New Grad RN Jobs

Nurses Job Hunt

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Hello, would anyone like to share their experience of finding a job as a new graduate:

I will share my experience. I would like to start off by saying thats its not easy at all, but you cannot give up hope. I started job hunting online, applying to different hospitals once I took my NCLEX in February. I didn't get too many responses so I decided to wait until I actually received my license number. I received my license number in March and started back applying to jobs online and also I reapplied to evry job and included my license number. Welp, that didn't prove to make a difference at all, I still didn't get any responses.

Next, I decided to get a little more aggressive in my search and decided to go out in car and foot, applying alll over in person, showing my face and making good impressions. I would ask for business cards of the Human resources professional which included their names, phone numbers and sometimes their emails.

I realized that I was spending so much money in gas and also was lonely, so I joined forces with a colleague whom was also a new grad and we hit the streets. We went all over. We were both aggressive in a professional manner and we made a good team. The only thing about job hunting with a buddy is the fact that you now have competition. You have to be prepared for that down side, but on the up side, that person becomes your motivation to actually wanna go out everyday.

Finally, after successfully placing applications and being aggressive by calling and requesting interviews, both my friend and I both received a job offer after only 2 weeks of job hunting.... thats record breaking.!

My colleague actually received 2 job offers. Another facility we both applied to also called her. THis just goes to show that if you are aggressive and determined, you can get a job. Don't put all your eggs in one basket as my colleague would say, especially for you new grads who think that the hospital is your only destination. As a new grad, they don't quite want you. Try Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, you will have alot of luck as a new grad applying to this type of organization. One last thought of hope, both me and my colleague are also waiting on another job to call us, that we are sure we will get without a doubt. Its a new facility and its trying to get itself together. Thats 3 job offers for my friend, and 2 for me. ..... there is hope.

A JOB IN TWO WEEKS: Hard work and dedication is what it took. Out evryday by 830am and back home by 3p and sometimes 4pm..... U can do it. Don't give up!!!!!

Congrats! What kind of job did you end up taking?

Specializes in operating room, dialysis.

Hello everyone,

Its 2013 nearly 2014 and I have not been active on this forum due to my busy life as a nurse. I hope everyone has had luck in finding jobs by now. From my desperate Job Search adventure as a new grad to my new life as an experienced nurse, I have finally landed a job I love through hard work. I have landed most of my jobs with just a ADN degree and my most recent destination has been in the OR. Its a cool job. I find that finding jobs was a challenge but my hard work has paid off. Starting in a nursing home and ending in the OR has been a big step for me. Never give up and don't allow people to tell you what you can or cannot do.

congrats on your job I think persistence pays off I am at a nursing home as a new nurse too, and yes it is frustrating but I am going to continue to apply for other jobs...thanks for all the advice

Hello everyone,

Its 2013 nearly 2014 and I have not been active on this forum due to my busy life as a nurse. I hope everyone has had luck in finding jobs by now. From my desperate job search adventure as a new grad to my new life as an experienced nurse, I have finally landed a job I love through hard work. I have landed most of my jobs with just a ADN degree and my most recent destination has been in the OR. Its a cool job. I find that finding jobs was a challenge but my hard work has paid off. Starting in a nursing home and ending in the OR has been a big step for me. Never give up and don't allow people to tell you what you can or cannot do.

Thank u!! This is so reassuring for me to hear. Gud luck to you!

Specializes in operating room, dialysis.
congrats on your job I think persistence pays off I am at a nursing home as a new nurse too, and yes it is frustrating but I am going to continue to apply for other jobs...thanks for all the advice

Nursing homes are a good foot in the door. Most of the time people just want to see that you are a practicing nurse for x amount of time. The nursing home will get you to your goals...

Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Telemetry/ICU Stepdown.

Well, if you just got a bachelor's degree, here's my 2 cents.

Provincial town/rural hospitals have an aging nursing labor force, including people who got hired in the 1970s (I'm not kidding you-I'm working with them) when the educational standards were lower. This means they still have diploma nurses, LPNs, associate degree nurses working on hospital floors. If you apply there and have a BSN, your application will look favorably, because ultimately they want you. Ultimately the hospital wants to retire the older nurses and replace them with BSNs exclusively. Once they have BSNs all over the place, they can go for Magnet Status or some other prestigious recognition. Provincial hospitals have fallen behind the giants, but they want to catch up, because their CEOs are ambitious too, and the first step to catching up is having BSNs all over the place.

On the other hand, if you just got your bachelors in nursing and you are applying at the award winning medical centers in Denver, NYC, LA, Chicago, etc., the famous trauma hospitals featured in Hollywood movies, then you are screwed because your competition consists exclusively of BSNs and even MSNs. In Chicago or LA it may be impossible to find a job, but college degrees are hanging on every tree, simply because it's far easier to take a loan and start taking classes, than it is to find a respectable job you will be happy with.

Of course this begs the question "what happens in 30 years when BSN (or higher) is mandatory for any type of nursing work involving patient contact?" I think eventually we will get there-LPN schools and the like will have to close down and they will no longer issue those accelerated degrees. I'm not sure what the answer is, but this is a great question to ask.

These are some of my own observations and my own principles that helped me to find work in the kind of unit I wanted to work.

Specializes in operating room, dialysis.

Yes I can agree with you on your insight. On the other hand, BSN is better than an Associates, some experience is better than no experience. IN this nursing world, with or without your BSN as a new grad you are going to struggle with finding a job. I've seen BSN nurses unable to get jobs as well. I just think if you are aggressive then you can def get any job no matter what. But in those geographical areas you are speaking of, I certainly understand what you are saying. I can imagine that every area has its unique struggle for nurses finding jobs. I am a 2011 graduate with an Associates degree and an OR nurse, I just received a BSN from PEnn State and I've been job hunting for a second job and no luck due to lack of experience.... all just the same. At the same time, I am feeling lazy, not really in the mood for job hunting so guess what....... I am not being aggressive and no-one is calling me.

Specializes in SRNA, ICU and Emergency Mursing.

Hello, and thanks for the thread... It's very insightful. I am about to start a BSN program in Los Angeles. It's pretty scary seeing the difficulty in getting a nursing job. As most are, I was under the impression that nurses were in demand.

Did I read this correctly, with you having OR experience, you still cannot find a job? I won't be graduating till '17 so I suppose I will be closer to that 2020 timeline I keep hearing about... but still...

Also, What about a nursing residency? Does that add to desirability or experience consideration when looking for a job, or is it a waste of time???

I am not above getting a nursing home or private ambulance job to gain experience points. I have been an EMT for a couple years, so I'm used to it...

Specializes in operating room, dialysis.

I've been looking to apply to jobs in other areas of nursing like med-surg so yes it is hard for me to find a job right now. With me having OR experience means that I don't have the med-surg experience that most people require. OR nursing is a different type of nursing and most don't look at that as having experience because we don't deliver direct care to the patient. We have the anesthesiologist who starts IV's, delivers meds, and provides care and the physician who is there also in control and providing the surgical care. I learn a lot as an OR nurse especially since I ask questions but its still not considered experience to some. When I apply to other positions, they call me back for the OR and I turn it down because I don't want two OR jobs.. its too stressful. Nursing residency definitely adds to experience. Its a wonderful idea and that is how I obtained a job in the OR. It was called an OR fellowship for 3 months and afterwards I received a job in the OR and I've been there ever since.

My hands are tied. I've been applying to every tech job I can get my hands on but I'm waiting for my interim permit and the ok to take the NCLEX. It's hard to look for a job when you have no license number to refer to and I just graduated in Dec of 2013.

Specializes in SRNA, ICU and Emergency Mursing.

What kind of Tech Job? Well, you only graduated like 45 minutes ago, so I wouldn't freak out yet....lol

j/k

:)

Specializes in operating room, dialysis.

yes it is hard to apply with a license let alone without one. lol. Its really not an easy journey. But if you haven't even taken the NCLEX yet, they definitely aren't interested. Don't give up your hopes so soon. Just focus on passing your NCLEX. Good luck.

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