*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.

Aviationnurse... I too feel your frustration. I have even thought about applying at McDonald's or Walmart so I can have an income to pay for my student loans that I would be paying for the next twenty so years!

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Specializes in this and that.

AF wife......i got CLNC VMI student loans.....credit card.....feel so choked everyday......i am attending classes for EXCELL MS CERTIFICATION for free and doing Job Search there....the class is filled with all middle age people..one lady sitting next to me who lost her job as customer service said she got paid 14 dollars a day cleaning horse **** and watering the horse ....a total of 300 a month she gets for all the work she does...she comes to class smelling of barn and hand all covered in blisters from severe cold weather where i live..

this situatiion is painful and sad and all the support i have is ALLNURSES and my computer school....no family support and all my friends are tired of listening to me and my situation

and all they can say is I CANT BELEIVE NURSES DONT HAVE JOBS...THEY ARE IN DEMAND.....BLAH BLAH BLAH

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BSN; Mount St. Mary's College; 2010 graduate; ACLS, BLS, PALS, NRP; Speak English, Tagalog, Spanish; RN and PHN licensed; Working at a hotel (my college job) and as an MA at a derm office, ALSO work 12 hour shift in an "internship" on a med-surg unit; Its been a year since I've had my license and I've applied a hundred dozen times to hospitals in OC, LA county, and San Gabriel County... I've only had one ****** interview with a mean recruiter who picked on all my responses and said that they probly won't hire me because I live in Garden Grove; Literally every other recruiter I've met in person (who would actually come out to meet me) have been mean and condescending... With the exception of Orange Coast Memorial. She was nice. IM BURNT OUT FROM WORKING SO MUCH BUT I HAVE LOANS THAT WON'T PAY THEMSELVES AND WHO'S GONNA HIRE ME WITHOUT EXPERIENCE?! Apparently we need experience to get a job but my volunteership/internship isn't good enough even though I'm essentially precepting with a nurse... BECAUSE ITS NOT A PAID POSITION it doesn't count. My entire 12 hour shift doesn't mean **** to any recruiters.

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BSN; Mount St. Mary's College; 2010 graduate; ACLS BLS, PALS, NRP; Speak English, Tagalog, Spanish; RN and PHN licensed; Working at a hotel (my college job) and as an MA at a derm office, ALSO work 12 hour shift in an "internship" on a med-surg unit; Its been a year since I've had my license and I've applied a hundred dozen times to hospitals in OC, LA county, and San Gabriel County... I've only had one ****** interview with a mean recruiter who picked on all my responses and said that they probably won't hire me because I live in Garden Grove; Literally every other recruiter I've met in person (who would actually come out to meet me) have been mean and condescending... With the exception of Orange Coast Memorial. She was nice. IM BURNT OUT FROM WORKING SO MUCH BUT I HAVE LOANS THAT WON'T PAY THEMSELVES AND WHO'S GONNA HIRE ME WITHOUT EXPERIENCE?! Apparently we need experience to get a job but my volunteership/internship isn't good enough even though I'm essentially precepting with a nurse... BECAUSE ITS NOT A PAID POSITION it doesn't count. My entire 12 hour shift doesn't mean **** to any recruiters.

Is this pretty typical? I just got my acceptance letter from Mount St Marys ABSN program and am about to accept. I'm feeling a little ambivalent because I have a new baby that I'm not going to spend as much time with and the tuition is really high. How can I pay back a $60k loan if I don't have a job? Is this true for most other nurses (especially new grads)? Should I not waste my time and money?

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BSN; Mount St. Mary's College; 2010 graduate;

Word. Fellow unemployed old new grad (Degree posted 2010; Walked 2011). Doing non-rn job just to try and make some kind of payment for school loans. Still praying for my first paid RN job.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Is this pretty typical? I just got my acceptance letter from Mount St Marys ABSN program and am about to accept. I'm feeling a little ambivalent because I have a new baby that I'm not going to spend as much time with and the tuition is really high. How can I pay back a $60k loan if I don't have a job? Is this true for most other nurses (especially new grads)? Should I not waste my time and money?

Depends a lot on what part of the USA you live in . Or are willing to live in. California is very competitive - but so are other places. You have to go searching for facilities that are willing to hire new grads which are in short supply right now. Having a new baby and nursing school? Yikes, IMO. I know some people do it - no way I could have.

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I was out of nursing 6 yrs., did a refresher in Arizona, a lot of work/money, 160 hrs. of clinical. Moved and got a job in NY state, per diem, crappy pay, but something. Moved to another state (in the south), very tight, very difficult to get an interview. Such a glut of RN's in many areas. I have a BSN, experience, good references and here I sit.

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So update: I finally got a job in a small town in the sticks of California. It's probably considered rural nursing. The only problem is the way the hospital is run. I started off "per diem" but worked full-time hours so they wouldn't have to give me benefits. Recently they switched me to full-time but made me sign a statement that said

I was "offered insurance but I declined." I have a feeling that this is rampant in the smaller hospitals. Don't be surprised if this happens to you...

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

You just have to get 1-2 years experience and then you will be able to get something better. That is ridiculous about the insurance, but totally believe able. I worked in a rural facility and things "didn't work out" when I turned in a doctor note stating I couldn't work overtime as I was 5 months pregnant on night shift.

This Wyoming facility will hire new grads from various other states including CA that are just looking for a place to get acute experience.

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You just have to get 1-2 years experience and then you will be able to get something better. That is ridiculous about the insurance but totally believe able. I worked in a rural facility and things "didn't work out" when I turned in a doctor note stating I couldn't work overtime as I was 5 months pregnant on night shift. This Wyoming facility will hire new grads from various other states including CA that are just looking for a place to get acute experience.

There were 4 new grads when I started. In a matter of two months half of them found better jobs and left. I wish I could be so lucky. They're literally pinching every penny over here. That's why I was finally able to get "full-time" status with half assed benefits. And that's total BS about your situation. They can't discriminate against you because you're pregnant. Needless to say, I've been applying since about a month ago.

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There were 4 new grads when I started. In a matter of two months half of them found better jobs and left. I wish I could be so lucky. They're literally pinching every penny over here. That's why I was finally able to get "full-time" status with half assed benefits. And that's total BS about your situation. They can't discriminate against you because you're pregnant. Needless to say, I've been applying since about a month ago.

What they are doing is extremely unethical.

If I were you I would have gotten an attorney involved

If they expect you to lie about insurance to save money,how do you know they are honest and safe when treating their patients? It's a huge issue.

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You are absolutely right. When the State came in it was nuts. I was supposed to be off my "orientation" (which isn't even adequate new grad training, more like a crash course..) they put me back on it so that the State wouldn't even talk to me because I was a "new grad". They shave off time off of our hours thinking we won't notice it. But I do and I say something and they fix it. It's ridiculous. Thank God I got my own , because I've never been at a hospital where they throw their nurses under the bus as much as they do. I just have to keep reminding myself that my first job is NOT my career.

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