New Grad.. No Job(Of Course).. What should I do in the meantime?

Nurses Job Hunt

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Hi everyone,

So its the usual story on here.. I can't find a job. Only about a handful of my graduating class have a job. I'm in Northern California where jobs are so scarce. My dream is to get a Peds position on any unit at all, (I have a minor in Child and Youth Studies, Senior Preceptorship in a Level IIID NICU, volunteer work at crisis nurseries), but at this point I'm willing to settle for almost anything. Any advice?

I'm planning to meet with a pre-natal clinic to be a VOLUNTEER RN next week, but that's about it. I need a job of some sort just to have a little money and I was thinking about applying to a gym to work as a childcare worker.. Is that stupid? I felt like it was kind of like babysitting but for a company at least and I needed something that would add to my resume. Anybody else have any other suggestions for a job that will look good on a resume? I can't work a CNA job since I have my RN and I'm considered "over qualified". Volunteer work suggestions? Other suggestions?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :). I'm so lost at this point in my life and it's been really rough in my personal life as well but I'm still trying to stay strong and never lose hope!

I don't think a hospital is anymore impressed by a year or 2 of unemployment over a year or 2 of SNF work. SNF work is much like step down or long term acute care for people who need longer than 1-2 weeks. The advantage of LTC or SNF or LTAC is you get to see disease processes at "End Stage." You can't tell me there is no value in seeing "End Stage", as well as learning the meds that those patients take to manage the disease. Now yes LTC might have some patient's on "comfort care" status and then you don't see the meds but many people opt not to be on comfort care. Out of our 46 residents only 2 or 3 are on comfort care and usually that is a new status after watching the decline of health. Don't put barriers up for yourself that aren't there! Sorry I get a little passionate and defensive of our elderly!

Specializes in Med-surg, NICU.

As far as Texas hospitals, I went to nursing school in Dallas and everyone I graduated with found jobs there. Some suggestions would be Baylor University Hospital NICU, Dallas Childrens Medical Center (i was a cna here in school), Cook Children's in Ft Worth (largest nicu in the country), Presbyterian Nicu, Scott & White is a big teaching hospital north of Austin with a nicu and picu that lots of my peers got jobs at, i know a few girls that got jobs in Waco at Hillcrest Baptist Hospital and Providence...lets see..Parkland would be good, I did L&D there in school and that place is a baby factory! There's Dell Childrens in Austin but I think its pretty competitive. But every hospital I mentioned regularly hires new grads. And pay compared to cost of living in Texas is unbeatable. Good luck!

i totally agree with you. my grandmother passed last winter and i would prefer to work in a facility similar to the one that treated her than the majority of hospitals out there, the staff was excellent and highly skilled. i just wish hospitals were more open minded about hiring those with LTC, LTAC and SNF experience.

Not-done-yet, thank you so much for telling me about Medical City! I applied! Hopefully they will like me:)

Meriwhen, yes, I wish I didn't spend the last couple of month ONLY looking for jobs because it ended up just wasting my time! I'm fixing that now though.. I will definitely keep in mind not to look so desperate and truly showcase what I have to offer. Even if they are planning to hire anybody or not, I am just gonna give them my all and do my best simply because I love being a nurse :), regardless if I'm going to get hired, paid, etc.

Dbassi, great point! I will get great practice for interviewing for new graduate positions! Goodluck on your Job Search! We can do this!

WanderingSagehen, thank you so much for your comment. You bring up a great point. I admire your compassion. It's not that I am discriminatory towards taking a job in a SNF or LTC, but my resume targets more towards pediatrics. I sort of feel like they'll read my resume and laugh :roflmao: thinking I'm in the wrong place haha (of course they won't REALLY laugh though). I am truly debating staying in California and taking a SNF/LTC job or going out of state and taking a Peds/NICU job in a hospital. Believe me though, I love the elderly and they definitely hold a place in my heart. Lullaby also brought up a good point of landing a hospital job in the future after working at an LTC. In this economy as a new grad, I would just want to ideally keep all my options for the future open, in case anything were to happen. I know my family wants me to stay here in California, so your comment really has me thinking... Thank you!

Mrs.NICUNurse, YAY! Thank you so much for your insight! I will definitely look into those hospitals! So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!

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