"stale" new grad

Nurses New Nurse

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I drove 3 hours to a job fair the other day.

I approached a recruiter, and told her I graduated 1 year ago and was unable to find a job, and asked if there were any positions open at her hospital. She explained how not only do i NOT qualify for new grad positions anymore, she referred to me as being a "stale" old grad, and theres already 2 new nursing class are ahead of me, and I'm not considered "fresh" anymore. may 09 grads will automatically be weeded out of the new grad process.

I'm trying to stay strong but my heart broke after she referred to me as stale. I'm only 24... Words hurt... please be kind to us..

:(

Go in and apply personally. That's what I did. Online applications didn't cut it anymore. It's like (I'm not sure) a program scans through it first and if it doesn't see enough qualifications, your application won't even get to the HR. I got frustrated so i went out and went to each place giving out applications, introducing myself to the HR. The very next day (I am totally serious. I was surprised) I got a call for an interview. I came in with a big smile on my face and tried my best to look confident even though I was freaking out inside. I was interview and they asked for my experiences as a nurse. Mind you, the only experience I had was a preceptoship. But in the healthcare field, what you truly will need is a 'CARING HEART' if you have it in you, it will show in how you express yourself to the interviewer ( at least that was what he told me after the interview :) ) I got hired (to my absolute surprise) I may not have had the experience, but everything and anything can be learned once you get your foot in there. They know you have had the education for it. Its all inthere in your head and it forever will be :) (given, you will get rusty but that is what continuing ed is for) If you have it in you to care for people it will show :). keep your head up. You are a nurse show it.

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
No offense, but i always laugh when i read something like this...why do you think those residencies are in place today???? It's because they realized that the new grads of yesteryear were NOT as prepared as they needed to be and that hospitals couldn't continue to put new grads into that position. It's not that you were better prepared...it's that nobody cared that you weren't...

I beg to differ. The new grads I see today have never dropped an NG, maybe started one IV, and know nothing about inserting a foley. I'm talking both ADN and BSN.

When I was a student 20 or so years ago, I had a check of list and had to have a certain number of successes in order to pass the clinical.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I disagree...a lot of times clinical sites do not want the LIABILITY of a student nurse dropping NGTs, inserting IV's etc, etc...

New grads don't have a choice...the saving grace for me as a new RN grad is my 7 years experience as a LPN...vents, trachs NGTs and GTs are fine...IVs I'm rusty at lol..not everyone is in that position, unfortunately.

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I disagree...a lot of times clinical sites do not want the LIABILITY of a student nurse dropping NGTs, inserting IV's etc, etc...

New grads don't have a choice...the saving grace for me as a new RN grad is my 7 years experience as a LPN...vents, trachs NGTs and GTs are fine...IVs I'm rusty at lol..not everyone is in that position, unfortunately.

I didn't say it was the new grads fault, however, those are skills that are expected. I'm just telling you how I have seen it over the years. Someone..mexarican (?) thought the idea of having a preceptor for weeks was silly. Well it's needed because nurses don't learn technical skills as strongly as they used to.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

And I understand your point; however, skills are more easier than the assessment, the nursing process-critical thinking-advocating process...those skills far outshine that process...skills can be taught, and have an easier transition than the groundwork for the thinking like a nurse, IMHO. For example, one of my coworkers took a patient's temperature, was a fever, and notified my supervisor 6 hours AFTER the initial assessment, asking "should I give Tylenol?"...those things scare me WAYY more than someone who can't do those skillful interventions...on the other hand, if they chose to delay dropping a NGT, or changing a trach...that would be an issue too..but for me, it goes back to those advocating skills that need to transition. Most students are getting a limited amount of those intangibles, plus with the shortage of new grad/new nurse positions...it's just unfortunate.

If my life would've been different, without my life compounded with health delays, I avoided more delays starting my RN career...I wanted a change many years ago, and knew the flexibility was more with a professional nursing license. I want a change, and I'm pretty much STUCK...like every beginner nurse. I WISH for at least a good, in depth orientation...I had a six month orientation as a new grad nurse LPN at a acute rehab hospital...those were the days! :yes: In, perspective, I wouldn't change anything for the world...this experience will get me through the opening doors of my RN career successfully.

I am wiling to sign a 3 year contract...given the chance, not because I am desperate, lol, but because I believe that it helped me transition in the past as a nurse with GREAT success...a transition that can make sure those intangibles are solidified so I can practice competent, excellent care in a supportive environment, and are committed to doing such.

Well...enough of my soapbox...back to the job hunt :)

I just wanted to mention, hopefully without causing offence, that those skills, such as NG and foley insertion, and starting IV's, do require use of the nursing process and assessment skills too - it is not just a matter of performing a rote skill. There is critical thinking that goes along with performing the skills, i.e. knowing the reason for the NG tube, contraindications to performing the procedures, or patient specific potential problems that could occur and must be anticipated while carrying out the procedures. Before you perform the skills you check the orders are appropriate for the patient's condition and are not contraindicated, and after you perform the skills you reassess and evaluate their outcome, and take any necessary actions. So you are using the nursing process and critical thinking throughout.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

No offense here! if anything, you stated what my viewpoint is, actually. A lot if people get caught up in tasks, instead of our holistic nursing process

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
No offense here! if anything you stated what my viewpoint is, actually. A lot if people get caught up in tasks, instead of our holistic nursing process[/quote']

...to continue: this was the foundation of my nursing education as a LPN, and even built upon MORE in my BSN program.

A lot of nurses get caught up in "tasks" instead of the WHY...and a lot nurses starting out to gravitate towards that, and many are being delayed that rough first year and given the support to make the transition.

Specializes in School nursing.
No offense, but i always laugh when i read something like this...why do you think those residencies are in place today???? It's because they realized that the new grads of yesteryear were NOT as prepared as they needed to be and that hospitals couldn't continue to put new grads into that position. It's not that you were better prepared...it's that nobody cared that you weren't...

I beg to differ. The new grads I see today have never dropped an NG, maybe started one IV, and know nothing about inserting a foley. I'm talking both ADN and BSN.

When I was a student 20 or so years ago, I had a check of list and had to have a certain number of successes in order to pass the clinical.

During my clinicals, we had checklists of nursing tasks/successes we needed to do. That included putting in and removing foleys; Now I never dropped a NG, but did remove a few. I did trach care several times.

As for inserting an IV...now that, nope. Removed many. But floor nurses did not start IVs in any of the places I did clinical (all in the Boston area) and called the IV team instead. My very first nursing instructor was a seasoned ER nurse and taught my group how to start an IV because she thought it was useful - not because it was part of the curriculum.

I do wish students had more hands-on opportunity; one day my senior preceptor was sick and I precepted with one of her colleagues - a very seasoned male nurse on the floor. He was amazing! And he had the faith in me to actually let me handle/learn nursing care that shift as a student and asked me about the critical thinking behind it - I left for the first time feeling like that day had began to prepare me to be on my own as a nurse. Always more to learn, but it gave me the confidence that no other student nurse nurse experience had.

And that confidence is something that I think truly is found on the job, no matter how many nursing tools you have learned.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I agree jenelizabeth...Your experience, IMHO, needs to be a RULE, not the exception...I was fortunate to have similar experiences in my PN and BSN program... competent, excellent nursing care is allowed when there is a place, a space to give the support a new nurse needs, giving them the confidence as a nurse, leading less to burnout as well.

I also understand everything is not for everybody either...but the transition, especially in the first year is sooo important, sigh...I'm hoping for us "late bloomers" to get started lol, whenever it may be, and be successful in our niche of nursing.

I'm having the same problem here. I have not found any work for 2 years now and I'm starting to lose hope that I ever will find one. I have applied everywhere and no luck. Some called me and asked about my work experience. What experience? I have everything listed on my resume as is.

And then they're like well, get some experience and apply at our organization, agency, etc. How do I get experience if I don't have a job???

And you know their reply? Take some courses. Really??

How can I take courses (except the mandatory ones, like BLS and ACLS) if I'm literally broke.

And my parents tried suggesting to bs on my resume. No way am I doing that!

Anyways, I have applied and applied and applied. Like you, I need advice and direction. I can't go back to school (as stated above, I have no money). I don't need advice like 'stay strong' (thanks anyways) and 'good things come to those wait' (2 years is pretty long, don't you think?) and I certainly don't need backlash. It doesn't help!!!! I need good, constructive advice.

Maybe even a mentor? Any takers?

Silky Katoch

P.S.: I apologize if I have offended any of you. It was not my intention to do so. Just a rant and a call for help.

I was a stale new grad too... and still technically am. I graduated June 2010. Got my license June 2011. Applied everywhere and finally by chance got a RN position at a home health agency (not my dream job) on August 2012.. that is 2 years after my graduation and over 1 years after getting licensed. I kept applying everywhere and finally got a job Feb 2014 at a hospital as a new grad (not in a formalized program) because I do not have acute experience. I think home health helped a little because it was still nursing related but they are aware I have not done an IV insertion in at least 3.5 years since graduating. So don't give up. If you work hard at it... things work out.

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