New grad rn :( I wanna cry

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milliemm35

24 Posts

Hi, I live in NYC and know exactly what you are going through. I felt like crying after graduation. In school everyone hypes you up for the big day when you get pinned and off you go to start earning top dollars. Noone mentions the fact that most hospital do not need an ADN new grad. Your best bet is to start stalking agencies, LTC centers, small community clinics. Private offices as you correctly mentioned employ MAs. Also try craigslist. I found a lot of available part-time offers. It was nothing but at least it was nursing. All you need is to get a foot in the door. Its great that you are getting your bachelors. The top hospitals in NYC are all MAGNET so your BSN fits nicely and they hire immediately. Don't give up!

PrincessRN101

24 Posts

You are lucky you are trying to relocate. We have no place to go besides NYC. Relocation is out of the question. I wish there were private offices hiring here, most, if not all the private offices here (including the office I work in) hire MAs or CNAs that get paid half a nurses salary and do as much as a nurse would do. For me its not only about applying to hospitals, its getting a job anywhere, I just love working with pts so I wouldn't care where I worked, as long as it was a job in the field... I have faxed dozens of resumes to all the nursing homes in the area with no response .... :confused: I just wish there would be a light at the end of this dark tunnel... Lindsey.. I am so sorry to hear you got laid off... I am so afraid to lose my job that I literally do anything my boss says, my coworkers and superiors all think he is purposely taking advantage of me because he knows I need some sort of income, which just makes the whole thing worse.......... I hope we all three will have some good news this week....................... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seems like the doctor/boss is taking advantage of you, because he knows the situation your in. and he's using u to manage his office, because you have the qualifications, without the pay.

barbyann

337 Posts

Grand Central to Greenwich, on express train, about half hour.

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Tell your story to your congressman/woman. We need to tell everybody about how exceedingly hard it is to find a job as a new grad! Everybody I talk to, send letters/emails to does not believe me. Google "who is my congreeman" and you can start there. I have even written oprah, ellen, all the networks, president, etc. But until everybody does it, they will keep believing there is a nursing shortage. There is not a nursing shortage! Arrrrgggg maybe I should just be a pirate :)

MadpeysRN

365 Posts

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.

Maybe we should start writing newspapers, etc and start exposing schools that continuely accepting students while GN's can't get a job also.

RNtobeinSoCal

61 Posts

Senator Gillebrand (sp?) of NY is big on nursing issues, so contact her office. Also, I've heard you can work as an LPN/CNA type job in some hospitals that require BSNs. It's illegal in CA & NJ, but maybe NY is different. Even though you have your RN, they'll take you for a lower level job (and pay) until you earn your BSN, then you can roll into that job.

I would also consider Psych facilities, Surgi-Centers, Dialysis Centers, Women's Health Clinics, LTCs etc. FAX them your CV & cover letter and follow up in a few days to make sure they got it.

Get out of the job you're in. Contact your old Office Manager and see what he/she can do for you. Start doing volunteer work in a facility you want to work in - it will get your foot in the door and give you connections that you can use when your BSN is finished (Feb 2013 will be her sooner than you think).

No, there is no nursing shortage, but it isn't any schools fault. Suing them is not the answer - having a NATIONWIDE license is a good start (promotes mobility). Having a nationwide RESIDENCY program (like doctors have) is a good start! So once we get settled, let's vow to make a change, OK?

srn789

21 Posts

yup youre right thats exactly what he is doing, and as I mentioned before dont have much of a choice unfortunately ......... So sad to see that someone else is in the same position as me in NYC ... its just tooo hard .... milliem did u find a job ????? elrup - its a good idea ... i just wish there was a better solution ...

srn789

21 Posts

I dont think as a RN you can practice as an LPN or CNA in NY .. Im not sure though so I will find out.. And unfortunately the office manager currently still works for him, she is just in a lower position... Its hard for me to think of not being employed even for a week because I have a family and need every dollar ... thats not even including the school loans.. I wanted to volunteer, but due to the crazy schedule I have its almost impossible.. I faxed a few resumes today and I hope something will come out of them.. I am really trying not to let my current situation get me down ... I am trying to look forward no matter how hard it is ...

srn789

21 Posts

About the schools ... I went to a one of the oldest and best nursing schools in the country and I know first hand they are not accepting more and more students ... They keep their first level nursing class the same size every year.. either way the amount they accept, half of them dont even graduate with us because its soo tough..... but just the thought that in a month another whole class of new graduates will also be looking for a job, just makes me want to cry even more ......

Hang in there. I am a new grad too and still don't have a job.

My friend who got a job told me to go on linkedin.com, add as many as recruiters as possible, send them your resume and cover letter, ask them to look and if they have any advice/job opening. He added more than 150 and only 8-10 replied with a job opening. One of them hired him. It took a long time to do this but if you get hired in the end, it's worth it.

I am trying his way too. Only 2 replied saying that my resume looks good and that's it. Hey at lease 2 out of 50+ replied!!!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Neuro, Respiratory.

Don't give up, OP! I graduated last May and didn't find a job until October. I had applied for hundreds of jobs and had several interviews before I landed my current position. The job I found was posted on Career Builder's website. One tip some older nurses have told me is to apply for jobs even if it says "you need x amount of experience." I know several people (including my mom!) who have gotten jobs even though they weren't "qualified" according to the experience standards. I wish you the best of luck!

Also, having had to wait so long to find a job has made me appreciate what I have even more!

Patti_RN

353 Posts

Specializes in ..

Sounds like you do have the boss from hell! No matter what your inclination, don't burn bridges with this guy Yes, he's a jerk, and if you're like 98% of us you'd like to find another job and say something evil on your way out the door. (You didn't say anything at all like this--you may well be part of the 2% who wouldn't dream of reacting that way.)

Finding another job is important for several reasons: your self-esteem will suffer if you work beneath your abilities, you'll quickly lose your nursing skills that you've worked so hard to learn, and the longer your job title is 'receptionist' the less likely you'll be considered for anything but clerical jobs.

First, make sure your resume says something like, 'Front Office RN' or 'Nurse/ clerical staff'--something so whomever reads your resume will see you as an RN. In the space where you describe your duties, your clerical experience should be listed prominently, but make sure any nursing duties (no matter how rare or fleeting) are front and center. This is actually a great job to bolster you resume because you've acquired so many valuable skills that your next employer will appreciate. Check out some sample resumes on MS Word, both for clerical employees and nurses and pull some phrases and job descriptions and duties from those examples.

I wrote a lengthy post about finding a job; if you're interested find that article/ post and see if anything within might help you. It's such a competitive job market you need to set yourself apart from the masses.

It can be really frustrating to find your first nursing job. You mentioned that you're a new grad, but not when you graduated. This month? Last fall? Last spring? It can feel like forever waiting for your first job (you probably don't see your current position as a nursing job, so I'm writing this as you're looking for that 'first RN position'). I heard some depressing statistic about how long it takes for the average new grad to find a job; it was more than a few months.

Meanwhile, you're doing all the right things: you're currently working, you're getting a BSN, you're gaining other skills (ACLS, BLS) and most importantly, you're trying to find something.

You might add a volunteer position (working for Catholic Charities, with an ambulance service, at a non-profit, etc.), these health care related positions look great on your resume and volunteering serves three key purposes: it gives you experience, it looks great on your resume to volunteer, and the job itself (or those you work with) may be the direct stepping stone to a paid position. (Plus a lot of other advantages, as well... self-esteem, gaining friendships, etc.)

Getting continuing ed credits is also helpful, especially if you have a target position. If you're interested in working with diabetics, get some con-ed credits in diabetes. Many classes are free; lots are online. Using this diabetes RN as an example, you might call around other doctor's offices (especially nephrologist offices or diabetes clinics) and ask if you can sit in on a class when a drug rep gives talk at a luncheon. (This works best if you know someone at those offices or if you have a connection--your PCP's office, for instance.) You'll not only gain the knowledge, but the opportunity might be valuable for networking. (While you're there, TALK to others and tell them you're trying to gain more knowledge because your dream is to work with diabetic patients--you'll impress them and they may offer you leads.)

Try not to get disheartened and good luck with the search.

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