Thought I would have a job by now. Getting depressed

SWRNUSA · Jul 9, 2013

Well I think that the word should get out. Everyone in the general public thinks that nursing is a hot job, that if you get your RN license you have a free ride to wealth! Of course I knew I would not be wealthy, but I did fall for the belief that there was a ton of positions available everywhere for nurses.

roser13, ASN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

Well I think that the word should get out. Everyone in the general public thinks that nursing is a hot job, that if you get your RN license you have a free ride to wealth! Of course I knew I would not be wealthy, but I did fall for the belief that there was a ton of positions available everywhere for nurses.

Well.....not really. I don't know a single person, nurse or not, who thinks that a nursing career will bring them wealth. And these days, anyone who is looking to pursue nursing has a dozen or more friends advising them of the reality that there is NO nursing shortage.

I hate that you fell for your school's BS. But I also feel that you share a certain amount of responsibility to have investigated the realities of the economy prior to diving into nursing school.

green34 · Jul 9, 2013

I would also consider looking over your resume and see if other people can find things with it where you can improve.

SWRNUSA · Jul 9, 2013

I agree, but I really did not consider Allnurses a reliable source before I joined and now of course I do :) . I saw it here and there, but I figured it was a place to vent and of course there are usually more negative vents than positives in the world of venting and especially in the world of nursing it seems. In Texas and New Mexico close to where I live, when you do a search of Nursing Jobs at first glance it really seems there are jobs, and there are jobs, its just getting an actual interview. And thanks to the person who mentioned me getting my resume looked at. I think that is my next project tomorrow. Seems I have a full time job now looking for a full time job :/ I feel like handing out flyers to the students walking in to apply for nursing school warning them of the hiring process :)

RNKPCE · Jul 9, 2013

I know someone who after over 100 applications and 5 interviews got a job but is having to relocate over 1000 miles. She graduated in December. She paid out of her own pocket for flights to two long distance interviews in two different cities, which isn't easy to do when you aren't working.

I do think it is a good idea that you are getting your BSN as some hospitals only want BSNs or those in the process. I know some hospitals have goals to have 70-80% BSN by a certain year like 2017.

Hang in there, other posters have given you some good options.

Scarlettz, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

Take a deep breath - and keep on trying! Two months is not very long. I finally received my first job offer after (almost exactly) one year of passing my NCLEX. While looking for a job, I just worked p/t (in a non medical setting - I couldn't find any health care related job) and concentrated on my RN-to-BSN program. I don't have any healthcare connections- I did it on my own! I applied online and just kept on being persistent with it. I am about your age, too, so don't fret about that.

Depending on the loan, there are deferment options. Look into them. I have been deferring my bills for the time being.

TBlase · Jul 9, 2013

Spot on. The medical school industry receives about 500 applicants for every opening. It's a deliberate cost control technique, by the status quo, to keep the salaries up. Nursing has always been accepted as second rate, and nurses have always been known to eat their own young- which means they cannot gain political power, since they bite off their noses to spite their own faces. The political power for nurses just doesn't exist. hence, dropping pay, more patients, more jobs for unskilled techs, more requirements imposed to gain a license, more fees, etc. I'm just sayin'.

wooh, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

If you're in school for your BSN, you likely can defer your loans doing that.

Don't look in DFW, it's saturated. On the border though, that's where you'll find jobs. And you can brush up on your spanish.

dance4life · Jul 9, 2013

I would definitely relocate. Hey that is what I had to do where I am from and I have experience.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

If you're in school for your BSN, you likely can defer your loans doing that.
Don't look in DFW, it's saturated. On the border though, that's where you'll find jobs. And you can brush up on your spanish.

Try going south. I receive info about jobs in San Antonio and Corpus all the time. Don't know if they're new grad listings as I'm not a new grad...but both of those areas are less saturated so you may have better chances.

scott5698 · Jul 10, 2013

There is nothing wrong with saying its about the money! None of us complete the schooling, pass the tests and send hundreds of resumes while hoping to not get paid. Of course its about the money. Those that don't believe me should ask HR to stop paying and we'll see how long that lasts...that said however, there is something to be said for loving what you do and having a great fit with your employer. I am scared of the same thing... AND I'm over 50 and in second career mode. I rarely get a response to job applications, even those you only have to fog a mirror for. Keep at it!

lbnanna · Jul 10, 2013

i feel for you. I graduated from a BSN program, in Charleston SC, in may 2010. There is at least a third to half of my class that still is looking for jobs and the ones who have jobs was because they knew someone or worked as an extern previously for the hospital. I personally worked for almost 3 yrs as an extern for the local hospital while I was in nursing school. But after I graduated, I got married to my husband and then we got stationed in Washington State. I contacted every hospital in the bremerton and seattle areas and their response was always that they hired within or from the local nursing schools. It is very difficult right now to get a nursing job and people not in the field still do not understand that. Especially the idea that as new grads we cant apply to a reg nursing job and there are only so many new grad positions at every hospital, where a few years ago, most hospitals had quite a few. Unfortuantely, because of financial reasons, i ended up haivng to search elsewhere for a job and did a P/T retail job and now sub for the local school district. I am also in the process of looking into earning another degree in a related medical field, more than likely U/S tech, where there are more jobs, better pay, and more flexible hours. My best advice to you is to keep searching for jobs (and talk to friends or family who work in the field that could maybe help you find a job) if you really want to stay in nursing, and have the time and money to wait, or if you dont have the time or money to wait (like myself), start looking into other related fields where you could take a few classes(bc your nursing courses can count toward some) and get another degree. Good luck