New Grad RN-->No Jobs, Then what?

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I have been reading through these threads and haven't seen an answer to this question. I know that it is tough to get a new grad RN position and some say they are still looking after a year post graduation. So what happens to those who get no experience and in effect are now "old grads with no experience" when the job market begins to open up again? What do those in the know recommend for those who may not be able to get a job within a year or two of graduation? Do you get more certifications, i.e. ACLS, PALS, etc while waiting for the market to open? Do you volunteer in a hospital? If volunteering, do hospitals allow clinical practice as a licensed RN volunteer? (Of course, there may be union issues with that). Essentially, will a licensed RN with no experience become obsolete since many will graduate and be "newer" when the job market opens again?

Specializes in geriatrics.

Just a comment regarding earlier posts about foreign educated nurses taking away jobs in the US. I can see how you would be frustrated, but Canada is also doing the same thing. One of the reasons that the US has always hired Canadian educated nurses is because of the education that we require as an RN. The minimum is a 4 year degree now, including about 2000 hours of clinical time.

Wow. I feel for all of you that have been looking. Just keep going and be persistent. I knew the economy was not good, but this is unbelievable, since there is a real shortage of nurses, and no one seems to want to hire new grads. I am a Canadian educated nurse, just graduated, with a BSCN. I'm in the process of studying for my Boards in October, and starting to feel out the job market.

I've been through these recessionary times before. It's a cycle, and it can't last. It never does, and people are getting older, and sicker, so they will need nurses very soon. After reading these posts, I might suggest that if you are looking, take the first thing that comes up. Take anything. Register with an agency. Agencies hire new grads. Network. Go to some places in person near your home. Move, if you have to.

That's my plan. I want to work as a nurse. I need to work, because I am getting old, and I have loans. I will go wherever the job is, if that is the case. Canada, US, Australia.....wherever there is a job. Because the stupid thing is, after you have worked for a year to a year and a half, you aren't a "NEW GRAD" anymore.

Good luck to all of you. It sucks that we are in this position. And it's insane, really, because there is a need for nurses, but no money....

Maybe I am not being clear - I am way past ALL of your suggestions! I have done ALL of it! I have looked all over the state I live in and NOTHING - I have looked out of the state where I live, still no jobs for NEW GRAD RN'S - LTC facilities used to BEG for nurses - oh but not now - you know things are terrible when the LTC facilities do not want LVN's, wants more RN's and REQUIRES at least on year of RN experience. I have applied all over, sometimes just to test my theories that lead me to more investigation. The hospitals that do not have an "agenda". The HR Departments of the hospitals that are honest, are not playing the "visa" game will come right out and say that there is a "nursing glut" and/or "the market is flooded with New Grads and there is not a need for as many that are being educated. Then there are the hospitals that have an agenda.. oh those are the scarey ones. ". they falsely post jobs that they have no intent on filling to make it appear as though there is a nursing shortage (this is how they legally get away with continuing to import foreign nurses to the USA instead of developing the American workforce). They would rather have foreign nurses that are similar to indentured servants because the foreign nurses goal is to turn their short term visa - H1B, H1C, etc.. into a green card/permanent residency of the US, because of this they WON'T join nurses unions - they do not want to have any falling outs with their "sponsored" employer because that would put them at the end of the line for the green card. Many of these hospitals/groups,CEO's/HR VP's, write letters to their congressmen/senators PUSHING bills that EXPAND FOREIGN NURSE VISA's - and they are doing this CURRENTLY - Do you think for one second these hospitals will tell you they are doing this NO they won't - they won't hire youm - USA NEW GRADS -Furthermore, they cannot really verify the legitmacy of every "nurses" education from lets say, India, just as a random example - come on, do you really believe that??? The USA has a heck of a time detecting fraud in the USA how can they in/from India??? YEP do your research - all of the time I have had not working, and my hunger for the truth when I smell a rat- has lead me to some amazing factual, undeniable information directly from the sources themselves-

Specializes in geriatrics.

Hi. I can certainly understand your frustration. The whole nursing situation is outrageous. And I'm not in any way implying you haven't thought of, or attempted some of my suggestions. I was just trying to help, and be positive, in the face of all of this. Because I haven't even written my boards yet, and I refuse to get discouraged. Regardless of what the situation is out there. Obviously, we all have very different circumstances, and the market is competitive.

However, I have always believed, that if you keep at it, you can achieve the goals you set. If you want to be a nurse, you will be a nurse. Someone will want you....eventually. Because the truth is, people ARE getting hired as nurses, even in this lousy economy. Just not nearly as many, unfortunately.

I've been through many rough times, and I've been on my own since the age of 16. And one thing I've learned is simple: don't give up, go out and get what you want. If something isn't working in a certain way, try something new. And I am certain that there are ways in, which I will find. I'm not allowing this gloomy situation to overshadow what I have to offer. You shouldn't either.

Best of luck!

Those of us who have found jobs are OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID. The shortage is still out there! They are trying to cut staff so these facilities can save money. Its sick! It makes me wonder why the heck I got into this in the first place. We need to stop this because its not only the nurses suffering but the patients too. All for what? So the CEO's can make their millions?

Specializes in geriatrics.

I completely agree! During my consolidation, the unit was no longer replacing sick calls. At the end of the day, the nurses were in tears sometimes. And with the acuity of these patients, it isn't reasonable to expect nurses can do it all. And still, they are reluctant to hire, knowing full well that patient (and nurse) safety is compromised. I actually cried twice today over this whole situation (and I'm not a crier) because it makes me ill.

If worst comes to worst, I could go overseas (ie Korea) to teach English, because I have a degree. However, my goal is to be a nurse, so the first job that comes my way, I'm taking (after the boards). What needs to happen, and I hope it does, is more nurses to stand up in government, and say "We aren't working like this. It has to change." Because the other issue is, your license is on the line as an RN, for screw ups that could have been avoided if there were proper staffing levels and happy nurses.

I hope this situation improves in the next few months, for everyone's sake.

It is unlikely that this situation will correct itself anytime soon. Some have alluded to the fact that our jobs have been exported, others have alluded to foreign nurses taking our jobs. There is some truth to both arguments.

My opinion is that we Americans are lost. In the past decade, we have not produced anything that the rest of the world truly needs. Instead, the majority of our goods have been manufactured abroad. Additionally, many of our intellectual property type occupations and service industries have been off-shored. The economic prosperity that we enjoyed for the past 15 years was driven by the hype of Y2K and the technology boom, then later by an artificially inflated commercial boom driven by BRIC (Brasil, Russia, India, China), as well as the real estate bubble. When the house of cards fell, the economic prosperity of those that we are expected to care for fell as well.

The baby boomer generation exchanged America's birth right through taking short term games from off-shoring and least cost sourcing. As executives in commerce and wall street were richly rewarded for short-term stock returns, we did not anticipate the consequences until too late.

We are without a vision for a "recovery". Instead, we will have to sit back and and wait for a "settling". We must encourage America to be an exporter of goods and not of jobs. Our schools must educate Americans to be the best at everything that we do.

We are in the Great Recession.

Specializes in geriatrics.

I agree with many of the points you have made. You are correct on many levels. However, I have experienced recession before, and while the situation is not good, we have to make the best of it. The fact is, people are getting older and sicker, and nurses will be in demand again soon.

Also, as a new (Canadian) grad, I refuse to give up hope. I won't, and I can't. Because nursing is my second, and my last career until I retire. I've invested 5 years in this, and I'm 37 soon, so, that being said, I don't care what it takes, or where I have to go to get it, I AM getting hired. Somewhere.

I just talked to another friend from school. She got hired. So there are jobs. It just means being persistent, making contacts, and being realistic. This whole situation makes me sick, for all of us. However, if I chose to believe that I won't get a job for 8 months, then I may as well cut my wrists right now. No way that is happening!

Hang in there. One thing I've learned in all this, which is a good lesson: If I don't need it, I'm not buying it. That's how we lead into these recessions in the first place. People (including governments!) spend what they can't afford.

Specializes in Utilization Management; Case Management.
*** it doesn't matter where the foreign nurse is educated the us federal department of labor states it clearly the a citizen cannot be refused employment and a non-citizen be given the job, or continue to fill the position. check this on your computers by going into the site and search the subject.. takes about 2 minutes. please read on!!

the federal department of labor clearly states that; united states citizens take precedance and a non-citizen cannot be employed if a united states citizen is available for the job. but this is not the case! rn's that are united states citizens are not given precedance, united states citizen new grad rn's are not being given precedance either. here is a link that has a power point from the california institute of nursing and health care, that states on page 7 that 16% of the rn's in california are foreign nurses. whether they are on visa's or have green cards (e3's, etc. and/or have permanent residency - green card), these nurses should not be employed when a rn who is a us citizen needs a job! furthermore, the foreign nurses are getting employed without verifiable job references and proof of positive employment histories. the foreign nurses are gaining experience while employed here, which further disables us citizen new grad rn's from getting hired. us citizen nurses job history backgrounds are scrutinized and a foreign rn who doesn't even have verifiable (cannot prove the legitamacy) job references etc. can get the job instead. in california 16% = 64,000 foreign rn's (we have a total of approximately 400,000 rn's). i would say that number is greatly affecting us rn's from getting jobs!! this is just in california.. another point is that the cinhc estimated that in 2009, 5,768 california new grad rn's would get hired for jobs and 3,812 california new grad rn's would not get a job (page 23 of the power point). yet, the cinhc wants to continue to flood the market in california. with new grad rn's that will not get jobs. the reason for this is that they want to receive the annual $60,000,000 for the states budget for nursing education - because this pays for their nursing instructor salaries. here is the link - http://www.cinhc.org/wordpress/wp-co...ionsed0809.pdf

this isnt right. i am not a citizen, i'm a premanent resident. been in the us since i was 9. i work just as hard or even harder than most and for a citizen to get a job merely bc they r one is not right. fyi it cost 700.oo to be a citizen anyone can be a freakin citizen...money talks ok. so be mindful when you say these things please.

After 2 years in LTC I thought for sure i would be hireable in acute care, but I am still considered a new grad with no experience and don't qualify for ng programs bc i'm not a new grad and have worked as a nurse for longer than 6 months. I wasn't picky and have worked every shift. Cried when I got offered a job in skilled. But, I have to say that at least I have a job and I do love the residents. Skilled nursing is hard work, but it can be very satisfying and I think that nursing in general is hard. As with anything, there are good and bad days. I have learned a great deal, but am still applying for every acute care job that comes my way. Can't wait for things to get better!!!

Yes you can be in any other nursing situation other than acute care and you are still not considered able to work in the hospital. You can also count out new grad programs because WE are not new grads anymore. I guess we've hit a wall.:mad:

I am a highly frustrated new grad RN living in PA without a job. I recently got hired by a home healthcare agency doing Pediatrics. Will this home care experience count as anything should this unemployment continue for more than a year? What do we do if this situation doesn't change in the coming years? Any help to answer these questions will be highly appreciated.

I had the "overqualified" experience. I applied for a unit clerk position and it went well, they gave me training materials, told me I was basically hired, made all sorts of plans for me to start- and then a few days later I came in to volunteer as usual and everyone was looking at me funny- HR had cancelled the hire and sent me a letter saying only "we hired someone else". Everyone on the unit was apologizing to me and felt bad. The fact is, I wouldn't have hired me, knowing that I would only stay in the position until an RN spot opened up. They are looking for people who will stay in the position for 10 years.

I think the consensus for new grads is: get all of the training and low-level "work" you can find, even volunteering. When things open up, just hope that you are not "old news" compared to the fresh new grads. That or, find another profession, either temporarily or permanently (of course you risk ending up right back where you started with no job). If you find a real RN position in Antarctica, don't waste any time worrying about the cold weather- just say "yes" and go do it for a year or two so that you'll be a real RN and can then move wherever you want. If you really want to be an RN, you have to "dig in" and pursue any possible means of retaining your skills.

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