Feeling down and losing hope.

nycNurse2b · May 19, 2010

I'm so very sorry. I completely feel your pain. Please do not give up hope, keep looking. You will get a job and you will be the happiest person on this planet! I know, this post could have been written by me...last month! But I did finally find a job.....and you will too.

VERY BEST OF LUCK TO YOU. DO not give up hope.

sayang87 · May 19, 2010

I'm so very sorry. I completely feel your pain. Please do not give up hope, keep looking. You will get a job and you will be the happiest person on this planet! I know, this post could have been written by me...last month! But I did finally find a job.....and you will too.
VERY BEST OF LUCK TO YOU. DO not give up hope.

thanks for the support! can I ask what did you do to get your job? is it a hospital?

Angeljho, MSN, NP · May 24, 2010

I'm in the same boat.. I've been looking and looking and am starting to lose hope.. I've never felt so down in my life.. hopefully June will be my month

SitcomNurse, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN · May 25, 2010

i can only say what i did to get a job, when i started...

i worked a shift i didnt like, in a place i didnt want to work.

im sure you are not being picky about what / where since you are looking so hard.

i would try more agencies, and take any shift they offer, the more valuable you are, the more they are likely to call you for other cancellations.

dont go pediatrics in home care, try vns, for general population.(visiting nurse service) which is task/assessment, not shift work. still rewarding, still clinical, still nursing.

employers only want people who are working.

also, call the home care on every monday and thrusday.

if a home agency hired you and is looking for a fit, they are relying on their 'regulars' for call ins.

if you are on the phone at the moment, its now your turn.

make sure you are calling the right extension.

leave a message every time you call.

simple: hi, its stephanie smith, im just calling to let you know i am available for work this week on wed, thur and fri, any shift. my number is: 123-4567

on thursday, call back... same start up.. im available for work this friday and sunday days preferred, but i can do evenings or nights. thanks, my number is......

that also works for per-diem work.

i once took a job that paid me only $20 more an hour than if i stayed on unemployment, in a facility that was not state regulated. after 6 months, i got the job i wanted in a facility i could work in.

go to any facility and tell them you only want per-diem. nursing home, hospital etc. (there are per-diem jobs and right now we are looking at some of our per-diems and hoping they want to come f/t.)

tell them on your cover letter of the resume, you are persuing further edcuation and are looking at how things fit with home/school/work.

everyone wants someone who is still going to school. that means you are willing to work weekends, and wont call in.

you need to believe that further education is part of your future. it is.

anytime you had an interview, send a "thank you for your time" note, before you find out if you got the job or not.

send a letter now to the places you have not heard from, it may get your application to the top again, when they put the letter with it.

you need to keep your name in front of the people.

unfortunately, with the closings and lay offs, there isnt alot out there.

if you are persistent in what i tell you, you can get a job.

dont be disheartened, all my freinds got a job 6 months before i did.

i also didnt work in nursing while in nursing school.

of course none of this will be helpful unless youpresent yourself well at an interview, and have a good work ethic. im just assuming you do.

good luck. you can do it.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · May 31, 2010

I feel your pain because I was there as a new grad, many years ago. It was such a devastating experience. I really felt like a failure, since I could not get a job anywhere. I ended up getting a job in homecare (through a very good friend.)

Sitcom nurse gave some very good advice. You definitely need to think outside the box. I couldn't get over the fact that I wasn't in a hospital, but since they weren't hiring new grads, I HAD to get over it. There are many outpatient settings that need RNs. Some of my recent grads are working in clinics, doctors offices, schools, or residential facilities (not necessarily nursing homes). You are not in a position to turn anything down, you need to get some experience before you become rusty. However, don't stay in a position that is beyond your abilities as a new grad. Since these are considered nontraditional positions for new grads, you definitely need to be more proactive in your orientation and training plan.

In the meantime, get back in school. You did not mention what level your degree is. If you already have a BS, start taking core classes for your MS (even one class at a time). It will help to pass the time.

sayang87 · Jun 1, 2010

thanks for all the advice guys. :)

sitcomnurse: I'm a little hesitant about per diem work because I'm don't think I'd get proper training for it. But I definitely will follow your advice about adding that I am going to continue my education on my cover letter. That's a good tip and something I didn't even realize I should add! I still have yet to even score an interview but I have my pack of thank you cards ready for when those calls come! :)

nurse educate: all the doctor's offices I have checked out require at least 1 yr of experience so that is out. I am going to be more aggressive with my nursing home applications... I have an associates and I DEFINITELY want to get my bsn but I currently don't have the money to do so. I really need a job so I can further my education.

Any other advice is appreciated! :)

metricalpound · Jun 8, 2010

Don't give in.

And, don't give in!

I graduated with a BA in English, a strong minor in Philosophy and had a significant amount of science credits in 2007. I started working for my MS in Education while looking for a teaching job in NYC - it took me almost two years of being a substitute teacher and constantly giving my resumes to line up two jobs teaching English. One job was at an inner city junior high school and the other was at a very good High School - I had my choice of teaching at either school and both were attractive for one reason or another. And then NYC put the teacher hiring freeze in motion.

I've come to realize over last summer that I wasted a good portion of my life on a goal that now would never be reached. All states are not looking for teacher, esp. English teachers. I felt like nothing. I was angry and frustrated. How could my teachers, my family, my friends allow me to go into this field? How could I let myself go into this field? I'm a 30 year old male, I still live with my parents, in their basement - where did I go wrong? Where is my life heading to? At one point in my life, I seemed to be heading on the "right" track but now there is just nothing.

After spending most of the summer of 09 feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go for Nursing. Yeah, it's hard to get a job for Nursing but it's nothing like finding a job teaching. Even in the fields that are in high demand (Math, Science, Special Education), when a job opens up in any state, there are thousands of applicants looking to fill it. Hopefully, I'll get into the nursing school that I applied to this spring - I scored pretty high on the entrance exam (97th percentile on NLN's) and I can start my new life. Also, unlike education, I know many people in the medical field that can help me find a job after I graduate.

And if I can't find a job when I graduate - I won't give in.

Never give in. =D

Edit: And I only needed 6 credits to get my MS in Education - I worked so hard for that degree =/