Useless degree! At what point do you quit trying?

caliotter3 · Jan 27, 2012

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

See? You never know when a lead might be around the corner. Keep trying.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

first of all congrats on your accomplishment of receiving your bsn. admittedly, i agree 100% with biffbradford when they stated and i quote "quitters never win and winners never quit!" and lastly, with mjb2010 quote" sometimes you have to take what you can get until you can get what you want. " these thoughts deserve a :bow: ... wishing you the best in all of your future endeavors...ciao~

PatiencePlease · Jan 27, 2012

I feel your pain. All the crap that was shoved down my throat as a nursing student is just that... Crap. For example: need nurses everywhere! Or how bout the whole: you can go anywhere with your degree! What they don't tell you: unless you know someone, kissed some serious butt or are very lucky; you won't get your dream job or even a hospital job right out of school. I work in a plasma center because that was the only place that would hire me. Do you know what a plasma center is or what my job as a physician substitute entails? Recruiters don't either. But it's what I had to take. Pay is okay but right now until I get get into a hospital to get where I really want to be it's the insurance that keeps me there. I have a health condition that requires expensive medications so I need a job with good insurance. I can suggest apply for part time, temp and all shifts. If you are able. I always told myself that my snot nose pretentious female dogs of instructors were wrong when they said: your going to hate your first job, so get your experience and get over it. But unfortunately they were right. As they say "pay your dues."

This market stinks. Older nurses can't retire because it's not financially possible, new nurses can't get jobs because its too darn expensive to train and lose them. Then there's those like you in limbo. Keep your license. You worked your butt off for it, you paid for it and NEVER stop looking. There are a lot of sites you can get CEs for free they just require registration and you may get some added junk mail. Google free CEs. It's frustrating, miserable, disheartening, depressing and every other negative feeling. But the bad times pass like the good ones do. Keep positive. Call nursing recruiters and ask, what specific types of experience are you looking for? Ask if they have any advice. Sure some will say they won't talk to you but some will. It's just about as much work as school but you can do it. You've come this far already. Don't give up. Work what you have, think outside the box. Good luck and tell those naysayers to go suck eggs!

tas026 · Jan 27, 2012

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?

I may be wrong, but I've heard that a lot of masters degree programs require that you have experience in the field. Again, that's just what I saw when I was doing my research. I've also heard that getting your masters degree would be pointless if you just want to be a RN in a hospital. I wouldn't do that until you see that employers are starting to post that MSN is required (I'm waiting for the day to come...not!) I don't necessarily think that the masters degree is the new BSN yet because a lot of hospitals are still switching over from ADN to BSN.

I know you are looking hard, but try even harder! Look on websites like indeed.com, monster.com, snagajob.com, etc. If you are becoming extremely desperate, take ANY job that you can find. Many classmates I know act like they will only take a job in the NICU or whatever they are interested in. Personally, I would love to work in the NICU, but I realize that as a new grad, that will be almost impossible. Gain a year or two of experience and then go out looking for your DREAM job.

Also, could you expand your search to hospitals outside of Philadelphia? Have you looked into Chester County Hospital or something in that area? Have you considered having a commute by train for a short time while you gain experience? I know it is difficult with not being able to relocate, but I always like to think: if there's a will, there's a way!

At the end of the day, you worked hard on your degree. You obviously had some desire to become a nurse, so remember the desire that you had! Don't let these issues bring you down! You WILL find work if you keep trying, you WON'T find work if you give up! Fill out an application or two each day. Call up employers and ask them about the status of your application! Revise your resume so that they would WANT to hire you over everyone else. Good luck!

RedRaiderStudent · Jan 27, 2012

Does your school offer any type of help with job placement? If so you might be able to start there or ask your former students where they got hired.

BonnieSc · Jan 27, 2012

Oh, for heaven's sake, I remember what it was like when I was a new grad and unemployed and people kept telling me I must not be trying hard enough because if I was, I would have found a job. Most of the people who had a job would not acknowledge that it was LUCK, as well as looking far and wide, that helped them get that job. Just because someone doesn't have a job doesn't mean they weren't looking just as hard as you were or that they were being picky. Does the OP sound picky?

OP, I found a job two years after graduating. There was nothing in my area and my spouse was unwilling to relocate. We (really I, probably) were starting to look at a temporary move just for me, in order to get experience, but I felt like that would be bad for my marriage. As it happened, my marriage ended anyway for other reasons. As soon as it did, I up and left the area and found a great job fairly quickly in an area of the country where they didn't blink an eye at my two years of unemployment. But that isn't helpful for you.

I think in your position I would do some other kind of work. If the nursing job market ever improves, and you still want to be a nurse then, you can take a refresher course. It sounds daunting and depressing, but I've known quite a few nurses who have done it, after several years of raising children and not working.

A master's degree won't help you get your first job in nursing. Everyone I know with an entry-level master's has worked as a floor nurse or similar for a couple of years before transitioning into jobs that actually use the master's portion of the degree, and the master's won't help you get a floor job.

mjishernameo · Jan 27, 2012

once the presidential election is behind us...and the country becomes prosperous again, the market will return. hang in there.

WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

why is it assumed that because a person hasn't found any kind of job that they haven't tried everything or that they are being picky? why is the assumption that if you are unable to move for a job, that it's because you don't want to instead of can't? it's all fine and dandy to advise to move to another state for a job, but if you don't have the money to do so then you can't. relocation funds from hospitals are seriously lacking and not really enough to truely pay for a move. if your spouse has a decent job, what are you going to do say "hun, i can't find a job around here let's have you quit your job for a chance that i might get a job some place else?". it's frustrating and i too wondered if i should renew my license, but without the license you can't apply to nursing positions. that and it costs more to re-instate the license than to renew it, plus there are requirements in most states that require showing hours worked to get said re-instatement. i could be wrong about that though. i've joined nursing associations for networking, i've applied, i've called, i've shown up, and still nothing. i gave up on my dream job and i'm just hoping for acute care experience. i've gone full circle, applied for anything and everything now i'm applying to hospitals only again. i guess this makes me "picky".

op i feel your pain, i know exactly what your going through. i did that move to another state for a job and it didn't work out and we used up all my husbands little savings to do it. now i'm in school for my bsn, but refuse to go for my msn simply because i'd like to actually work in the field before deciding if i want to go to grad school. don't give up though. the one thing i haven't done is have a career service look at my resume, and i'm contacting the one at my current school to do so. i've had my rn-bsn director look at it and she made some suggestions, as well as she is writing me a letter of reference. i talk to my classmates to see who might be hiring or what the hiring climate is like at their place of employment, even names of nurse managers. i'm going to a different nursing association meeting next month, not just for the ce offering but to network in the field i'd love to work in.

try going to association meetings of the specialties you are interested in, you do not need to be a member to go and you can meet other nurses that way as well as managers. even though it hasn't worked yet for me, there is no reason why it won't work for you. plus, the ce's add up and are usually intersting. i haven't given up in 3 years since my graduation and boy have i wanted to.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

First, forget the MSN. At least right now. You need a job. That won't necessarily get you one and it is expensive.

I found my self unemployed for the first time in my life last year. Eyeopening. Resumes got no response, nor did digital applications most often. I started cold calling LTC facilities and rehabs. Put on a suit, got out there in person. Shook a lot of hands. Word got out. I kept networking. In a combination of aggressive self promotion and networking, I'm in a great job today.

You can do it. You'll need to be a lot more assertive than you may want to be.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

I'm not sure if you have done this, but have you contacted different hospitals to see if you can shadow on units? This puts you there, in person, the UM meets you, the staff meets you and if there is an opening the manager can let you know. But you can't be a Daisy Downer while you are there. We have had a couple of potentials come and shadow with us and they went on and on about how bitter they were that no one hires new grads, etc. Really, I kind of don't want to hear that while I am trying to give you a look at how things are in our unit, and if you come across complaining like that...well, we don't need another one of those in our unit lol All that aside, you have to put yourself out there. You might have to take a job you don't really want. Take a look at your resume, have a few letters of recommendation with it and send it out. Take it with you when you shadow and give it to the manager. I'm sorry it is so hard for you!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

I don't blame you for being frustrated and angry.

And still every day someone talks publicly about the "nursing shortage" and every day they open more and more nursing schools and add capacity at the ones they have.

It is shameful greed.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2012

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

I can assure you that any other degree would be even harder to get a job with. The job market is tight right now. I'm confident if you keep trying you'll find something.