Are There Any Nursing Jobs?

[Phoenix16]

So I have just started my clinical placement as a 3rd year nursing student.  I am shocked at the despondency and negativity I have encountered about the future (although all so so lovely and supportive with precepting/mentoring and on the job learning and development). It seems that there is no such thing as a permanent job for a nurse? all were on part-time, casual contracts and all were clear that there are no jobs, that I should have a plan B and warned me that at the end of my degree there is a big possibility I will never actually work as a nurse and that many nurse graduates give up and move in other career directions. Is this really how it is and if so I have 2 questions....1) why does the government continue to subsidise nursing degrees as an essential professions 2) why is nursing still on the SOL/CSOL list? There was a very negative vibe today around the lunch table about migrant nurses, I don't really know the history and cant imagine that there is substance to it as most nurses I have encountered are migrants and have been amazing and supportive.  But I am really shocked at the dire employment prospects for nurses in WA and had I known 3 years ago I might have opted for a different degree, the universities continue to take on massive amounts of nursing students without being clear to them about the very poor outlook for the future for many.

[Petals]

Sign of the times, its not just nurses, its teachers, it specialists, lawyers, business degrees, etc.   There is an over supply as more and more young people go to university.   A degree is now requested to do anything.   The real winners are the young who have been able to get a trade apprenticeship.   Unfortunately where once it was very easy to get a trade apprenticeship, this is no longer the case due to the changes in work place management.     Businesses no longer want to take on expense of training people and expect everyone to have experience.   When the government was in charge of the electricity, gas, water, trains and other public entities, many young people were taken on as apprentices.   This all stopped with the selling up and shake up and down sizing of government and putting into the hands of the private world.   Now we have 17% youth unemployment where I live.  Graduates are finding that its difficult to get a job without experience and no business wants to give them the opportunity to get it.   Teachers all on contracts, nurses in banks, employed to be on the ward you stay on, no moving around for experience these days.   Doom and gloom yes it is, the only way it will change is if they stop this stupid idea that trickle down works.   It works flowing upwards but there is no downhill with money.   

 

To the OP you have a degree but now you need to add to it,  a masters a phd, or some diploma that is what is happening now to get the edge.   Also the debt that students owe will never be repaid.   My daughter has two degrees and through no fault of her own she became ill and had to take 2 years out of work to recover and she has never made it up.  She owes a lot of money in hecs and looking like it will never get repaid.      All this came about from people who had free education.