Why won't Personnel tell you over the phone which positions are open?

I have been searching for a RN position at a few of the nursing homes in St. Louis. First, I call and ask if there are any job availabilities for RNs. Only once did the person I was talking to answer the question with what positions they have available, hours, and days. Most of the places I call say, "Come in and fill out an application!" I don't mind filling out an application if I know there is a job opening, but, it is a waste of time to drive there and fill one out if there are no job openings. After filling out so many apps., they aren't fun and they are very time-consuming. This is so aggravating. Does anyone know why they won't give you any information on the phone so you won't waste your time or theirs? Maybe if I knew why, it wouldn't be so aggravating.
There are lots of possible reasons:1. They simply might not know. Available positions can change daily, especially in a large institution.2. They may not have an actual list of available positions -- but be "on the look-out" for outstanding candidates even if there is not a officially open position.3. The person you are speaking with may simply not have access to that information. You might be talking with a receptionist and not with someone who is actually in the business of filling the positions.4. They may figure that anyone not willing to fill out an application must not be very interested/committed to working for their organization.Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head. It's not a good situation for the job-seeker these days. Employers are the ones in the driver's seat for the moment.
Thanks...never thought about it in those aspects. I'll keep this in mind next time someone tells me this. But, on the part about maybe the receptionist don't know...there should be somebody there that does. But, all the other ones makes sense. Thanks.
The people who do know don't spend their time answering the phones taking cold calls from strangers. That's partly what receptionists are for. There may be dozens of cold calls like yours per day and it could easily be the receptionist's job to answer them and give a standard answer directing the inquirer to fill out an application for the actual recruiters to review.