Useless degree! At what point do you quit trying?

Nurses Job Hunt

Published

I have my BSN, passed my NCLEX and haven't found a job in 2 years.

Not through lack of effort mind you, but i live in Philadelphia, where the job market is basically nil for new grads. I applied to absolutely everywhere including Nurse Residency programs, and i get rejected all the time.

There is absolutely no way i can move my family to another part of the country.

I would like to have a career in nursing, but at this point, that dream seems all but impossible.

I have to do my education credits and renew my license, but there is a part of me that is legitimately wondering, why bother.

Someone said to me the other day, "a masters degree is the new BSN."

I told them that to spend another dime on a useless degree was completely out of the question.

Is a masters degree really an option is one still has no real experience other then clinicals?

So at what point do you give up and move on to other things?

I would think that the more time i spend out of school without a nursing job, the more i become unemployable, the longer i will go without a nursing job, till there is no chance for any opportunities.

I really hate being negative, but after 2 years, i am tired.

Tired of all the lies i heard in school, tired of never being given an opportunity, tired of spending money, and tired of wasting my time.

Has anyone else ever gotten a job after a few years of being shot down?

Has anyone else abandoned nursing altogether because of the job market?

Is Grad school the only option?

Hang in there and keep your head up. Your day will come! Keep plugging, keep applying, and stay positive. If what you are doing now is not working, change it up.You know the definition of insanity right? So if what you are doing is not working, try a new strategy. I have found my classmates to be very helpful for networking, many of them got jobs before me. When you are new you have to take anything you can get. You do not have to stay forever, but it is easier to find a job when you have one. Can you get a job as a Unit Secretary while you look? Something in a hospital or healthcare facility?

And for the record, you never quit trying!

There has to be something. Home care and nursing homes would probably be the best bet.

RN Jobs in Philadelphia, PA | Indeed.com

Specializes in ER/ float.
I have my BSN, passed my NCLEX and haven't found a job in 2 years.

Not through lack of effort mind you, but i live in Philadelphia, where the job market is basically nil for new grads. I applied to absolutely everywhere including Nurse Residency programs, and i get rejected all the time.

There is absolutely no way i can move my family to another part of the country.

I would like to have a career in nursing, but at this point, that dream seems all but impossible.

I have to do my education credits and renew my license, but there is a part of me that is legitimately wondering, why bother.

Someone said to me the other day, "a masters degree is the new BSN."

I told them that to spend another dime on a useless degree was completely out of the question.

Is a masters degree really an option is one still has no real experience other then clinicals?

So at what point do you give up and move on to other things?

I would think that the more time i spend out of school without a nursing job, the more i become unemployable, the longer i will go without a nursing job, till there is no chance for any opportunities.

I really hate being negative, but after 2 years, i am tired.

Tired of all the lies i heard in school, tired of never being given an opportunity, tired of spending money, and tired of wasting my time.

Has anyone else ever gotten a job after a few years of being shot down?

Has anyone else abandoned nursing altogether because of the job market?

Is Grad school the only option?

Don't waste another dime on more education what ever you do..

Try LTC facilities to get that experience you need. I am having to relocate 1700 miles to continue my carrer as an ED nurse with 3yrs experience. $37,000 in debt getting a BSN is more depressing than I can state. I will also remind you how you made it through nursing school and that is more than a few can say,so you have the drive to succeed and that is good.Don't give up quite yet.

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

"I have my BSN, passed my NCLEX and haven't found a job in 2 years. Not through lack of effort mind you ..."

You did not really elaborate on your efforts, just curious to know what exactly you're doing. If you are just sitting at home emailing your resume out in response to job ads, that's not going to get you very far. Pounding the pavement will reap more results.

Are you networking? This is KEY! Lots of nurses get jobs because of who they know. If you don't know anyone, you need to meet them. Once they know you and like you, it's a foot in the door. Someone else mentioned your resume. If you have not received even one interview (or very few) in 2 years, I agree that it might be your resume that is the issue. Someone else mentioned volunteering, that is also a good way to meet other nurses (not volunteering as an RN, that's not possible in a hospital as far as I know due to liability issues).

Wishing you well!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.
I have my BSN, passed my NCLEX and haven't found a job in 2 years.

Not through lack of effort mind you, but i live in Philadelphia, where the job market is basically nil for new grads. I applied to absolutely everywhere including Nurse Residency programs, and i get rejected all the time.

There is absolutely no way i can move my family to another part of the country.

I would like to have a career in nursing, but at this point, that dream seems all but impossible.

I have to do my education credits and renew my license, but there is a part of me that is legitimately wondering, why bother.

Someone said to me the other day, "a masters degree is the new BSN."

I told them that to spend another dime on a useless degree was completely out of the question.

Is a masters degree really an option is one still has no real experience other then clinicals?

So at what point do you give up and move on to other things?

I would think that the more time i spend out of school without a nursing job, the more i become unemployable, the longer i will go without a nursing job, till there is no chance for any opportunities.

I really hate being negative, but after 2 years, i am tired.

Tired of all the lies i heard in school, tired of never being given an opportunity, tired of spending money, and tired of wasting my time.

Has anyone else ever gotten a job after a few years of being shot down?

Has anyone else abandoned nursing altogether because of the job market?

Is Grad school the only option?

Never ever give up HOPE!!!!

There is always a way. You said there is no way you could move your family cross country but maybe you have to look at that option. It is not as bad as you may think. Look into maybe moving somewhere to get a job then if you are married your husband could take care of the family while you are away. A lot of travel nurses and myself at one point stayed at the Extended Stay Hotel, they have good rates for long term stays. If you cannot afford that look into finding a room witha good person/ good family where you can stay while you get some experience. If you have some good family members who could take care of the children for you for a while , if you secure a position out of town. Romans 8:28 says God causes ALL things to work together for good. Maybe leaving town to find a job could be a blessing for you in more ways than one. There are many nurses who have had to make sacrifices by moving to secure a job. I know it is hard but not impossible!! Also, look into some travel nurse companies who are will to place you in a hospital that is willing to train you with the agreement that you work for the hospital for maybe 2 years or more. There is always a way. If you happen to find a job out of town, check with some churches who have members who sometimes are willing to rent rooms to persons who are from out of town. I recently met a nurse from PA who came to CA to work, although she does have experience, she came here b/c she just did not find enough work even doing agency. I have met other nurses who have moved just to find work and somehow they made it. If I can be of assistance place contact me via email. God Bless you:hug:

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

The work is out there.... its just not advertised. Apply in person to places that are not advertising. That's your best bet at this point. I got two job offers five months after graduation doing it that way.

Albert Einstein's definition of insanity:

"Trying the same thing over and over again, expecting different results."

There are Nursing Jobs. If you can't find work in your current area as a nurse, you'll HAVE to move. You may have to do what a previous poster suggested, and only move yourself and live in a cheap little apartment or something until you can find something closer to where you want to be. However, let's get real: nurses make good money normally, and assuming that you're jobless right now, you'll probably still be getting an extra 700-1k dollars into your family's household each month even with the added expense of a separate apartment.

Don't be so picky, dude :-P

everyone here is pretty much right. dont be picky. you might not get that dream job, but i bet there are small LTC facilities by you that would hire you. even if you wanna take the route of someone's private practice and get paid less.

check your newspaper, indeed.com, google search nursing homes/LTC and send some emails (many of the smaller ones dont have online applications, they're more or less just emailing HR). look out to drive places. there are some hospitals in south jersey that pick up new grads from time to time, that's probably an hour drive for you.

i just passed my boards jan 9th, and still havent gotten my license in the mail yet. i live in central jersey but i'm applying to every hospital in NJ (no matter how far), nursing homes/LTC/private practice facilities within a 35 minute radius of me, NY hospitals, and Philadelphia hospitals.

just keep searching. and like someone before me said, even if it says you need 1 year of med-surg experience or something, just apply anyway. just a couple days ago i got lucky and went to an interview at UMDNJ hospital for an application i filled out that i was unqualified for. sadly i did not get the position. but at least i got to go in there, give them my resume and show them what i was about. who knows, if another position opens up that i'm qualified for, they might remember me and pull out my resume.

That area has been terrible for nursing or even other jobs for the last 4 years. I do not have any advice except to relocate which you said you can't do. What about just you moving to NEPA or central pa. Did you try any prisons ?]

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Well sure some places will let a new grad do just about anything, and we do see the fall out here on allnurses. I guess, I am talking about legit companies, as a Chicago girl understands what's legit and what's not. Do you want to keep your license or don't ya. I also only look at things realistically. I would also admonish that a start in some of these areas will not lead to anything but something else in the same area. Nursing is like that. Not that many get to move around freely anymore. I think that the OP is pondering very wisely on things, IMHO.

I don't believe that the OP is not trying his best. I also think that the "go" to the rural areas and they will welcome you with a parade is a bit off, LOL. Kind of an old wives tale.

Well, to be fair, what's the point going out of your way to keep a license that you never use?

Had a couple of friends get hired into very "legit" outpatient dialysis clinics as new grads. I ended up doing pediatric private duty, along with several of my friends from class, at a place that is pretty much known for hiring anyone who walks through the door. You have to have a spine in places like this but it is doable without overtly risking your license. I would only take older, very stable patients. No real nursing involved but I was able to translate my PPD experience into "I've worked with very diverse clients from many socio-economic backgrounds" which eventually got me hired onto an acute burn unit which sees, hey, a very diverse patient base.

I don't know about rural. As a Kansas girl, I do know something about rural nursing. :p Again, a few of the pickier people from my class finally landed jobs in the fields that they wanted (think ER or L&D) in rural hospitals. I don't particularly envy them. It seems like you get saddled with more patients who are sicker with significantly fewer staff around. Like. Other nurses. And doctors. Not just support staff.

But being two years out of school probably changes the game immensely. Unless you can personally find an "in" through someone who is hiring, I'd imagine that you're kind of stuck picking from those bottom of the barrel jobs. Even if the OP wasn't specifically looking for a nursing job -- having a two year gap where s/he has (presumably) not been working at all is going to make finding ANY job very difficult in this economy.

It is not going to be easy with a two year gap in the philadelphia area or anywhere really. but that is a major city pumping out THOUSANDS of new grads a year, a VERY large group of experienced ( i mean 10+ years not 1 year) nurses. These nurses have connections. I recommed contacting some of your teachers and class mates at this point. Do not even be above begging them, that seems like the best option at this point to me. You can try going into facilities but most in large cities, at least in my experience, will not let you waltz on in to hr. maybe for smaller places or nursing homes this might work.

NEPA is begging for nurses and its only a short jaunt up the turnpike!

+ Add a Comment