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

U.S.A. Massachusetts

Published

Specializes in pediatric.

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...

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I'm so sorry to read you are having such a hard time. Have you looking into community nursing or long term care, so you can get some RN experience? Have you considered relocating? I live in D.C. and I work with a lot of new grads that moved down here to find jobs that were unable too in the midwest.

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Specializes in pediatric.

Yes I actually have thought about DC. It seems like a lovely city. I do want to wait for the bf to graduate from school, since he is such a trooper and has decided to relocate with me wherever my job happens to take me.

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I'm so sorry to hear this! I've been hearing about the whole "no one is hiring" thing before I graduated from LPN school (in Boston) a while back, and I experienced it for a while myself. My instructors warned us that it would be tough to find jobs, but nonetheless, everyone in my graduating class managed to find jobs in under four months. Now that I will be graduating with my BSN, I know that my best shot would be to maintain the position that I have now as a charge nurse at a LTC facility and wait for a supervisory position because there is a high staff turnover.

I know that the idea of working in LTC probably doesn't sound appealing, especially since you've contacted the larger, more reputable hospitals in Boston, but it's just a thought. I've seen plenty of BSN new grads get hired at my facility, and after about 6 months when they get tired of passing meds for almost 6 hours straight, they give their 2 weeks notice and haul out. What about subacute rehab in a SNF?

When I first graduated as an LPN, I knew I didn't have any options about working in a hospital, and I applied to dozens of nursing homes before I finally got an interview where I was told that there were no full-time opportunities for me. They took a gamble on me anyways and cross-trained me to work on each unit and I worked as a full-time float/trainee. I showed up each day not knowing what unit I would work on or what role I was playing--med nurse or charge nurse or treatment nurse? I hated it but I had bills to pay and all of my loans were due.

I hope that someone will give you a chance soon. For now, jobs are scarce.

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Have you tried getting names of actual nurse managers and try contacting them directly? HR and nurse recruiters are kind of known for not being helpful, at least in these times...

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.

I started a similar list of my own. Very discouraging! I work at a Boston hospital as a nurse tech and a girl who works on my floor waited 9 months for a position to open up and it's only part time.

At least I get a raise for being a graduate! I am trying to stay positive :)

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Awe I can't believe your post! I was in a similar situation back in 2008. I had 2 years of LPN med/surg experience behind me. I got a job scrubbing as an RN at Mass eye and ear after 5 months. Their OR was really hurting then so they trained me. I only lasted about 6 months there as I had a sick infant. When it came time to look again I went through the same trouble for months BUT This time I scored a full time OR position because of my 6 month experience scrubbing. Now ive been an OR nurse for 2 years and the recruiters won't stop calling. Point of the story is get out of state!!! Then come back.

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Specializes in Adult-Geriatrics.

Definitely consider LTC, rehab, or even home care. I finished my program in August. I've been working in LTC since November and personally really enjoy it. One of my coworkers just got a job working in a neuro ICU after working in LTC/rehab for a year. Just get the experience you need under your belt so you are not considered a "new grad" to the HR people. Most places say 6 months of experience. You could work in LTC for 6 mos and apply for a per diem or part time position at a hospital to get your foot in the door. You could even try a LTC that is affiliated with a hospital so you are considered and internal candidate. Best of luck.

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You might also want to try the state hospitals. You can look them up on this site https://jobs.hrd.state.ma.us/

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Boston hospitals are only hiring BSNs and mostly no new grads. You would be better of trying a community hospital. I don't know where you livve or I'd make a suggestion. This area is not "short" of nurses. I've been a nurse for thirty five years, and can see that hospitals are creating the shortage in house by not hiring, espescially in Boston. I've worked in other states and getting a job is much easier. Have you tried New Hampshire or RI ? Once you get experience somewhere you will feel much better. Your instructors should have been more honest. Where did you go to school? Good Luck...Jodybird

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Try St. Lukes hospital in New Bedford. I was hired there as a new grad in 2008. I had to work nights for a year which was tough but most of my classmates did not get jobs in acute care so I feel very lucky. After that golden year I was able to get a job closer to home with better hours. PM me and I'll give you a name to call.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Your best bet if you want to stay in MA is look at ALL community hospitals, LTC, rehab and even dialysis, but even then the positions are scant. What hospital do you work at? Most community hospitals aren't even hiring new grads and if they are, they are all going to internal applicants. It's the way it is right now. It sucks but consider moving when you can. There are other states out there that will hire you (Texas comes to mind). MA is almost impossible for a new grad to break into these days. In the meantime while your BF is finishing school, you may as well exhaust all options in MA, including positions you might not care to have for very long. Do you have any connections? Have you talked to your nurse manager where you work?

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