A Day In the Life of a New Grad

Well said E Non Imus,RN and so very true. I've been a nurse for 7 months now and still no permanent work. It gets very frustrating and depressing at times. I too get the "come and move to XX place because they're hiring" or "i don't understand why you're not working when there's such a big nursing shortage" speech. I know people mean well, but it makes you want to scream! Like another poster said, try volunteering. I'm currrently volunteering at a clinic and though I'm not getting paid, I am gaining skills...and praying that someone, somewhere will see this on my resume and want to hire me. Keep your head up and good luck.

I was one of you guys just 3 months ago. I graduated from an LPN program Aug 01, 2008. I passed my NCLEX in october, 2008. I was ready for the world. After all, "there is a nursing shortage". yeah right...to make a long story short...it wasn't till may 13, 2009 that i received employment...9 months after graduation and 7 months after licensure. to make things worse...the only reason why i got the job was because of a friend who was close to the DON. good luck my friends...make friends with nurses and dont give up...that's the best advice i can give you

My two cents: It might make a difference...if...one day, you break your routine, dress professionally, resume in hand, and GO to the hospitals. Since HR is getting alot of applications from new grads, showing your face should make a difference as opposed to leaving a voice mail. It did for me. Hope it helps.

p.s also consider when the new grad programs start.

wow, that is literally my "everyday" since my graduation in june of this year! i barely go out now because i don't have any money, so much so that my car battery died, eek!! i did have one interview, but i unfortunately did not get the job. it is very frustrating for us new grads, as well as for the managers hiring nurses. during my interview, the nurse manager revealed to me all her post-it notes of emails and phone calls and visits from nurses about job opportunities; she got so overwhelmed that she had HR give her a list of people to interview instead of going through the numerous applications herself. so on both fronts it's very difficult, but there's no reason not to try going to hospitals and talk with the nurse managers, as i've done that many times!!

i've used this time to really think about my nursing future, and to work on myself. i think we're gonna have a resurgence of well-rested, fit nurses this fall, haha!

This posting regardless of the fact that you are a male is SO dead on! While I was reading I thought of all the times I had to explain myself out of the 'you will get a job in no time' or 'there is a nursing shortage' conversations...I wish I had this posting to give out for educational reading material so the next time someone offered that they had just graduated nursing school the rest of the world did not reply with the obvious catch phrase of yesterday's newscast(clearly miscommunicated). Thank you for writing the 'vent' that I wanted to write when i graduated in May 2009...Good luck to all others who are a part of the 'I worked my butt off to get the education I needed to do what I love but am still waiting on a job struggle.'

Have you tried to start networking now? Can you get a job as a tech while you are still in school? I few nursing student techs from our unit have just gotten hired after graduating.
Be stealthy!

frustration indeed!
I get this lump in my throat when I try applying but knowing that there were 600+ applicants ahead of me. Chicago is not a good place for new grad nurses now!

So, aside from the fact that this was depressing as heck, I think this is the best nursing article I've read on here. Seriously. You are an excellent writer.

I'm starting an accelerated BSN program in about a month. An expensive program. A short accelerated program. Knowing full well what it's like out there for new grads in my area and elsewhere. I feel like I'm past the point of no return though- I've invested a lot of time and money already in my prerequisites. I haven't worked in more than a year and before I started prerequisites I'd only been out of school for about 2 years. So I'm not exactly a desirable candidate as a non-nurse. I am just going to shut all of that out and plow ahead and hey, maybe the economy will be magically fixed in a year.

I haven't gotten over the frustration of having people dismiss my worries over finding a job. Part of me actually is looking forward to having trouble just to prove to one of my friends who smugly told me I was being delusional that no, he doesn't know more about what's going on in the healthcare industry than I do. Plus I'd get $5 out of it- he bet me $5 that I'd have a job in 3 months post graduation.

But really, that's a bet I would love to lose.

It's good to have routines- even though you're not having luck finding a job, getting yourself ready for the day is important. I hope you find something soon.

Have you looked in to military nursing? I'm seriously considering going that route. Watch them not need any new nurses though.

I agree with HiddenCat - your writing is excellent! Maybe you can start a career there? I am an avid reader and I say you should think about it. But dont' give up the quest for the RN job.

I understand your pain. I have never had trouble finding a good job before. And of course no one believes that I can't find a job as a nurse - there must be something WRONG with me! Some of my friends who didn't have the advantage of the pregraduation extern job got really assertive and set up shadowing experiences with other nurses - known or unknown, then called repeatedly for results. I didn't have any contacts to help me set this up.

I had ER experience, once worked as a nurses aid, made the top 1% Nationally in the HESI exit exam, and already licensed too. No One Was Calling. I was beginning to make subtle changes to my resume - like daily. I figured this was my only means of communication since the recruiters basically said "don't call us or come in - just apply online." So, I put some very Eye Catching "I am MOTIVATED" type messages on the online applications. Maybe thats what caught their eye - who knows. Maybe it was the constant prayers from myself and friends.

Finally I got an interview, a job even! Six weeks later I am actually about to begin orientation - YAY! I'll be praying for you and all those new grads looking for work. Hang in there, it WILL happen.

Definitely one of the best-written articles I've read, as well. I'm not in a program yet and I can only hope by the time I'm done that I won't be able to relate to any of this...