Nearly half of all nursing graduates in California did not have a nursing job 18 months after graduating, according to a report by the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care, Payers & Providers reports.
CINHC surveyed nearly 1,500 nursing graduates last fall for the study.
Key Findings
The report found that 43% of nursing graduates were unable to find a job within 18 months after obtaining their license -- a rate similar to a 2010 survey that found that 42% of nursing school graduates were unable to secure a job for a prolonged period.
Of the nurses who said they could not find work:
- 92% said they were told they did not have enough experience; and
- 42% said they were told that a bachelor's degree was preferred or required.
Of the survey respondents with a nursing job, 70% said they found employment within the first six months searching.
Implications
Industry observers have said factors affecting the new nursing graduates' ability to find work include:
- Resistance among new graduates to relocate to work in rural or suburban areas; and
- Reluctance among older nurses to retire.
According to Payers & Providers, the study's findings raise concerns about recent efforts across the state to expand education capacity in nursing programs (Payers & Providers, 4/26).