Why many new grads don't find jobs....

Nursing Students General Students

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While eating breakfast at a local diner in my scrubs, my waitress was excited to share the news that she, "finished my CNA clinicals yesterday!!"

"Great! How was it?" I asked. She starts nursing school soon.

"Depressing," she said. "It was so sad. Those people hardly have any visitors. My client didn't even have a pair of socks. Just two unmatched ones."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I worked in a nursing home for two years. Are you going to work as an aide while going to school?"

"NO WAY!" she answered. "They don't make any money and that job looks terrible!"

I nodded, "Yes, it can be hard, but you really do learn a lot. I wouldn't have my med surg job today if I hadn't started in a nursing home."

"I don't know about that," she said, shaking her head. "I had surgery at a clinic the other day and the aide got her job right out of CNA school. Monday through Friday and no weekends!" She continued, "I think she had a really good hookup there."

"Yeah....but that's kind of like winning the 'CNA with no experience' lottery," I told her. There was nothing I could do to convince her that experience in healthcare would help her find a job after graduation. She is going to graduate, apply for jobs, get no offers and blame everyone else for, "Not giving her a chance."

There is absolutely no reason for hiring managers to choose new grads who never worked in healthcare over those who have.

Students, get to work. I know other jobs pay more, but if you really liked those jobs, you would not be going to nursing school.

Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.
Maybe tech/CNA jobs aren't so competitive where you are. I went to nursing school in Boston, where finding a CNA job takes connections.

Oh yes they are competitive where I am at. I live in Southern California. EVERYTHING IS COMPETITIVE lol

If you read my *** next to where I posted. I stated that it took me connections to get the job I have now.

It is sad when people can't get jobs even with connections or volunteering. I was just saying that maybe while people wait to get into school or during their breaks they can look then. Sometimes its a timing issue.

"I finished CNA clinicals".

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a CNA clinical."

We had to do 40 hours of clinicals at a LTC facility for my CNA course. Don't most CNA courses require actual hands-on hours?

"I finished CNA clinicals".

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a CNA clinical.

I had to have 40 hours to get my CNA certificate. Maybe it varies by state?

I work in a hospital and know several nurse managers and still can't get a job :(

After I finished my first semester, I asked my advisor how to challenge my state's CNA exam. [...] I finally found out how to challenge the exam 2 weeks before I graduated.

Just curious - what do you mean by "challenge the exam"? Maybe it's a state thing or I'm just having a burned-out-nursing-student-brain moment!

Just curious - what do you mean by "challenge the exam"? Maybe it's a state thing or I'm just having a burned-out-nursing-student-brain moment!

In some cases, you may be licenses as a CNA by taking the exam without having ever completed an official course. It is my understanding that this only works in states where there is no clinical component to the certification.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I worked for almost three years in an oncologist office during nursing school, but that is the only healthcare experience I have. I just graduated with my BSN last week and even though I have been applying for jobs since January, I have had no interviews or offers to date. What else do hiring managers look for? I did not include my GPA on my resume because it is a 3.088 and I don't know if that would defer them from contacting me.

Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Some nursing students can apply for the CNA state exam after the first semester of nursing school. similarly to those schools that allow RN students to apply for the LPN boards after the first year of school.

i had to have 40 hours to get my cna certificate. maybe it varies by state?

i live in arizona and starting a cna course at my community college tomorrow and the program requires 28 hours in ltc, 42 hours in acute care, and 24 hours on-campus clinical. i am surprised that some states don't require clinical time. when do you learn the skills???

job networking, experience, and increasing my comfort level around patients are all reasons why i'm doing the cna program and getting the certificate. i was also told by a friend who is an rn that it really helps in having a better relationship with your cna's and knowing how to delegate properly because you yourself know what it's like to work as one.

This is a rather radical statement. Imagine a nursing grad with a BSN from a reputable university with a 3.8 GPA, extensive clinical rotations and superb faculty recommendations and another nursing grad from an obscure community college with a 2.2. GPA who failed several semesters and is on her 3rd attempt at the NCLEX but has 3 years of hospital experience as a tech. Who would you hire if you were the nursing manager?

You nailed it. Absolutely agree. With BSN from good uni its the clinical references that count. If I wanted to do CNAs work I wouldnt have applied to BSN program

Specializes in ICU.

Welcome to the entrance of the millennial generation into the work force. Too many young people these days expect to graduate and be given a five star job with the salary of someone who's been doing the job for 10+ years. New parents and people raising young children, take notice, there are negatives to telling your child they are amazing when they are not and rewarding your child's 12th place sports team with a trophy, it's called entitlement.

commonsense, Please don't tell them. Their ridiculous expectations are my job security.

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