it seems like this is kind of a local-specific question. Thanks for the help.
Nursing is one of the best possible fields to go into for job security, no matter where you live. You will be fine.
posted by something something at 2:12 PM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by something something at 2:12 PM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm willing to bet the people at the Oregon forum on allnurses.com will be able to help you out better than mefi can.
The job market for new nurses is extremely competitive all over the country. Most new nurses seem to be getting their first jobs at long-term care facilities which may or may not be what you envision yourself doing when you think of your new career. That being said, if it is what you truly want to do and you can handle the course work go do it!
posted by a22lamia at 2:42 PM on October 15, 2010
The job market for new nurses is extremely competitive all over the country. Most new nurses seem to be getting their first jobs at long-term care facilities which may or may not be what you envision yourself doing when you think of your new career. That being said, if it is what you truly want to do and you can handle the course work go do it!
posted by a22lamia at 2:42 PM on October 15, 2010
Best answer: There are more desirable jobs in nursing (ER, ICU, OB, etc) and less desirable jobs in nursing (med-surg, long term care, etc). You will probably be able to find a nursing job as an RN, since there is something of a shortage nation-wide. Competition is fierce for the desirable jobs, but not so fierce for the less desirable jobs.
posted by u2604ab at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2010
posted by u2604ab at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2010
I know quite a few nursing students here in Portland. They went into nursing because it's one of the few areas 'round town where there are jobs available. So there's some anecdata for you.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:05 PM on October 15, 2010
posted by bluedaisy at 3:05 PM on October 15, 2010
Best answer: Talk to your prospective school's placement office, and the placement offices of other schools in and around Portland. Try to nail down placement figures, and then compare to outside figures from a national nursing educators association.
In my area (Philadelphia) nurses even with 5-10 years experience are getting laid off.
Obviously I'm in a very different part of the country, but I have heard bad things about the demand for nurses everywhere. Nurses are being replaced with nurses assistants and cheaper options. I'm not an expert on this subject though.
Ask placement offices and national umbrella groups for concrete figures for regions is the way to go. Placement offices will of course tell you that the demand is strong hoping you'll enroll, so do try to nail them down to concrete numbers if you can, and find out what kinds of institutions they are placing new graduates in.
posted by vincele at 3:34 PM on October 15, 2010
In my area (Philadelphia) nurses even with 5-10 years experience are getting laid off.
Obviously I'm in a very different part of the country, but I have heard bad things about the demand for nurses everywhere. Nurses are being replaced with nurses assistants and cheaper options. I'm not an expert on this subject though.
Ask placement offices and national umbrella groups for concrete figures for regions is the way to go. Placement offices will of course tell you that the demand is strong hoping you'll enroll, so do try to nail them down to concrete numbers if you can, and find out what kinds of institutions they are placing new graduates in.
posted by vincele at 3:34 PM on October 15, 2010
Sorry, I meant to add (and please excuse the typos above): ask for data going back I'd say 5 years or so. You want to see the trends in job market.
If the schools do not want to give you this data, be very wary. They definitely have it-- placement is a major concern for professional and graduate programs. If they don't want to tell you exactly how many people are getting jobs and where they are working, that is a bad sign.
posted by vincele at 3:39 PM on October 15, 2010
If the schools do not want to give you this data, be very wary. They definitely have it-- placement is a major concern for professional and graduate programs. If they don't want to tell you exactly how many people are getting jobs and where they are working, that is a bad sign.
posted by vincele at 3:39 PM on October 15, 2010
Best answer: Another bit of anecdata: my partner worked as a CNA at Unnamed Old Folks' Home. One of his fellow CNAs had just gotten her BSN, but hadn't been able to find work as an RN yet. So, she worked as a CNA for the five months that he worked there, and had not found an RN job when he left.
Also, you should consider how insanely choosy nursing programs get to be in Portland because, as bluedaisy pointed out, there are a lot of nursing students and future nursing students here. OHSU seems to have an acceptance rate under 10% for their nursing program, and my anatomy & physiology professor consistently advised very competent students to look elsewhere to go to nursing programs since the ones here were packed to the gills.
posted by CutaneousRabbit at 3:50 PM on October 15, 2010
Also, you should consider how insanely choosy nursing programs get to be in Portland because, as bluedaisy pointed out, there are a lot of nursing students and future nursing students here. OHSU seems to have an acceptance rate under 10% for their nursing program, and my anatomy & physiology professor consistently advised very competent students to look elsewhere to go to nursing programs since the ones here were packed to the gills.
posted by CutaneousRabbit at 3:50 PM on October 15, 2010
Best answer: Well, maybe things aren't so rosy. It's a year old, but this Oregonian article from April 2009 has some information.
Also, you might try joining and then posting this question to the Damn Portlanders Live Journal site, which is bustling.
posted by bluedaisy at 6:48 PM on October 15, 2010
Also, you might try joining and then posting this question to the Damn Portlanders Live Journal site, which is bustling.
posted by bluedaisy at 6:48 PM on October 15, 2010
It is possible, but there will be some scut work along the way.
My wife kind of lucked into a student job up at the VA Hospital about a year ago, which seems to be finally turning into a steady position (she graduated in May). Med-surg seems to be the default entry-level at the VA, and I'm guessing that this would be pretty standard for most hospital settings.
She definitely seems to be one of the lucky ones, though -- there were two or three of her classmates who are working in corrections. Prisons seem to be hiring, but from the turnover, I get the impression there's a REASON they're often hiring.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:58 PM on October 15, 2010
My wife kind of lucked into a student job up at the VA Hospital about a year ago, which seems to be finally turning into a steady position (she graduated in May). Med-surg seems to be the default entry-level at the VA, and I'm guessing that this would be pretty standard for most hospital settings.
She definitely seems to be one of the lucky ones, though -- there were two or three of her classmates who are working in corrections. Prisons seem to be hiring, but from the turnover, I get the impression there's a REASON they're often hiring.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:58 PM on October 15, 2010
Anecdote here: Friend graduated from a nursing school in Baltimore this year. Found a job six months later with less pay than she expected and not anywhere near the field she wanted.
posted by josher71 at 5:35 AM on October 16, 2010
posted by josher71 at 5:35 AM on October 16, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. As usual, the hive mind is filled with helpful suggestions and advice. Really appreciate it.
posted by krudiger at 5:56 PM on October 16, 2010
posted by krudiger at 5:56 PM on October 16, 2010
Live in Albany, NY. Graduated in May, started work a week later. Good luck.
There are more desirable jobs in nursing (ER, ICU, OB, etc) and less desirable jobs in nursing (med-surg, long term care, etc).
Different people have different thoughts on what is a desirable nursing job.
All the new nurses I know are having to move to very undesirable locations...
Different people have different thoughts on what is a desirable location.
posted by brevator at 10:26 PM on October 16, 2010
There are more desirable jobs in nursing (ER, ICU, OB, etc) and less desirable jobs in nursing (med-surg, long term care, etc).
Different people have different thoughts on what is a desirable nursing job.
All the new nurses I know are having to move to very undesirable locations...
Different people have different thoughts on what is a desirable location.
posted by brevator at 10:26 PM on October 16, 2010
While it is completely true that the job market in Portland is terrible right now, nursing seems to be one of the less affected fields - I've been looking for hospital jobs (not clinical) and all I see is nursing, nursing, nursing. I can't tell you whether these are necessarily entry level positions or whether they'll be ones you want.
Try looking at Oregonlive.com for the job listings. Also try online listings for the hospital systems like Providence and Samaritan. Would you consider not limiting yourself to Portland? There are some nice cities south of there with the same hospital systems and you'd still be only an hour or so away from Portland.
Also try Springfield's Sacred Heart (near Eugene). They just built a beautiful new facility, and I don't think they would have done so if they didn't expect the health care field in their area to hold steady.
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:33 AM on October 18, 2010
Try looking at Oregonlive.com for the job listings. Also try online listings for the hospital systems like Providence and Samaritan. Would you consider not limiting yourself to Portland? There are some nice cities south of there with the same hospital systems and you'd still be only an hour or so away from Portland.
Also try Springfield's Sacred Heart (near Eugene). They just built a beautiful new facility, and I don't think they would have done so if they didn't expect the health care field in their area to hold steady.
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:33 AM on October 18, 2010
Oh, Salem Hospital in Salem, Oregon has also been expanding recently. New facilities and new programs.
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:34 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by Knowyournuts at 9:34 AM on October 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have no way of seeing into the future, but Portland is not a great place to look for a job right now - there seem to be a fair few jobs available in my field (IT), but there are also eighty bazillion people competing for those jobs, so it's a total employer's market right now. A lot of sectors seem to be in a similar boat - jobs are starting to appear again, but there's so many people that want them it's a ridiculously competitive market.
Portland is typically a place where there are jobs to be had, but it's a slow process to find and get them - it typically takes a few months to get a job when you're looking, even in a good economy.
Do really well in school, get as much experience as you can while you're in school, and give an employer no choice but to hire you - that's the best way to ensure the best shot at a job. Good luck!
posted by pdb at 2:11 PM on October 15, 2010