May 2009 OLD grad, called 17 hospitals today...

allnurses Guide · May 14, 2010

Don't give up....it was a brilliant idea. Do the same now with long term care facilities, rehab hospitals, surgery centers and home health agencies....Root for you!

CAL05699 · May 14, 2010

It sounds bleak, I now. But it isn't you at all, just the awful situation. Several of my classmates that graduated last year (from Georgetown in DC) went back home to Mass. to find jobs after graduation and couldn't, there just wasn't anything. They wound up moving to places where there are lots of jobs (one to Texas, one to Florida). Unless you can tolerate (financially and psychically) not finding work in Mass. for a nother year+, might be time to consider relocating.

puravidaLV · May 14, 2010

i'm gonna throw this out there....but ever thought about joining a military branch? I know its not what 90% of graduates want to hear, but I'll be honest it seems to open doors.

good luck

ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN · May 14, 2010

Don't forget home health agencies too...

smileymimi · May 14, 2010

Just keep applying on-line not limited to New Graduate positions but to any RN positions even if they say experience preferred or required.

That's how I got my job a month ago.

Subscribe to career website emailing option and you get results everyday in your mail of your interests.

p.s. In my opinion, I don't think any hospital is gonna say

"Yes! we want new grad nurses!"

if you ask them over the phone.

Fax your cover letter and resume instead.

Bobbkat · May 14, 2010

I'm sorry. I don't really know what else to say. I'm in New England too. I called my Mother today, a nurse of close to 30 years and just had a break down today about the lack of jobs. I'm a grown, 30 year old woman and I just sobbed to her. I don't know what else to do.

It's either you know someone or you don't. I don't, so I know that no one is looking at any of the 100-ish aps I've submitted. It pisses me off too, because I know some people that I went to school with were really scary as nursing students. One girl I went to school with never took a set of vitals for two semesters. She made them all up and gave them to the nurse. But she knew someone, so she is employed now. I have a 3.5 (which is only that bad because I screwed up three of my non-nursing classes), eagerly looked for opportunities to practice skills on the floor, have great recommendations, and can't even get someone to consider me as an applicant.

It sucks. I'm getting close to giving up.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · May 15, 2010

I'm sorry. I don't really know what else to say. I'm in New England too. I called my Mother today, a nurse of close to 30 years and just had a break down today about the lack of jobs. I'm a grown, 30 year old woman and I just sobbed to her. I don't know what else to do.
It's either you know someone or you don't. I don't, so I know that no one is looking at any of the 100-ish aps I've submitted. It pisses me off too, because I know some people that I went to school with were really scary as nursing students. One girl I went to school with never took a set of vitals for two semesters. She made them all up and gave them to the nurse. But she knew someone, so she is employed now. I have a 3.5 (which is only that bad because I screwed up three of my non-nursing classes), eagerly looked for opportunities to practice skills on the floor, have great recommendations, and can't even get someone to consider me as an applicant.
It sucks. I'm getting close to giving up.

I am really sorry for you, I live in MASS so I feel your pain. The state is the first state to have mandatory health care bill, the loss of nursing positions with the bad economy means no opportunities for new grads.

My suggestions are :

1. Look out of state, it seems places like Texas are hiring.

2. Look in Long term care, too bad you waited so long to apply to these facilities since they are becoming hard to find a position.

3. Work in a non nursing job if you can find one.

The rest of country will be feeling Massachusetts pain once the new federal bill in implemented.

As far as fellow student falsifying vital signs, why did you not report her since this is your obligation, now she has a job and you don't .......

Bobbkat · May 15, 2010

Thanks for the sympathy MedSurg. I'm not in Mass, I'm in CT. New England though.....jobswise it seems to all be the same.

Relocation isn't an option for me. My family just moved 800 miles for my husbands work, and there really wouldn't be an option for him to find a job in some rural area where they are still hiring new grads. It just wouldn't make sense for him to quit his job, be unemployed, and for us to live some place that we really don't want to be so that I could find a job.

As for the fellow student, I don't have any proof, she wasn't in my group. I heard it from three people that were in her group, but it was 2 semesters after the fact, so there was nothing to really do at that point.

Cyan8181 · May 15, 2010

Ugh, so sorry. I'm in school in Maine right now, where I've lived for 10 years. My parents would love for me to move back to MA when I graduate, but not sure that's going to be feasible. It's pretty much the same story in Maine though as well. I have friends who are recent grads from all the southern Maine schools and they're in the same situation: 1 took a job in Albany NY, 1 got a job in the OR because he was already a CST there, and the other ones are getting interviews, but not much else. Good luck.

Bobbkat · May 15, 2010

I was thinking of applying for some positions in Albany. It's about a 2.5 hour drive for me, but if I could work 3 12's in a row, getting a little apartment and being gone for three days at a time wouldn't be so awful. Well, compared to moving hundreds of miles away, at least, it wouldn't be so bad. From what I have seen on the hospital's employment pages, there seems to be some jobs there. I'm just so torn. I'd miss my husband and daughter. Plus, what if I couldn't work 12's in a row? I definately couldn't do a 2.5 hour (each way) commute to work for each shift. I guess this is all info that I could get if I managed to snag an interview. Ugh. I hate that I have to be in a position to make decisions like this.

prinsessa · May 17, 2010

Bobbkat...having a family makes all this more difficult. I have two children so I can't move. I have started looking for temp work just to pay the bills. I never expected to be in this position last year. One of my credit card bills was due last week and I couldn't pay it because I am totally broke. Sometimes I feel like a total loser because I can't find a job. I feel like something must really be wrong with me. Many days I wish I never would have went to nursing school. I really want to be a nurse but I don't want to be an unemployed nurse. Now I have student loans to worry about and no way to pay them. What was the point of trying to make my life better?