*UNEMPLOYED NURSES*

Nurses Job Hunt

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Ello~

I'm just curious to know, for those of you who are unemployed nurses, exactly how long have you been looking for work? What are you (LPN,RN,BSN-RN,MSN-NP,etc.) How many previous years of experience do you have? Where are you located? How many applications do you think you have placed? What about interviews? Add anything else that you want! Vent, tell us how you REALLY feel, give your opinions/outlooks on everything.

Specializes in Med./Surg., Diabetes, Med. ICU, home hea.

yes, frustratedrn00, I feel you pain. unfortunately, "maternity leave," "relocation to be closer to family" if the employers you are applying to know of this, you have set off "red flags." with the glut of nurses in the employment pool, employers are looking for nurses currenly experienced in what ever specialty they're seeking for the slot to fill, nurses who show no signs of loyalty to anything but their job. I'm sure some unscrupulous hiring manager figures you'll be pregnant again by this time next year, wanting to relocate at the drop of a hat.

unfair? likely, but such is the way of cut-throat business and now health care is a cut-throat business. 5 years, unfortunately, is not that long of a time for what nurse managers are used to for someone working at one facility.

I do wish you the best of luck, persevere. I ended up having to take a home health/shift position for 1/2 my former salary which, itself, was way low for the area.

This is a response to T. Ferguson and bree: It is sad that you both complain about "foreign" nurses when it has been my experience that most American nurses and directors seem to discriminate against non-white nurses. By the way, I am curious as to what you mean by foreign - you mentioned language, so I assume that is one measure. Is that your only definition? It would be nice to think that all nurses are hired based on competence; are you suggesting these foreign nurses are less competent than you? I would gladly work along with them because in my experience they can be just as caring and competent as any other nurse.

Foreign born, educated in the US, and looking-for-work nurse.

I'd love for every facility to be required to disclose to the public exactly how many imports they've hired in the last 10 years, and what percent of total staff have been American citizens for over 5 years. Also what percent were educated here in the US. Just lay it on the table man.

It's far worse cause in 2007 then President signed that nurses in Phillipines (Guam and Saipon too) could take teh NCLEX directly there crying (you guessed it) a dire urgency for nurses. At least before this when they used to come here there was some risk to them - they came at their own expense and if they didn't pass back they went and the year was a loss.

Now, fughetabout it. i googled and even saw an advertisement to pay their afaire and all that to come here. Just what you need in a 10+ year recession - an EVEN BIGGER industry of 3rd world nurses (and other professionals) eager to work here for comparatively poor wages and conditions - and people willing to line their pockets to enable it. I've seen others advertising they had a full house of available temp nurses and "permanent foreign nurses" wanting to come to the country for "very low wages". I only recently started looking because I was reading the union stuff - I'm not union but it's interesting. Sane loads, health insurance and someone to stick up for you do sound attractive.

Understand I have nothing against people doing what's best for them and many of these nurses I've met have been good nurses. Many get graduate degrees and *we should learn from them - cheaper and better educated will do us in every time - ask hi tech. But the real answer to the problems in 3rd world countries is to fix the problems in that country and stay there - not to let anybody who wants to displace an American with a psuedo-slave bring them over here on the backs of the working citizens and taxpayers. It's also a disservice to developing countries that desperately need their healthcare professionals.

end vent.

This is a response to T. Ferguson and bree: It is sad that you both complain about "foreign" nurses when it has been my experience that most American nurses and directors seem to discriminate against non-white nurses. By the way, I am curious as to what you mean by foreign - you mentioned language, so I assume that is one measure. Is that your only definition? It would be nice to think that all nurses are hired based on competence; are you suggesting these foreign nurses are less competent than you? I would gladly work along with them because in my experience they can be just as caring and competent as any other nurse.

Foreign born, educated in the US, and looking-for-work nurse.

Some of it may be that 3rd world nations producing nurses that are intended to work in western countries is an entire industry. Foreign nurses, namely those from Phillipines and Guam, et al, are permitted to take the NCLEX in their own country. many go into nursing or hi-tech with the specific intent to come work here. Even as a woman who has worked in male-dominated fields I have noted nowhere in my life an abundance of discrimination against hiring people willing to work for 30-75% below the prevailing American wage. Phillipine nurses are typically very good nurses with advanced degrees or pursuing them. The same is true of nurses from India. Nursing in the Phillipines is quite respectable and by stats I've seen , albeit none recent, patients like them. We should emulate their commitment to best practice and advanced education and stop attacking each other and instead encourage each other to achieve our full potential and be all we can be.

Almost two years off due to injury. Looking for a job that fits my new restriction. Tried last August ...what a nightmare. Just started a few weeks ago..several calls but there always seems to be a redflag. May take a position next week, just to get feet wet. Not so sure..think there may be a communication problem. Not desperate yet. I never believe everything a future employer tells me is going to happen. My experience is a lot of it is usally fluff.

.I gave up a job with an awesome hospital that I had worked at for 5 years; first as a pharmacy technician then a nurse..never had 1 bad evaluation. I guess job loyalty doesn't matter here in south Florida.:mad:

I, too, living in South Florida. I have ten years of experience in NICU and OR and pediatrics. I stayed home with my children (which was the right thing to do) for 18 years. I have stayed abreast of all the latest science and health information. I retook the NCLEX in 2009 and passed with flying colors. I know that my character here 18 years later is far better than what it was then. I have grown so much. I have a whistle clean record and hundreds of people who would vouch for my reputation. I did land a job in home health but the pay has been fairly consistently Once I am working, EVERYONE loves me. I would be the greatest asset to any hospital in this area and I know it. I lay down my life for these people the minute I walk through the door. I am meticulous about paperwork and orders and other date sensitive materials while at the same time being a caring person. Whoever is being hired, all I can say is that it isn't me. I just thought you would like to know that it has nothing to do with you personally. It is this area. Another new grad wrote in a while back telling us that she was the valedictorian of her class and nobody here would hire her. Unless you speak two languages. are 22 and in great health, and have 3 years of current experience in an ICU, you are really not what they want. Discrimination? Yes. But near impossible to prove. :twocents:

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
Some of it may be that 3rd world nations producing nurses that are intended to work in western countries is an entire industry. Foreign nurses, namely those from Phillipines and Guam, et al, are permitted to take the NCLEX in their own country.

Nurses from Guam aren't foreign nurses. Guam is US soil, like Puerto Rico.

Well after a two year ordeal (3 if you include the year of preparing for retaking the NCLEX), I finally have a job in a hospital making double what I've been making. I made it through a torturous year of home health where I was constantly being placed in a position of choosing between money, the company, the client, my license or me. I had to forfeit several good paying jobs to protect myself and my license. I had to eat dirt, do grunt work, be criticized when I know I did things right, and more. I took it all very graciously, held my head high when it happened, said thank you when it was appropriate and retained myself in the situation. These are the times when you know there's a God. :) I know some of you pray and so I just wanted to thank you for your prayers. They made a difference!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

that is so scary and sad....so much for the American worker

Specializes in SICU.

While holding a flame-retardant umbrella I'd like to make the following points... You may not agree with me, but please allow me to point out.

1.Just because someone speaks with a foreign accent (to your own) does not mean they are not US citizens/Residents/Legal occupants of the same soil as yourself.

2.The economy is tough! I feel it is more productive to place the blame on the lawmakers/governing bodies/magnet bestowers etc on the fact that Nurses are working in unsafe conditions (10-12 acute pts or 30-40 Nursing home pt's per nurse). If there was a mandate that all hospitals should have safe working/accuity numbers. There would be jobs out there... not many, but more than there have been with a skeleton staff being made to take huge numbers of pt's. (oh and do away with the ridiculous Medication aides) more jobs for LPN/RN yes?

That is all....

:igtsyt:I just retook the ACLS. Cost me $150 for a one day for the proficient ACLS. It was cheaper than the 2 day. I read the book carefully, knew my ECG strips and understood the meds that needed to be given. The guy next to me in the class didn't speak a word of English. Not sure if he passed, but. . . . . I will just say the book was written in English and the entire lecture was in English. During one of our simulations when each of us had to demonstrate bagging ONE BREATH every SIX SECONDS, the instruction was saying, "One one thousand, two one thousand, . . . . ." Each breath would come after the last six one thousand. Another student who also did not speak a word of English was bagging on every count. The instructor told her 4 times that it was on the "one one thousand" that we bag and said it is after every 6 seconds. She would indicate that she understood and proceed to bag on every count. This is the thing that bothers me about adding people to the mix that do not speak our language. Where you come from is irrelevant. Most Americans come from somewhere else. You need to be crystal clear on what it is you're supposed to be doing, understand instructions, and do them to the best of your ability. It kind of reminds me outsourcing for tech support to India. Throughout every conversation I've had with one of these people, they pretend to know exactly what you're saying when after two or three comments it is perfectly clear that they didn't understand anything I said. It is scary to think that someone like that has a license and is practicing medicine in our country. One client that I cared for whose ethnicity will remain nameless claimed that I was discriminating when I told her I have to have an order for narcotics. You can't just take them whenever you feel like it unless I have an order that says this. I don't care how much narcotic she wants to take. Just give me an order. She had a supposed verbal order from an ordering physician in the hospital. Only once these folks leave the hospital, finding this guy is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They never return your calls. None of her other drs were willing to write an order after much time had elapsed. I was told by one of the physician's NPs that I was very unprofessional for asking. :confused: Did anyone in the situation stand behind me? Well sort of. I was told by the agency that I did the right thing but. . . "You're fired from the case." LOL. :anpom:So I went back to making my puny salary and was happy to be making it. I would rather do that than lose my license. That is the reality of the situation.

Specializes in ED, Informatics, Clinical Analyst.

It took me a year to find per diem work which I only got because someone I knew, knew someone. Before that I had a few train wreck interviews (Managers eat lunch during my interview or saying call me Monday afternoon and after leaving multiple messages and emails NO ONE EVER GOT BACK TO ME to reject me or otherwise!).

I decided to stop looking until I had been employed at the facility for six months and was somewhat "experienced" because the constant rejection was really taking its toll. I started tweeking my resume on a daily basis and looking on careerbuilder, got lucky, and was hired by an agency for long term acute care (again per diem).

When I hit the one year of being employed as an RN mark (and rid myself of most of my new grad cooties) I started applying again and only just got a full time job after 2 years of searching. The kicker? It's for a new grad position! I'm fine if they want to hold my hand for a few months but it speaks volumes about the job market for new grads.

One thing I will say in retrospect is that the application process for new grads is a Catch-22. People say be open minded and tell you to apply to EVERYTHING but employers want candidates with longevity. They don't want to hire the person who's trying to get a foot in the door and is willing to take anything so if they know you applied to 1,000 jobs you give off the impression that I'm desperate to get my experience and will do anything for a year. Thinking back I didn't have the passion I have now (I found I really love progressive/long term acute care) for the positions I had tried to get and I know it probably showed.

Good luck to everyone who is still struggling to find a position. When the rejections really start getting to you take a break otherwise you'll go insane. I was asked during my interview why it took a year to get a job and why hadn't I gotten a job sooner or why hadn't I been applying and I said the market was TERRIBLE and it was really wearing on me so as soon as I found some work as an RN and I decided I needed to take a break and the recruiter respected that.

The market DOES SUCK; take a break but don't give up :yeah:

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