Hi everyone,

I graduated back in 2007 and was blessed to get a job in hospital mother/baby floor right away. Six months later, when my mother-in-law had to go back home, my husband and i couldn't manage for both of us to work and care for our small kids, so i resigned. Now, for the last 11 months i applied everywhere..hospital, home care, nursing home...you name it. Much of them didn't respond, from some who get back to me the answer was they are looking for experienced nurse or i am not a new grad so the new grad program is not for me.....I got fed-up with the way things are so i'm going back to school for rn-bsn program....it will take me another three yrs to finish the program with the pre-req i need to take and so forth.....my question for u all is..not having experience will it gone hurt me in school? will i be considered as a new grad after finishing the bsn program? will there be a better chance for a job?

p/s help, thank you

Take a refresher?

The job market for RNs is more competitive currently, and some employers might favor orienting an RN whose last job was just a few months ago, often just because these facilities don't have money to accommodate the longer orienting that someone with less recent experience might need. However, you definitely possess relevant work experience: six months on an L & D unit. The skills you learned while working and while studying to become an RN will be to your advantage when you begin your BSN program. There are plenty of students who begin a four-year baccalaureate nursing program immediately after high school. You have the advantage of already having some idea of what it is like to put those clinical skills into practice. I don't think you will be considered a new graduate after you complete your BSN, and of course if the economy turns around by then, you shouldn't have any problem getting hired. In any case, there are hospitals that hire nurses who are returning to the profession; it just might take a bit longer to find something. Therefore, if you have the ability to put aside even a few hours during the week while in school, perhaps continue your job search now to find an RN position. If you are persistent, I think you will surely find a job even in this market.

You are trying to re-renter a job market that is very tough right now. Taking a refresher course and IV and blood draw course would be a great way to update your skills and you would be more likely to get hired. Going back to school to get your BSN is always a great idea too. Good luck :)

Lack of experience won't hurt you in a BSN program. Getting the BSN might help you in the job market. You can use school to explain your activities, better than being strictly unemployed. Just go forward with a positive attitude and you should pull out of this. Good luck.

i am completing an rn-bsn program right now. i disagree with those that said a lack of work experience will not hurt you... this will depend on the program. my program, at a state university, is designed for rns whom are currently working or whom have worked for many years. the reasons are many! for example, we are tasked to find our own experiences (clinicals, skills labs, community projects, etc.) that occur at the university, in the community, and within a hospital setting. having a job facilitates your access to resources more then not having a job. also, there are courses that are strictly theory, but we (rns) have to apply theory to real world situations such as our real world work experience. student nurses and unemployed new grads will mention clinical experiences at first, but soon run out of material.

speaking of unemployed new grads, a few started my program with me a few years back when i too just graduated. however, the unemployed ones quit the first semester. in addition, students who are traditional or accelerated that signed up for my rn-bsn courses because their courses were full, had problems too. the standards are different and higher for rns. so some non-rns in my courses either dropped early in the semester or failed by the end of the semester. the ones that passed did so complaining about the work and expectations the entire time! in fact, there was so much trouble with my classes being mixed that by my senior year my instructors no longer gave permission for non-rns to take courses in the rn-bsn classes even if the other courses were full.

therefore, talk to a nursing school counselor of the rn-bsn program. ask him/her if he/she can give you names of instructors that teach for the rn-bsn program then talk to the professors. ask the professors if in his/her experience will it be a problem for you to have only six months of work experience several years ago and to remain unemployed while taking the core courses. i promise you that your future instructors will not sugar coat the courses like many others... they want you to succeed and have experienced students who fail. gl!

i appreciate all of you for taking the time and sincerely put your input. i value your advice and definitely consider the options you mentioned. taking a refresher course and iv infusion skills……how is this play out?.......even though it makes my resume look better and update my skill set….what if no job afterward again, that also expire……i will talk to the university advisers if there rn-bsn program is really for an rn’s with work experience or not.

i will keep you posted on my progress.

thank you so much