May 2009 OLD grad, called 17 hospitals today...

[GuatericanNurse]

i have officially come to terms that i am a may 2009 old grad

i have applied to over 100 jobs since march of 2009.

i have been a licensed rn for 6 months.

i have been a cna for 1.5 yrs at a major teaching hospital.

i am bls/aed certified.

i am bilingual.

i am a part of my professional organization (ana).

i have leadership experience as vice pres of the nsna of my school.

i have volunteer nurse experience.

and i still have no job...

i have recently started freaking out because now i realize that the may 2010 new grads are going to come and when demand is greater than supply, craziness ensues and people go nuts fighting for an interview, let alone to speak to the nurse recruiter...

so today, i woke up with a mission: call every hospital within a tolerable driving distance from me, and ask if they will hire new grads.

i accomplished my mission, but instead of helping, it seemed to hinder me instead. i am now even more discouraged than i was when i started. here is how it all turned out....

mass eye and ear- not hiring new grads

mass general- not hiring new grads

beverly hospital- not hiring new grads

lowell hospital- not hiring new grads

st.elizabeths- straight to voicemail (i have called this location at least 15 times in the past two months, trying to speak to the nurse recruiter and nothing! i have emailed her, left multiple voicemails, and i even tried using a fake name seeing if that will get them to transfer my call to her. i wish some people would have the courtesy to call back, or even email us back...)

tufts- straight to voicemail

mount auburn- straight to voicemail

lawrence general hospital- no new grads until january 2011

milton hospital- voicemail message, no option to speak to a real human being

newton-wellesley- straight to voicemail

quincy medical center- receptionist said they probably wont be hiring new grads, nurse recruiter wasnt available

umass memorial- straight to voicemail

brigham and womens- (this one really irritated me:nono:) - i understand that bwh is one of the most prestigous hospitals in the country, but they need to step their game up and update their website. i stumbled onto a website that said "nurse intern program" with a phone number and fax number. it says "call for more information about the nurse intern program. so i did... turns out, it is a non working number!! go ahead, give it call for yourself...617-525-3100. just when i thought i had a lead...

fenway community health center- no one picked up the phone

childrens hospital- not hiring new grads

so there you have it folks. i am throwing in the towel and hopes that the hospital i work at will hire me one day...

[hotflashion, BSN, RN]

Thanks for asking. As it turned out, the hospital laid nurses off and didn't restart their new grad program. I was employed briefly, in a place that I found unsafe. I just started volunteering at a free medical clinic and this gives me reason to hope. Thank dog I have a well-employed spouse: I'm discouraged but not homeless.

[FairyPrincess06]

Why not try applying for a job doing something in a hospital I have heard its easier to move internally from one position to another with in a hospital system then trying to get hired as an external applicant. Also work in general will help make it look like you are trying to do something while you look for a nursing job. What about advanced certifications, seminars, or classes to keep up your nursing knowledge. Try looking for job fairs, networking opportunities, using college career center for help with resume/cover letter if needed. I know its tough I graduated May 2010 and only have a very per diem job in assisted living and work another non nursing job part time but I am hopeful something will come my way soon :)

[hotflashion, BSN, RN]

Thanks, FairyPrincess06, I do do all those things. I took an RN Refresher this past January. I am currently taking Spanish for Medical Personnel at the local CC and intend to actually learn and use it. I go to all sorts of seminars, also to Grand Rounds at 2 of the nearby teaching hospitals in topics of interest. I've stopped going to job fairs, they have been a lot of trouble for nothing. I've applied to other positions in healthcare, and the one time I was able to talk to a hiring manager she said they wouldn't hire me because of the RN, she said she was sure I would leave as soon as I found an RN job. Ha! That was a year ago, and I think I would have enjoyed working as a clinical research coordinator. So, I am volunteering for now, and waiting to hear about another volunteer position. I'm hoping to make contacts through this volunteer work. I'm considering private duty but don't have a lot of confidence in my ability to be self-employed; it's something to think about anyway!