Can't get a job as new RN

Very interesting article about the nursing shortage in Orlando, which all of us new grads know that is not accurate, I emailed her and asked her where all these jobs were and was she aware that they want experience. I think we as new grads need to email her and make her aware what we are being told and that we may have to leave the state to even get a job. Very disappointing article to say the least.
OrlandoSentinel.com

Nursing job prospects bright amid dim economy

Check out this article from the Orlando Sentinnel about nursing in Central Florida:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...29,print.story

Thanks for posting this and for contacting the paper. The more I read these articles, the more the whole "nursing shortage" story seems like self-perpetuating propoganda.

I think I will look into working in another state or a more metropolitan area that accepts new Nurses. Thank you for the information.

Hey Everyone,

We are in an economic depression here and from what I've heard from some hospital recruiters some hospitals picked the wrong time to expand and are paying for it now by having to put hiring freezes out there and reduce staffing on units when the pt. census is just barely ok for the nursing ratio. Anyway, the economy is affecting everyone, nursing was "recession proof" back a few decades ago, but that probably meant that a nurse could find a job Somewhere...even if it wasn't the "ideal place to work" that wasn't as wide spread as this is right now. I just accepted a job with the lowest pay scale in TPA because everyone on the unit was nice and I used to do my clinicals there two years ago before I went to volunteer in S. America and quit my good job and the economy fell in the toilet. Everyone that needs a job, all I can say is be open and understand that a lot of these jobs that you are applying for have 10-20 applicants that are just as qualified. Go impress them! Follow up with the recruiters and the managers let them know that you are extremely interested and would be a great addition....Be genuine and hopefully these hospitals will understand that they need to hire nurses to fill these vacancies OR the patients will complain, word of mouth will get around, and the hospital will be worse off than it was before because patients won't want to go there. The economy will get fixed in a few years and hopefully everyone can follow some kind of budget and figure out what they don't need in life to get over this speed bump.

Hello all,

I am a recent graduate of an ADN program in Colorado, Dec. 2008, got my license in Feb '09, and was pounding the pavement just as you are now for the entire month of Febuary and some of March. All I got were rejections. I also applied out of state: San Diego, North Carolina, Virginia, Portland, Boston, and Seattle. All places I could see myself living if need be. But I got no furthrer out there, only rejections. So I don't think the problem lies in one state alone, I think it is collective.

I decided to stay with my current job as a Hospice nurse and am picking up some extra shifts at a nursing home where I will be trained as a Charge nurse. I am hoping this will give me a step up in the "experience" world and that maybe after a year a hospital will consider hiring me. My fear is that it won't be enough, or the right kind of experience and they still won't hire me and it will be too late for a new grad program.

I wish I could offer better advice. The nursing shortage sure seems to be a lie to me, although if you are desperate, nursing homes seem to always be hiring.

Good luck to everyone!

Question: Has anyone tried applying to their county's health department?? I read somewhere recently that departments of health in Florida will consider new grads or nurses who haven't worked in a hospital for awhile. Anyone find this to be true?

Another question: Anybody have any luck using the website employflorida.com?

Hi Black Butterfly, I feel your pain! I live in the Fort Lauderdale area and it is the same here. Everywhere either says they are not hiring new grads for right now or that their new grad program does not start until July, August, etc. And everyone keeps asking me "How come you can't find a job, isn't there a nursing shortage?" or "Have you tried so-and-so hospital?". Yes, there is supposed to be a shortage, and yes, I have tried so-and-so hospital!! I too have tried every hospital within a 1.5 hour driving range, and there are a LOT within the Ft.Lauderdale/Miami/Palm Beach area. The only people from my class that have gotten hired yet are those that already worked in a hospital as a tech so they had an 'in'. I have been calling hospitals on a daily basis for the past month and a half. I applied to positions on-line, most of them said 1 year experience required, but there were also some that said new grads welcome, but I got no response for several weeks, so I finally started calling the nurse recuiters. That is the only way I got any response at all is by calling, calling, calling. So, don't be scared to call, in my past job hunts I would have never, but it seems to be acceptable, if not necessary to do so right now. Good luck!

Hi
I'm from Philadelphia and the situation is same up here as well. Hospitals don't want NEW GRADS!! Then how are we new grads supposed to get experience and move forward?

Hi, I'm a new immigrant nurse from Singapore with CA RN license. How to step into Amerian nursing field without working experience in U.S? I stay at bay area. Pls give me some info. Thanks.

Just wondering if anyone had applied to FL Hospital and has been waiting for a while for them to make a decision? I applied to one of the GN positions back on March 24th of this year. Now they are "screening" me, but my status has been such for a while now. I wonder if they are waiting for me to get my sit pass first, or do they want me to pass boards first? Should the fact that they have been keeping me this long for consideration be a good sign? I have called and/or emailed the recruiter a few times so he might see my interest but hopefully not to the point where I am annoying.