Sorry Nurse Recruiters/Nurse Managers!

Specialties Management

Published

As I receive rejection after rejection for nursing jobs, I feel the need to apologize to nurse recruiters/managers who overlook my BSN because I lack patient care tech experience.

I am sorry I could not afford to take a job as a tech making 7 an hour. You see while attending school part-time, I needed to maintain a home, equipped with mortgage payments, children and all the other responsibilities of wife and mother.

I m sorry you cant see that I carried a gpa over 3.0 even with the all the responsibilities I have.

I'm sorry that you cant see that for past 2 ½ years of nursing school, I stayed up late each night studying or preparing care plans while working 40 hours a week.

I'm sorry that you can't see how I worked tirelessly in every aspect of my life to obtain a second degree.

I'm sorry that you can't see that despite a lack of patient care experience I am mature, driven, focused, ambitious and hard working.

I'm sorry that you can't see that I passed by NCLEX exam with 75 questions in under one hour. Not because of exceptional knowledge, because I studied tirelessly!

I'm sorry that you can't see how I was complimented time and time again by not only my clinical instructors but more importantly the patients who I cared for. I wish you could hear the amount of times a patient or the family said "you are going to be great nurse."

I'm really sorry you can't see past this lack of experience and have formed a judgment against me before knowing me.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
@Zookeeper. I passed with 75 questions in about 45 minutes--maybe a bit less. My license has no such footnote on it. In fact, besides the name, my license is identical to the licenses of those who failed several times and finally passed with 200+ questions over a couple hours. I'm telling' ya... It doesn't matter!!!

*** Well said. Your right, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter cause the NCLEX has very little to do with nursing.

Because if you understand how the NCLEX works, people who pass in 75 questions have a higher level of understanding of the content than those who required more questions. It's just one more measure of your level of understanding of at least the nursing theory. It's funny but I have not once heard anyone who passed in 75 say that it didn't mean anything.

First, I think it's reasonable to assume that those who are in a position to hire new grads do understand how the NCLEX works. It's a bit insulting to suggest otherwise.

And second, here's yet another person who can tell you that passing in 75 questions didn't mean anything. Nothing. Except, of course, bragging rights to the classmates who got stuck with alot more. Beyond that...zero.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
While I can fully appreciate that recent college grads have entered the job market at an extremely difficult time of recession (as have other college grads in fairly cyclical 20-year increments) I have to ask: is there this level of indignation among college grads who studied different fields? Are the sociology, history and English majors of the world placing blame for their lack of employment/underemployment on their school? Are marketing majors who are slinging coffee and scones at Starbucks theorizing that their current employment as baristas was all part of some evil master plan?

Probably not, but here's why. When you get a nursing degree, what can you do? Nursing. That is it. No other job, unless you throw your entire degree away and do something else, which a lot have to do.

With liberal arts and business majors, the types of jobs available to you are really only limited to the degree hiring managers in a wide variety of industries look for. I got a job in MARKETING with an English degree because the hiring manager wanted a creative type in the position. No kidding. He also hired communications and journalism majors. Some other hiring managers in the department wanted business degrees. So, you had a wide variety of degrees represented for what were essentially very similar positions.

You just can't do that with nursing degrees, and I think that is where the frustration is. It becomes a useless degree if you can't get a job in NURSING.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Me three. The NCLEX is a very easy test - it's not really about nursing competency. It's about how well you can play the game. But using that as a measure, if you can't seem to realize that its just a game by the 5th attempt, well... then... give me your wallet.

Just out of curiosity -- so does your opinion on the NCLEX make the proverbial fifth-time tester someone who will always be a totally incompetent nurse or not? Or just someone who sucks at figuring things out? Just because my feelings on the NCLEX seem to match up to yours.

I passed the NCLEX in 76 questions, took me twenty minutes, and I spent the weekend before the test studying questions off old books that I'd bought from a used bookstore. That makes me a great test taker, but I have no auspices about how good of a nurse I am.

Specializes in LTC and School Health.
Because if you understand how the NCLEX works, people who pass in 75 questions have a higher level of understanding of the content than those who required more questions. It's just one more measure of your level of understanding of at least the nursing theory. It's funny but I have not once heard anyone who passed in 75 say that it didn't mean anything.

Or it can mean that person has EXCELLENT test taking skills. Haha! Passing NCLEX with 75 questions in less than an hour doesn't impress me one single bit. Sorry....

I passed nclex in 45 min, I never felt the need to mention it until now. I don't think I'm smarter than my RN friends that took 4-5 hours with 265 questions. We are BOTH RNs, who cares?

Sorry you are suffering such disappointment. How long have you been applying for jobs? I hear the average employment wait for new nurse is 9 months to 1.5 years. Ouch! I had a friend who was hired in 4 months, but she had a BSN, and the nursing school she attended was connected to the hospital that hired her, so I'm sure that helped. I'm a nursing student in my first year. I have applied to the only place around hiring nursing techs this summer and was told I will likely not be selected, whether I have the time or not. This is because the place that is hiring techs is connected to that same university, so they hire their own first and they had a huge number of applicants this year just for the tech jobs. So I don't know how new nurses are expected to get experience when we can't even get a nurse tech position. And another worry is that all these new nurses will continue to sit around while the economy continues to slump and when hiring finally begins again, they will want fresh new nurses, not old new nurses who have a rusty memory of their skills and knowledge. Hospitals, especially, are all about the dollar. They don't want to spend one extra second of time training a new nurse if they can help it. Anyway, I hope your luck changes soon. DP

I am so sorry for all you frustration. As a nurse manager myself, I have found that new grads (with or without experience) are the best untapped resource. I have had 2 openings in the past 6 months and have hired new grads with their fresh, shiny new RN license. I have found the new grads to be eager to learn and to please me and the physicians, they study what they need to know on their own time, they are able to be molded into what we need for their position, and they are very reliable and conscientious. I never hear "well, at my last hospital..." or "well, in the last office I worked in..." I realize that with these new grads, the position I have hired them for may be a stepping stone, but if I can given them a good solid start before sending them on, then I'm okay with that. Do know that not all nurse managers overlook the new grads. There are those of us who can't wait to see them coming! Best of luck to you as you continue your search. The right job will find its way to you...I promise.

Because if you understand how the NCLEX works, people who pass in 75 questions have a higher level of understanding of the content than those who required more questions. It's just one more measure of your level of understanding of at least the nursing theory. It's funny but I have not once heard anyone who passed in 75 say that it didn't mean anything.

Well, here you go then. I passed the NCLEX in 75 questions in less than an hour. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

Please, no home health without experience. That would be a disaster.

That's exactly what I was going to say!

Specializes in Mental Health, Hospice Care.

Hi Robin67.....That is very nice to hear, being that I will be a new grad come June....I can see how us "newbies" would be a good hire....enthusiasm wanting to please will rule the day, gotta love idealistic rookies....any chance you are in Denver?...lol....

Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

Ok I haven't read all 16 pages, but I just wanted to say maybe we should switch places. I worked full time as an LPN during school (and was an LPN before that) and a CNA even before that. I had a 3.0 GPA, not the best, but I did that while holding down a full time job so I'm happy with that. HR loved hearing that, but didn't want to hire me because.....I have an ASN instead of BSN....

Ironic isn't it?

Specializes in ..

Robin's points are absolutely true--new grads are often enthusiastic and eager to learn and please. But, some managers don't independently see it that way. When you're job hunting make it a point to project yourself as eager and willing to learn. Without disparaging experienced nurses you can say, "I'm free of preconceived opinions of what is within or outside my job description." The interviewer will get the point.By all means SELL YOURSELF! Make looking for a job a full-time job. Spend as much time and effort as you did preparing fo finals or writing care plans. Another hint: when a hiring manager gets your application or email they very well my notice the time stamp. Send your correspondence at 8AM, not 1AM (it makes you look like you were out partying and /or you slept until afternoon). Sometimes it's the subtle things that matter.

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