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I'm also an ADN in SoCal. I got my license in November of 2010 and got my first job in March of 2011. They hired me on the spot. However, it wasn't a hospital job, let alone my dream department. You might have to work on getting experience from non-hospital jobs before you can get into a hospital. If finances are a immediate concern you could do home health in the meantime while your looking for something better. I know home health nurses who rack in 5-7 grand a month by busting their butts.
Always keep in mind that some nursing experience is better than nothing at all. If you can get experience in urgent cares, sub-acute units, jails, prisons, it will help you a lot in the long run to get that hospital job than to have no experience at all. After 2.5 years of working non-hospital jobs, I finally now work in my dream department; ER and also in the process of cross training to ICU.
I used my experience in the hospital to get a job offer in the ER and ICU before graduation. I regret taking the ICU so I am applying to other ER positions at other systems and I have had callbacks and interviews.
However, I am the exception. Only a handful of people had jobs within the first month of passing NCLEX. Most are finding jobs around the 5 month mark. A bunch of students who had graduated in May 2013 found jobs around November 2013. I think it's easier to find jobs if you graduate in December.
I have an ADN. I am now working on my RN to BSN but that has not really had an impact on the hiring decisions. My previous experience as a paramedic has.
One girl managed to get a job at an oil refinery for 45 dollars an hour. I don't know if it is contracted, temporary, or what, but I would drool over that offer.
coffeemama0112
1 Post
Hi everyone! Just curious about the timeline I can expect here, and about other people's experiences. How long did it take you to get an interview after first applying, and how long after your interview did you finally get a job offer? I'm a new grad RN (ADN) with no previous experience, and I am currently in southern CA but willing to move to a nearby state if I can get a job offer. I have applied both for local hospitals, other hospitals in CA, and hospitals in AZ, NV, and NM. I have applied online for over a hundred different positions in the past two weeks, but so far I haven't gotten any calls for interviews (lots and lots of rejection emails, though). I'm wondering how long it might take for me to actually get a job in a hospital, because financially speaking I can't really wait that much longer before I need to start earning money. Thanks!