Unemployed & inexperienced New RNs. Vent it out!

Nurses Job Hunt

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It's good to have an outlet you can spill your feelings about finding a job and struggling being unemployed.

Got my CA RN license in Jan2011 and trying to land a RN job anywhere. Passed hundreds of applications online which seems like sending to a blackhole (then I learned that most employers are only considering applicants that are referred and just ignore those who aren't). Applied to diff. RN Residencies in diff. states and the competition is really crazy (ex. only

I graduated last yr, I'm staling, I don't fit as a "new grad" anymore, very expensive RN refresher courses which doesn't guarantee an employment and I don't know where would I get money for that. I used to be this guy who's full of hopes, goal-oriented, productive & motivated, now I'm depressed, frustrated, stressed and broke.:smokin:

That's my story, what's yours?:)

Hi everyone! I have been having a bit of trouble with applications as well. It has been hard and some days it gets even harder. I wish that it will get better!

So let me start by saying a few things about me.. I graduated in May 2010 and passed the boards on my second try May 2011 (questions are definitely different from the ones they get you used to in nursing school.. but YAY IT WAS AMAZING!). Since then I have been looking for a job online and attending career fairs here and there.

I'm starting to think I'm missing something in my career transition from student to professional.. maybe that's why no one will consider me for a hospital position... >,

Since I can remember, I have been babysitting for my sisters and with my parents always working, I was the only helping hand available... which also occupied my own time and so I couldn't do all the volunteership and externship I have always wanted to do.

Thinking even more about what I missed.. I want to pursue these dreams but it would put me at a financial risk since I haven't worked since my dietary aide job back in nursing school. I have been getting a little help from my parents but I really don't want to burden them anymore.

My questions are:

1. Can you help network with me and vice versa?

2. Is it possible to work as a Unit secretary, a patient care tech/CNA/Nurse associate with an RN license?

3. Is it allright if I take a nonhealth-care related job while I'm applying? Like a job at Ross or Dunkin Donuts?

Desperately seeking someone who will give me a chance so I can help change the world.

Hi it sounds like u are in the Philadelphia area. I contacted Jeff and was told if you have been out of school for longer than 6mths u are not eligible for their residency program and penn recommends that u take a rn refresher bc it's been too long since graduation to join theirs as well. I also had the same idea about applying for pt tech and unit sec jobs, so I did just that and within hours, sometimes even minutes I received the automated rejection letter. So I think they know we r looking for an in at their facility and don't really want that. It is so frustrating, u are not alone. People say try ltc, but they want at least 2-5 years experience along w visiting nurse/home care companies. Best of luck keep us posted!

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
they cleared it with their legal team and they were allowed to employee because they also employed medical assisstants

Still doesn't sound legit, esp. their reasoning. But that could be a bigger issue re. the job situation. You're handing potential employers a resume stating that you have several years of NURSING experience but when they run your license, you weren't licensed until very recently.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Yep, I think you need to claim your office nursing time as medical assisting on a resume because you only recently became a licensed nurse. The way you are doing it I think people would find it untruthful because of your date on your license. Then once you get an interview you can explain you functioned at the RN level if that is what you did. Good luck with your job hunt!

I am not claiming it as nursing experience. My resume is very straight forward. I dont claim to be a nurse on my resume. I state that I am a recently licensed nurse with 12 years experience working in the healthcare field. thank you for your concern and advice. I thought i could get some support and advice, not criticism.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I was not meaning it as criticism. It was very unclear in your post so I thought it might be equally unclear in your resume. I was trying to help, but if you are going to be that sensitive then you should make it clear that you do not want actual constructive productive suggestions, but only someone to tell you it will all be magically ok.

I am sorry I bothered.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I am not claiming it as nursing experience. My resume is very straight forward. I dont claim to be a nurse on my resume. I state that I am a recently licensed nurse with 12 years experience working in the healthcare field. thank you for your concern and advice. I thought i could get some support and advice, not criticism.

I'm sure you feel that your resume is straightforward.

But to be honest, the fact that posters here found how you phrased it on the resume as somewhat misleading means that POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS who read your resume may also find it misleading. That could really work against you in the job hunt...interviewers may feel mislead about your experience, thinking you have more skills than you actually do. And even after your explaining to them what you really did at the office, they may still have has an unfavorable image of you.

It's hard to negate a bad first impression. Not impossible, but very hard. And as a new grad, you need every chance you can get to build a good impression, because there's too many of you out there. If they think your resume is at all misleading--even though you may feel you're not being misleading--they can easily remove you from consideration because it's not as though they're lacking for applicants. And word of mouth about you can do far more damage to you and your chances than you realize.

Since you seem to be unreceptive to constructive feedback at the forum, I would get a couple of friends/coworker read your resume and let you know how they perceive your work experience. Even better: if you are still able to access your school's career office, have someone from there read it.

But again, it's your job hunt and thus your decision.

Best of luck.

Wow this forum is a real eye opener. I thought I did my due diligence finding a second career that needed people was recession proof etc. Looks like I did not dig deep enough. I am a middle age man with a family and have been running my own business for decades. The writing is on the wall and business has been shrinking every year. I am finishing up a year of prerequisites and all my general ed courses and am scheduled to start a two year nursing program in the fall. After reading all your stories I feel like a fool and am reconsidering my plan to attend school in the fall. I don't need another career that has to many people and not enough jobs.........I am shocked

Hi Joe Dee before you start school you should check the requirements at the facilities in your area. There are so many hospitals, offices, ltc facilities, etc. that will only hire a nurse with a bachelor degree. Just another thing to think about before paying for tuition. Good luck in your endeavors!

Hi Meriwhen

Thanks for the advice. Contacting the career center is a good idea, which I never thought of.

Specializes in none.

Don't you know there is a nursing shortage? I got criticized for saying that there wasn't. There is. You were lie to in school and you get lied to on this board. There is an over abundance of new RN's. I had to take early retirement because there is no nursing shortage.

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
Wow this forum is a real eye opener. I thought I did my due diligence finding a second career that needed people was recession proof etc. Looks like I did not dig deep enough. I am a middle age man with a family and have been running my own business for decades. The writing is on the wall and business has been shrinking every year. I am finishing up a year of prerequisites and all my general ed courses and am scheduled to start a two year nursing program in the fall. After reading all your stories I feel like a fool and am reconsidering my plan to attend school in the fall. I don't need another career that has to many people and not enough jobs.........I am shocked

Lots of people consider what they hear in the media to be "due diligence". It isn't, it is heresay and sometimes just plain lies.

You have done well to get outside of that and get the real story, so good for you. Yes, this is not a stable thing to go into right now. However, neither is anything else. There is no such thing as a "recession proof" career and the USA is in the deepest recession/depression since the 1920s. When people lose work, spouses go back to work and job openings dry up. Retirements get put on hold and part-timers go full-time - both of those dry up the job market too. When people lose work, they lose healthcare coverage. When people lose healthcare coverage they stop going in for elective healthcare. When people decline their elective health consumerism, hospitals draw down on the number of hires. They try to keep the same profit margin by trying to have fewer people doing the same job. This also dries up job openings. Added to all this is a surplus of people graduating from nursing school. There are not enough jobs for every new GN who wants one to actually get one.

If you want to be a nurse you should be one. If you want to be one for job security and income, yeah...you probably want to look elsewhere. It is hard, unpleasant work with long hours and low pay when held up against everything a nurse is responsible for.

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