The United States is suffering from a severe shortage of nurses, yet healthcare jobs are difficult to find for many newly-graduated RNs looking to enter the field in Houston. Experienced nurses have been delaying retirement in order to stay employed in a down economy. Since many new nurses cannot find well-paying hospital positions, they are inclined to search for Houston healthcare jobs at other institutions, such as nursing homes or other care facilities where salaries are not as lucrative.
The healthcare job market is flooded with experienced nursing professionals who have either come out of retirement and back to work, or are delaying retirement indefinitely. Many veteran nurses have elected to increase their hours from part- to full-time as a result of the recession. These factors and many others make the search for healthcare jobs in Houston highly competitive and frustrating for newly graduated nurses.
In 2011, roughly 40% of new graduates from nursing programs had yet to find jobs in healthcare. Certain factors are signaling a change in the Houston healthcare job market. Retirements are expected to increase as the economy improves, as are the numbers of baby boomers in need of healthcare. In 2014, new healthcare legislation comes into effect. This is expected to lead to a greater number of Americans seeking healthcare because they will actually be able to afford it. By 2025, it is expected that these changes will contribute to a shortage of over a quarter of a million nurses in the United States.
If this shortage of healthcare jobs in Houston and around the country is not met, the healthcare system may face extreme, possibly irreversible effects. It has become critical for public policy makers to find a way to ensure that there are programs in place that will develop opportunities for new nurses to enter their profession. Before the recession, nursing graduates enjoyed several job offers upon graduation. Now, many are struggling to find work, and those who do may take positions that pay very little in industries that are not necessarily optimal.
In order to increase the chances of getting hired for a healthcare job in Houston, new RNs are advised to ensure that their schedules are flexible. New graduates should be flexible about working on various shifts and in various locations. In some parts of the country, healthcare jobs are easier to find. Generally, graduates will eventually find work. The work they find just may not be their first choice.
