New Grad & No Jobs :(

[NurseK_44]

I graduated from Chaffey College in December, 2014 and have not been able to find a job due to my lack of experience. I live in the Inland Empire and have applied EVERYWHERE- St. Bernardine, Loma Linda, Huntington Hospital, Garfield Medical Center, Riverside Community, & MORE. Rejection after rejection. Nurse recruiters aren't much helpful, though some have suggested I reapply when I finish BSN in May, 2016.

Did the new grads who found a job fill their applications online? Perhaps I should turn in my resume personally to the HR department.

Anyone know any hospital hiring? I'm willing to commute far

[SquishyRN, BSN, RN]

Southern California is a dismal market. Most places want a BSN. As an ADN, you might have to look for a position outside of the acute setting to get your first job. I graduated with an ADN. Most of my ADN classmates worked outside of acute care as their first jobs while they worked on getting their BSNs through RN to BSN programs. When they obtained their BSNs, they easily moved into acute hospitals, even from SNFs.

The only major hospitals I can think of that actually consider new grad ADNs without preference for BSNs are those in the LA County system. You said you were willing to commute after all. I saw some Facebook friends posting that applications for RN I just re-opened. They don't consistently open applications. The last application cycle for RN I was about a year and a half ago. Applying to LA County takes patience though. I've heard the process can take up to a year. You might not even hear from them for months after submitting your application. Here's the link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty/jobs/1247768/registered-nurse-i-relief-nurse

[NurseK_44]

Thank you for your response!

I applied to UCLA's New Grad Program, Glendale Adventist, and USC Verdugo Hills and got rejected from all of them. My application status for St. Bernardine has been "Under Manager Review" for two months

I'll just keep applying. The only problem with applying outside an acute care setting is that on most of the job applications it says they prefer experience in an acute care setting. Ahhhh!!! SO many more nurses are about to graduate and I'm just going to be another "new grad."

[BonnieSc]

Are you able to move to another state for a year or two?

Yes, the applications may specify acute care experience preferred, but nonavute is preferable to nothing. I get that you have to weigh your options and how long you can hold out for acute care, but it sounds like the time has come--if you can get any kind of nursing job take it, and then reapply when you get your BSN.

If it makes you feel any better, I couldn't even get nursing home work when I graduated, spent two years before I started working acute care out of state--but now I have a great career. You will get there.

[WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Move. California is absolutely awful for new grads. If you can move, I would seriously recommend it.

[SquishyRN, BSN, RN]

Thank you for your response!

I applied to UCLA's New Grad Program, Glendale Adventist, and USC Verdugo Hills and got rejected from all of them. My application status for St. Bernardine has been "Under Manager Review" for two months

I'll just keep applying. The only problem with applying outside an acute care setting is that on most of the job applications it says they prefer experience in an acute care setting. Ahhhh!!! SO many more nurses are about to graduate and I'm just going to be another "new grad."

Well it's not a surprise you've been rejected from all of them when some of them specifically say they want BSN only. It's not personal, it's just that with so many new grads it's an easy way to trim down applications right off the bat. Like I said, many of my ADN classmates started outside of acute care and are in acute care now after obtaining their BSNs. Starting out outside of acute care did not prevent them from being in acute care now. They were just patient. If you think you absolutely have to be in acute care now, then I agree with above poster in that you might have to move out of California. I know a couple people that moved to North Dakota

[muirite]

This is what the head teacher in my LVN program said....

Get your LVN, RN, BSN in California then go away and get 3yrs or more experience and then come back if you want. Califorina is graduates too many people unless you want to go to an s-hol in the middle of nowhere.

I find that to be true. I got my LVN with 14 other people i know I am the only one who got a job with in the first year and it was where i worked at as an MA. Even now a few years later the ones that had to stay in so cal have did not get jobs until they did a BSN.

[muirite]

many of my ADN classmates started outside of acute care and are in acute care now after obtaining their BSNs. Starting out outside of acute care did not prevent them from being in acute care now. If you think you absolutely have to be in acute care now, then I agree with above poster in that you might have to move out of California.

LTC and SNF hire a lot of ADN's if you can't move

[NurseK_44]

Thank you all for the feedback. I will look into settings outside of acute care settings.

It's crazy to think how many people are becoming nurses yet the job market for new grads is so bad!

I wish I was an ER tech or CNA while in nursing school.

Oh well, I will continue searching! :)

[CNACJ]

Come to North Dakota ( Bismarck and Fargo) youll get hired quick. i have ran into many new grad RNs from CA who have moved out here to gain experience on there dream floor so there able to get hired back in there hometown

[LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN]

Come to Texas, I just got hired in my dream specialty in my dream facility. I graduate in december and I had only put out that 1 application. I know NUMEROUS nurses that easily landed their first job right out of Nursing school.