Officially giving up

RN that never was · Oct 17, 2013

Sadly, the BSN, outside of the RN realm, is completely useless. You might as well have gotten a degree in "under water basket weaving". You are going to have to swallow a very hard pill. It is over and the world will keep spinning without giving 2 thoughts about you. Welcome to America in 2013! Your education holds no value while the country has turned into a giant strip mall. Welcome to the life of minimum wage, unbenefitted retail--AKA: The Land of the WAGE SLAVE.

PaulaM229 · Oct 17, 2013

Don't give up! I live in Richmond, VA. there are many opportunities

HappyWife77, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2013

Not sure if you are into faith.....but try praying. It has always working for me! Best of Luck to you...please don't give up. Disregaurd the insults and brush yourself off and persevere. How about using a hiring agency to find a job for you? I have used ihire nursing before in the south.

neonurse97 · Oct 17, 2013

Sadly, the BSN, outside of the RN realm, is completely useless. You might as well have gotten a degree in "under water basket weaving". You are going to have to swallow a very hard pill. It is over and the world will keep spinning without giving 2 thoughts about you. Welcome to America in 2013! Your education holds no value while the country has turned into a giant strip mall. Welcome to the life of minimum wage, unbenefitted retail--AKA: The Land of the WAGE SLAVE.

It's not THAT bad.

CuddleFox · Oct 17, 2013

I tried the AF in 2011 to be commissioned as an officer RN with no experience and 5 months out of school. My recruiter told me I was in. I interviewed with the Chief RN at a military base and was assured I would be going to officer's basic training in 3 months. Sadly, I failed to get a promised waiver for a slight hearing loss in 1 ear. Recruiter said in his 17 years he has NEVER seen a waiver denied like that. Things were already starting to change in 2011. However, my friend who graduated a year before me (BSN) WAS accepted and used the same recruiter. We applied at the same time and even interviewed together with the Chief RN.
She was 17 months from graduation with no paid experience.

ugh that sucks. that probably felt like you were sucker punched.

CuddleFox · Oct 17, 2013

I feel for you. I can only imagine how you feel, perhaps you feel hopeless, sad, discouraged, depressed, angry, bitter, alone. I assure you, those feelings are okay, and its normal. You've spent years studying, and you've sacrificed so much to obtain your degree. You thought for sure that obtaining a job, despite the economic climate, would be easy, because you're a nurse. You'll always have a job, nursing is a recession proof job, theres a nursing shortage...blah blah blah, thats what ALL nursing students are told. Now you're waiting for a job, been waiting 18+ months, and no one is offering you a job. Trust me though, you are not alone, nurses across the US are out of work.
Im an RN with a BSN with 2.5+ yrs exeperience in psych...I cant find a job due to me working only psych for so long, as though psych nurses arent rral nurses as they say. Ive been forced to do what I have to do to pay my bills. I dont like working with peds...scares the crap outta me, but guess what, I work with peds doing private duty nursing. They pay is HORRIBLE, but its about gaining experience at this point.
What advice can I give to you? Perhaps look into home health, private duty nursing, nursing homes, corrections nursing, the county jail/prisions, anything PRN as well. Dont limit yourself. PLENTY of nursing are working jobs they abhor just to pay those bills. I really want you to get your career started, as I dont want you to get hopeless.
If you feel up to it, email me the area in which you reside, and I will do research to find what hospitals/agencies hire new grads.
Gotta go look for a job myself, hope to hear from you :)

this site won't let me private message because i haven't started enough topics. thanks for offering though!

DoGoodThenGo · Oct 17, 2013

Actually no, it isn't. CNA experience does not count as nursing experience. I hope your wife finds a new grad opportunity soon. It is rough out there. There has not been a nursing shortage, especially not an LVN shortage, for many years unfortunately.

Sadly for many there is no "shortage" of nurses in NYC and the surrounding area. There wasn't five years ago either. The only current shortage hospitals will speak about is of experienced RNs who have done the *exact* or close to the same thing as a open position.

While there is some hiring going on of both new grads and experienced RNs in NYC it is very cut throat out there. Both easily have an excess of applicants for every open position, thus facilities can pick and choose.

Long phased out of acute care hospitals in the City, most LPNs were employed in nursing homes, home care, physician offices and so forth. Well along with hospitals closing in NYC so have nursing homes, so the options are becoming fewer.

Being as all this may glassdoor.com seems to have listings for LPNs, most are in LTC but everyone has to work somewhere: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Jobs in New York, NY | Glassdoor

DoGoodThenGo · Oct 17, 2013

Is there anything I can do with this nursing degree besides nursing or teaching in nursing?
It's been 18 months and NO ONE will hire me. I've looked out of state, internationally, even tried to volunteer and I can't !&*^@*$ win. I had a position offered to me then retracted because the manager decided to change the "new grad" position to someone with experience. Every other interview I go on, I always get to the final interview and then told I didn't get it for some BS reason.
I spoke to a nursing recruiter and told me that I was basically screwed. Mostly because I've been out of school for so long and refresher courses are reserved for those who have had experience but have been out for other reasons. A second recruiter told me to find a new dream.
This is my second degree, the first is in biology, I have no clinical experience other than what I did in school but my resume is still impressive. I can't believe I wasted three years of of life getting my BSN all for nothing.

First and foremost difficult as it may seem, try not to get too discouraged. Now that nurse hiring is a "group" decision just as in the business world you can go to multiple interviews and feel very "sure", only to have things fall apart in the end. There is nothing left to do but keep on keeping on.

North NJ as with the rest of the state probably not only has applicants from within but nurses both seasoned and new grads coming from across the Hudson River cause things aren't that great in much of the NYC area either.

If you are willing to consider relocating big time many NYC new grads have either gone down south or upstate NY to find work. They remain for a year or so (providing they find work), then return. This IMHO is not exactly fair to the facility that is laying out the time and funds to orientate and train, but that is up to you.

If you haven't done so already would look into getting your NYS and maybe PA licenses. This way if you interview in either state that potential problem is off the table.

Final advice is to get out there network and also apply to any conceivable nursing spot you can find; from flu clinics to LTC. As the old saying goes, if you throw enough mud against a wall sooner or later some of it will stick. *LOL*

CaitRoseRN, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2013

DavidDudley, What area and what hospital do you work in that hires new grads? Just curious, as I am in the same boat... Thanks!

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 17, 2013

First of all... give yourself a break if you can. Really. You sound SO tired and desperate... well, unsurprisingly.

Second, take a fresh look on your paperwork. Your resume must be first-class; your school should have "career department" or something else to do your resume and cover letter critique for free. They also can do a mock interview and evaluate your interview skills (there can be a fine line between not being "goofy" and "clownish" and being solemn as if you're interviewing for a funeral home assistant's job). Get licenses for each state you're applying. Your BLS (and probably ACLS) must be fresh. if you have money, take an online course in ECG interpretation/telemetry. Do a refresher class if you can.

Third, go to your former school and ask someone you trust to help you. There might be positions in nursing lab, student's health, etc. If you did well in your research class, you may work for a professor who is active in research, or get contact in medical research world (your second degree in biology can help you get there). Ask if they know where your other classmates ended up and try to contact them. If you can afford membership fees, join a professional nursing society for networking. There is also a magazine named "Student Nurse" which has advertisements for "new grads-friendly" places. Think about moving possibility. This summer I was vacationing in Lancaster county, PA and there were literally dozens of jobs in rural SNFs. if you're already comp-savvy above average, get a certificate in nursing informatics (available from many places, entirely online and relatively cheap - just make sure that the place really helps with employment).

Last but not least, re-evaluate your feelings about the jobs and what you're going to see and do there. if you think about your potential co-workers as about "old hags" now, this attitude will show during interview and sure kill any little chance you've got. You don't have to be bubbly and giggling all the time, but you shouldn't make an instant impression of a stony cold "professional" either.

it is tough out there now, but if at least half of your former classmates did it, then you can do it too. You just need to do it right and maybe, for awhile, not to go where all the lemmings run.

RN that never was · Oct 17, 2013

In response to CuddleFox:

"ugh that sucks. that probably felt like you were sucker punched."

It did. I knew it was pretty much my last shot. The majority of the class before me was unable to secure positions. My class was fairing worse at that point. The recruiter guaranteed me acceptance into the AF. I told him I failed the physical (MEPS) when I was younger (hearing) and he said I would get a waiver. All papers were signed, bases were chosen as was specialty(medsurg). Waited around 7 months for the waiver then was told I was denied.Entire process took a year. Recruiter was shocked. I was devastated-- another door slammed in my face.

On top of that….my friend is now over ½ way through with her AF stint (as I was guaranteed) with top notch training and veteran status. Am I jealous? How can I not be.I went from being the highest educated person in my family entering a well respected career sprinkled with the noble/honor status of veteran to being an unemployed statistic with no foreseeable future----overnight.

About the same time I ALMOST landed a job with a private hand surgeon. After 3 interviews he told me he, and the staff, really liked me.Then he said “I really want to hire you….but I can’t, you just do not have enough experience.” SNAP!!!!!!!

College was hell. Had to maintain a 3.7 gpa to compete. All pre-reqs had a waiting list. It took me, due to over-crowding, 3.5 years just to complete my pre-reqs. With the RN program I devoted 6+ years of education to get my BSN from a State University. 6 years to run a cash register.

That said…..I know how you feel. A degree in nursing is not like other degrees. You put your life into it. You identify yourself by it---you live it. When your career is denied, your identity is stripped. You are left holding a bottle of snake oil (BSN degree) wondering what to do---who you are---what’s next. Everyone tells you to “have faith”—“be patient”—“keep trying”. You do. More time passes. More classes graduate after you. Before you know it…it has been 3+ years and you fallen completely out of the loop while your envisioned career/life slip further and further away until one day you realize---It is not going to happen.

Should you keep trying? Only you can answer that. How long can one pursue something like that before you go insane from the literal heartbreak? Making it through an RN program is a true demonstration of strong will….but everyone has a breaking point. 9 years investment was my cut off point. I couldn’t chase the dragon any further into the abyss.

You will know when you are ready,

The RN that never was.

DavidDudley · Oct 17, 2013

DavidDudley, What area and what hospital do you work in that hires new grads? Just curious, as I am in the same boat... Thanks!

Desert Valley hospital ER in Victorville california. The other hospitals in the area are also friendly to new grads such as St. Mary's, and Victor valley. Keep in mind that the area is desert; Victorville, Hesperia, and Barstow all desert. People don't flock here which is why jobs here are plentiful. My home health agency hired me primarily because they need nurses to drive up here to see patients.