What am I doing wrong?

Nursing Students Male Students

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I am a male nursing student about to graduate in a few weeks.

I have a 3.3 GPA, strong letters of recommendation from every instructor, a well demonstrated strong work ethic, get along very well with everyone, etc but I cannot find a job.

Not even a nibble.

No one Ive spoken to seems interested whatsoever in hiring me.

When I did my preceptorship, I was told by over a dozen nurses to apply for that department. They told me I was the person they would want to work with, etc.

I took a resume to the department manager and she seemed completely disinterested in me.

She told me they had no openings, although I already knew they were about to have several due to imminent transfers.

That encounter with her was from my viewpoint so negative, that when I got back from lunch I found myself checking the wastebaskets for my resume.

I have asked for advice from several people and the general consensus is it isn't what you know, or how you work, but who you know.

From talking to the other students in my class, in every case where one of them has a job offer, or is going to interviews, they knew someone (by their own admission) who go the ball rolling for them.

I knew financially it would be hard to get through nursing school, but I did it.

I just don't want to be sitting here waiting on a call in three months. I want to be working.

Any constructive advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

It might be that you are not doing anything wrong. It might just be that jobs for new graduates are very scarce in your area. In some communities, the number of new graduates far exceeds the open spots -- resulting in a situation in which even the best students are having trouble finding a job. In short, it might be a lot less about YOU and more about the specifics of your local job market.

You need to talk to some people who know the local job market and find out what is really happening in your region. Once you have a good sense of what is happening in your region, then you can make a plan to proceed.

For example, it might be that certain hospitals are looking to hire experienced nurses only -- or only nurses with BSN's, etc. You need to know that kind of stuff before you waste a lot of time looking in the wrong direction. If "who you know" makes a difference, then you need to start getting to know the right people any way you can -- by attending local nursing group meetings, volunteering, introducing yourself, etc.

But start by using step one of the nursing process: assess. Assess the specifics of the local job market ... then either plan a strategy that fits the particulars of your local market or plan to relocate.

Good luck to you.

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Don't give up. The economy is terrible for all occupations not just nurses! Try getting some certifications? ACLS perhaps?

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Specializes in CNA.

What kind of patient care work experience do you have?

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What kind of patient care work experience do you have?

4 years as a Radiographer/CT tech/ Nuc Med Tech.

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The damage may already be done. Not to sound cocky or nothing, but I am about to wrap up the second semester and I have already had two job offers. What do I do? I treat clinical like it is my job. I make sure I am always early. Sometimes I get the report before the primary nurse even gets there. I stay aggressive and work throughout the whole day I am there. I make sure I prioritize and do all the things they teach us. I am never standing around and talking like some of my classmates do. I work, work, work. People are always looking. I believe that is why the nursing manager pulled me aside and told me there would be a position there for me if I wanted when I graduated. Once again, not to sound cocky...It just it what it is. The military programmed me this way.

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I don't think it's too late, but I do think you have to start assessing your situation and thinking what you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Volunteer work will always stand you in good stead.

Best of luck :)

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You can not deny that this topic has come up often. There are people who have gone as long as the better part of two years without a job. The only advice that anyone can really give you is to keep on trying, as well as get employment in another line of work so you can pay your living expenses.

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The damage may already be done. Not to sound cocky or nothing, but I am about to wrap up the second semester and I have already had two job offers. What do I do? I treat clinical like it is my job. I make sure I am always early. Sometimes I get the report before the primary nurse even gets there. I stay aggressive and work throughout the whole day I am there. I make sure I prioritize and do all the things they teach us. I am never standing around and talking like some of my classmates do. I work, work, work. People are always looking. I believe that is why the nursing manager pulled me aside and told me there would be a position there for me if I wanted when I graduated. Once again, not to sound cocky...It just it what it is. The military programmed me this way.

The same thing happened to me. When I went to HR to apply for an open position as advised by the floor nurses, it was closed. I didn't get the job, but it was not because I wasn't recommended for it. They noticed me and my work ethic in clinical. I was introduced to the nurse manager on purpose because my preceptor wanted me hired for that floor. You have to present a good view of yourself when you get the chance. The best way to do this is during clinical placement.

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The damage may already be done. Not to sound cocky or nothing, but I am about to wrap up the second semester and I have already had two job offers. What do I do? I treat clinical like it is my job. I make sure I am always early. Sometimes I get the report before the primary nurse even gets there. I stay aggressive and work throughout the whole day I am there. I make sure I prioritize and do all the things they teach us. I am never standing around and talking like some of my classmates do. I work, work, work. People are always looking. I believe that is why the nursing manager pulled me aside and told me there would be a position there for me if I wanted when I graduated. Once again, not to sound cocky...It just it what it is. The military programmed me this way.

During my clinical I always was the first student there. I usually beat the clinical instructor there also. This is not my first Rodeo and I knew I was being evaluated from day 1. I excelled at clinical. I have spoken to several nurse managers this week and was told by one to call her when I pass the NCLEX. Hopefully there is a job in that.

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Something that I have noticed over the past few years, as the economy has plummeted, is the large number of nurses who had retired or left the field (to start a family, etc) that are coming back to supplement their household income. I know three personally and at least a dozen I have met at my clinical sites who "had to come back" as their husbands were laid off or just weren't making enough money anymore. Though it sounds like you have some good experience (Nuc Med Tech.. Navy?), it probably pales in comparison with a 15+ year experienced nurse looking to pick up any extra hours.

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Specializes in icu/er.

its just such a supply and demand issue right now. im in the south and we are just full of nurses and schools are pumping them out by the thousands every few months. when i graduated around 7 yrs ago everyone in my class had jobs before graduation. now many hospitals have the lux to wait and see..maybe the dept manager has already been in contact with a already practicing rn with exp. that she is really eyeing for the job. a catty chatty nurse or aid might have said something negative about you to the manager. who knows the reason for her bland response, but keep pluggin away with the applications and make return phone calls to managers to check up on your status, human resource depts are know for screwing up applications and losing them. hopefully things will improve once you have nailed nclex.

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