Getting that First RN job

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

Moving to the Nursing First Job Hunt Assistance forum.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

So, how long did it take you guys to land your first RN job? Any suggestions on what I can do?

I know your situation and mine are very different, but here is my answer to your questions.

1. I got experience as a CNA. First in a Nursing Home, then Home Health, and finally a Hospital.

2. While doing the above, I absolutely crushed school.

3. Due to #1 and #2, I got a summer internship at a hospital (different hospital than in #1).

4. Hospital in #3 hired me 10 days after I passed the NCLEX.

I post this in hopes that people who are planning to be RNs see it and take heart.

I wish you the best of luck! Keep trying!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

I CA 49% of new grads are unemployed. Contrary to what is being advertised...... there is at present no shortage. many new grads cannot find jobs and the seasoned nurses laid off because of "downsizing" are not being hired because of their "high" rate of pay. This is s copy of my post in another thread.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/no-nursing-shortage-752411.html

The Big Lie

Without a doubt, the main source of frustration experienced by recently graduated and licensed but still unemployed nurses is what could be called "the big lie." In other words, the television commercials that encourage young people to become nurses -- and then abandon them for months (or years) without employment; and the educators who tell them that the associate's degree is perfectly adequate to guarantee employment, that they will have their pick of jobs when they graduate, and that there is plenty of time to get a bsn later on. who knows whether it is greed, ignorance, or wishful thinking that underlies the fairy tales told to nursing students about their future job prospects? Whatever the motivation, the disillusionment of our new grads is palpable. the jobs they expected after all of their hard work just haven't materialized, and some grads are getting pretty desperate.

Will Work for Experience.......motivator for the working population is money, but for some newly licensed registered nurses, getting valuable clinical experience seems to be taking precedence over the paycheck. without that experience, the financial future of these nurses will remain precarious because they will be unable to find jobs.

"i am willing to take a 50% pay cut or even work for free so i can get the darned experience," said one frustrated new graduate who has been unable to break out of the unending cycle of "no job without experience, and no experience without a job."

she was not alone. other readers wrote:...........for the rest of the article, medscape requires registration but it is free.

medscape: medscape access

has the nursing shortage disappeared?

it's that time of year again. graduating nursing students are preparing to take the nclex and are looking for their first jobs. this year, many are finding those first jobs in short supply. reports are rampant of new graduates being unable to find open positions in their specialty of choice, and even more shockingly, many are finding it tough to find any openings at all.

these new rns entered school with the promise that nursing is a recession-proof career. they were told the nursing shortage would guarantee them employment whenever and wherever they wanted.

so what happened? has the nursing shortage—that we've heard about incessantly for years—suddenly gone away?

the short term answer is clearly yes, although in the long term, unfortunately, the shortage will still be there.

the recession has brought a temporary reprieve to the shortage. nurses who were close to retirement have seen their 401(k) portfolios plummet and their potential retirement income decline. they are postponing retirement a few more years until the economy—and their portfolios—pick up.

many nurses have seen their spouses and partners lose their jobs and have increased their hours to make ends meet for their families. some who left the profession to care for children or for other reasons have rejoined the workforce for similar reasons.

in addition, many hospitals are not hiring. the recession brought hiring freezes to healthcare facilities across the country, and many are still in effect. help wanted ads for healthcare professionals dropped by 18,400 listings in july, even as the overall economy saw a modest increase of 139,200 in online job listings.

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/co...sappeared.html

looking out for our new nurse grads

be a nurse if you can

a popular website about the nursing profession claims, "there has never been a better time to be a nurse." "be" a nurse? perhaps, but "become" a nurse? perhaps, that is less certain. in spite of continuing to rank among the best careers and best jobs in america, the nursing profession is struggling to welcome its newest members with open arms and paychecks.

not too long ago, the threat of a growing nursing shortage prompted thousands of prospective students to choose nursing as a career, and nursing schools rapidly filled to capacity. nursing was frequently referred to as a "recession-proof" career, and the outlook for finding a job after graduation was rosy.

experience and employment: the vicious cycle

now, the bloom, as they say, is off the rose. it seems that many of our new grads are stuck in that perennial dilemma: they can't get a job without experience, and they can't get experience without a job. this situation was not anticipated by thousands of nursing students who were told, often repeatedly, that a global nursing shortage practically guaranteed employment for them.

consider, for example, the situation faced by new graduates in california. a survey of hospitals by the california institute for nursing & health care found that as many as 40% of new graduates may not be able to find jobs in california hospitals, because only 65% of the state's potential employers were hiring new graduates and generally planned to hire fewer new graduates than in previous years. overwhelming numbers of new graduates submitted applications for the few available positions for new graduates.

what happened to the jobs?

most experts blame the crumbling economy for ruining the job prospects of new graduate nurses around the country, but as usual these days, the truth is more complex.

uneven distribution. the demand for nurses was supposed to exceed the supply by the year 2010. the question of whether we truly have a nursing shortage right now is a fair one. the answer, it seems, is "it depends." apparently, it depends on where you live and where you are willing to work. neither the distribution or supply of nurses, or the demand, is uniform. some geographic (mostly rural) areas have a shortage of nurses, whereas some urban locations are witnessing an oversupply of nurses. new graduates seeking jobs in these regions will face a very competitive job market.

economic recession. the shrinking job pool is widely believed to be a consequence of the declining us economy. temporarily at least, economic pressures and job losses in all industries have induced thousands of experienced but aging nurses to forego retirement and even increase their working hours to support their families. according to buerhaus, more than 75% of new Nursing Jobs between 2001 and 2008 were filled by nurses over the age of 50.^[

combined with a lower hospital census (as a result of fewer elective procedures and loss of health insurance coverage), this has led to downsizing, hiring freezes, and even hospital closures. when the cash flow diminishes, hospitals traditionally look to cut the nursing budget, the highest cost center in the hospital. the most expensive item in that budget is orienting and training the new graduate. transitional programs for new graduates, such as internships and residency programs, have been sharply curtailed, and many hospitals stopped interviewing new grads altogether. it doesn't help that newly licensed nurses have a reputation for having the highest turnover rates. as many as 26% of new nurses leave their first nursing employer within 2 years.

shifting settings of care. healthcare is largely moving out of the hospital and into community-based settings. job growth for rns is expected but not necessarily in the hospital. significant job growth will occur in nursing homes, long-term care, home health, and even physicians' offices. acute care hospital job growth will be the slowed.

Medscape: Medscape Access again medscape requires registration

miNmyBay · Dec 15, 2012

Thanks for the encouragement and congrats on your job !!!

miNmyBay · Dec 15, 2012

Umm thanks for the encouragement? I am pretty aware of the statistics of new grads getting a job and have seen some of my nursing friends struggle with finding a job. I know you are just stating the facts but I just wanted to see how long it took for those who finally did land a job. I know for some it took awhile, heck, I know someone that took 3 years to finally land a job. The fact is that people are finding jobs contrary to is "hiring freeze." When I first even thought about being a nurse, I never imagined that it was going to be so difficult to find a job after school. It was when I studied abroad and volunteered at a hospital when I knew in my heart that this was the job for me! I still feel the same way and can't wait until that day comes.

itsnowornever, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2012

Umm thanks for the encouragement? I am pretty aware of the statistics of new grads getting a job and have seen some of my nursing friends struggle with finding a job. I know you are just stating the facts but I just wanted to see how long it took for those who finally did land a job. I know for some it took awhile, heck, I know someone that took 3 years to finally land a job. The fact is that people are finding jobs contrary to is "hiring freeze." When I first even thought about being a nurse, I never imagined that it was going to be so difficult to find a job after school. It was when I studied abroad and volunteered at a hospital when I knew in my heart that this was the job for me! I still feel the same way and can't wait until that day comes.

I think they were giving you hard facts. Took me 18 days after getting licensed to find my first job and the second came 10 days after that. I had military experience and that's what they said helped me stand out. If you have something intriguing then it will be easier for you. BTW I sent out close to or just over 300 applications, so 30 really isn't anything. Apply more, and everywhere.

kdonnelly39 · Dec 15, 2012

I graduated in May 2012 and was hired the week after I graduated. The only experience I had was working as a nursing assistant the last year of nursing school. Unfortunately, to land your first nursing job it is easier if you know someone or if you made an impression on a nursing manager/nursing instructor when you were in school. I was in the CVICU as a student for my last 5 weeks of school and I worked really hard to make a good impression and the unit director hired me. I was hired a month and a half before even taking NCLEX. One of my friends that I graduated with just got a job this month and applied to so many positions so it all just depends. Don't get discouraged. Also, I would try to reach out to old instructors to see if they had any connections to help you or contact the nursing recruiters at your local hospitals. Best of luck!

miNmyBay · Dec 15, 2012

Yeah, I know all about the hard facts haha! I def know that I will probably send out more than 300 applications! I guess I just wanted to hear that you guys are getting hired and sometimes it might just take awhile! The first month is always discouraging when you're applying. I guess I'm just anxious to start a better life for me and my daughter!

miNmyBay · Dec 15, 2012

A lot of my classmates were hired after graduating was because the knew someone. This leads me to believe that there are jobs out there. Thanks for all your tips!

Aongroup1990, CNA · Dec 18, 2012

Well if you truly love healthcare and or anything to do with it get a tech job and then be really creative with yourself make your resume stand our really well colorful but professional, go in person or something and just be yourself be honest and really research that hospital or position that you truly want. if you want it it will come, and also pray as well. go to a vigil and honestly pray to god and then respond in action what you will do go to the hr managers whoever and talk with them email them. persistence is key!

peterm2 · Dec 19, 2012

Having experience, whether it involves work or volunteer will help you. Highlight anything related to the health field on your resume. Best of luck. I just started applying for jobs. This is some of the input i have received. I have decided to also get some certifications while i wait for an interview. I don t want to sit around waiting. It will help me be proactive and hoping these certifications will give me a boost:)