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| |  Getting seriously depressed
I've been prompted to post my own thread after reading another about a person in a similar situation.
I graduated with my ADN in May 2007, it took me 4 tries to pass the NCLEX test for my RN license, as I was very distracted with family health issues and didn't pass until June of last year. I applied for every nursing job within a 150 mile radius of where I live, all I got were answers of "we aren't hiring anyone right now, not even janitors", "we're supposed to get some extra funds in the next couple months, check back", "we can't hire anyone without any experience right now because we don't have the money to train anyone", etc, etc, etc.........
Here it is, two years after I graduated and a year after I got the RN initials and still no job. It's really starting to hit me, I've read a couple posts here on allnurses where posters say that after a year or two of graduating with no clinical nursing experience you are un-marketable, forget it, go back and take a refresher or something, and still it won't be easy. I have 14 years of volunteer EMS experience, I ride the box everyday, I do assessments, vitals, documentation, airway management, you name it, I've been on 6 codes in the last month, but because it isn't nursing experience it doesn't give me any way shape or form of an in at any hospital, ALF, Dr's office, nothing.
At this point I'm considering moving anywhere to get a job if someone will hire me for any kind of RN job, but I have very deep roots in my community. The thought of packing up and moving off makes me even more depressed than I already am, but I am coming to realize I can't stay here and wait for the local places to start hiring again. Heck, the economy is just starting to catch up to us in this area, and I know from past experience it will take us another year to two years behind the rest of the country to recover.
I just remember five years ago when I was accepted into the nursing program at our local community college thinking, wow within five years I could be a travel nurse, or pretty much anything else I wanted, now I'm just trying to figure out what the heck happened and what I'm going to do.
So....I guess I'm not really looking for advice in this post, but I would love to hear others experiences, especially if you are or have been in a similar situation, just please someone tell me I didn't just waste three years of my life and get $25 grand in debt for nothing.....
Thanks
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| | Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 5 | 
Jun 04, 2009, 04:03 PM
Re: Getting seriously depressed
I just want to be support for you. I am sorry you are going thru this, its supposed to be getting better as "they" say. but i just dont see it yet for my area either. when they said that, that is when cuts were starting to hit us the worst.
I wish you the best of luck in everything that you go for! Now, i am not trying to get all religulous or yoda on you, but everything does really happen for a reason, and maybe moving is what your life needs and you dont know it.
good luck man!
-H-RN
| | No. 6 |
Jun 04, 2009, 10:17 PM
Re: Getting seriously depressed
Lynette you are lucky nursing homes are hiring around your way. They are really not doing too well here in my area. When I started in the LTC facility I worked in we had a decent census then with some passing and some only in for
PT and rehab they were discharged and its now low. I have been told since the housing market is really bad and homes are not selling that seniors needing LTC do not have the money to be placed in for care and they are staying in their homes longer with home health care aides going into the home. I have been to many LTC facilities in my area and told that there is a freeze on till things pick up and the census picks up. What a shame this all is for us nurses.
They say there is a shortage of nurses but I called the hospital in my area Wednesday and was told by a woman there that they let a group of employees go on Monday and everyone was in a state of shock. They did not expect it to happen there. I do hope things pick up soon!
| | No. 7 |
Jun 04, 2009, 10:23 PM
Re: Getting seriously depressed
I want to thank everyone for their responses, it really helps to get a few words of encouragement... Originally Posted by caliotter3  I wasn't happy when I had to move. I hate where I am now and would move back in a heartbeat, however, I can't take being unemployed anymore. I don't have a bottomless pit for resources. Before you move, you should job hunt, and get that job before you go through the expense of moving. You don't want to be caught in another bad situation. Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback caliotter, it means alot to hear from someone that's been through a move and get their perspective on it Originally Posted by Mezcalero For what it's worth, I'm looking at grad nurse programs rather than the typical med-surg positions. Now that we are no longer in a state of shock about our relatively unusual situations, it's time to become sniveling little schemers to get what we want. Don't let these tunnel-visioned administrators stop you from getting what you want from your career...we WILL find a way to make it happen! 
Thank you mezcalaro, I know that being in a similar situation you can really identify, and your words really ring true for me. I've been looking on indeed.com for new grad rn programs, and there are actually quite a few out there & available, if you'd like more details, PM me Originally Posted by lynette.johnson I graduated May 08. I worked for 8months in LTC and am now unemployed. It really sucks to not have a job, esp. when I have so much debt to pay off, but things will get better. For now, apply to nursing homes. There are alot out there who are hiring (at least in my area). Don't be too discouraged. Where do you live?? Cheer up! Things will get better for us. In the mean time keep voluteering to keep up on skills. It's better than nothing! 
I hear you there lynette, my student loans are starting to come due again, and I hate to keep putting forebearances on them. I've had interviews at some LTC's in the area, but unfortunately, even they are not hiring. I live in NY state and things are pretty rough here for everyone.... Originally Posted by NewRN2008 I just want to be support for you. I am sorry you are going thru this, its supposed to be getting better as "they" say. but i just dont see it yet for my area either. when they said that, that is when cuts were starting to hit us the worst.
I wish you the best of luck in everything that you go for! Now, i am not trying to get all religulous or yoda on you, but everything does really happen for a reason, and maybe moving is what your life needs and you dont know it.
good luck man!
-H-RN
Wow, very well put NewRN, I don't see it getting any better here either, there was an article in the local paper today about our local hospital ending the year with a defecit. I directly quote the article "to help reduce expenses, the hospital is not filling 41 vacant positions", wow, that's 41 positions going unfilled, granted not all are nursing positions, but what's going to happen when things pick back up?, jobs, the devil in the details is when are things going to pick back up? Your words of "everything does happen for a reason" ring very true, I've used that axiom to get through many bumps in the road of life...Thank you!
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