I started my exciting and adventurous nursing path four years ago. I was told it would be a hard and laborious process but if I applied myself I would become a nurse, a pillar to the community, a helper for those in need, a voice for those who have become silent, a person with insurmountable compassion. I applied myself, gave my four years of life and nurtured my body with ungodly amounts of caffeine. Happily I can report that I am a Nurse . I can place RN after my name....but....I have no job.
About a year ago I began to get the feeling, as the economy dove, the places paying bonuses and reimbursements would dwindle. They did and are now all but extinct! I then began to feel that in order to get a job you might need more than just a diploma and license. Did I fret? NO, I have years of nurse assistant experience and quite a good attitude (if I do say so myself) and thought as long as I put my foot in the door a job will line itself up.
Enter Portland.....a land where they happen to be hiring gobs and gobs of nurses, as long as you have at least one year EXPERIENCE (as a RN). Then there are the rest of us (I tend to think "us" includes hundreds of qualified, compassionate people :redbeathe) who graduated from a hard and tear-producing nurse program, wide-eye and bushy tailed, ready to enter into the rest of our lives. And there are NO jobs, anywhere. Not LTC, SNF, Home Care, Hospital, Clinic, ect.
So now what? If you live in the area and are a new grad who has been blessed with a job, lend me a bone, what did you do? What can I do? What can the rest of us do? (In retrospect the city seems well prepared for a disaster, there are plenty of health care individuals with helping time on their hands!)
I have been in the medical field since 1966. I was in the armed forces as a hospital corpsman till 1970. I then worked as an orderly while waiting to get my LPN in 1972. In 1976 I received my RN with a scholarship I got from the state hospital where I had worked as an LPN and Vet benefits... I have worked in the field since then in just about every specialty and job. From AIDS to peds, I have acls, pals, etc. I have usually been thrown into a new position before actually getting trained for it. In 1977 I was called to the supervisors office and sent to ICU..in charge with a first time agency nurse as my only help. That is not unusual.
:bowingpur WOW!
Hopefully the opening of the floodgates will trickle down to the new grads too!
I graduated with a BSN in June 2010, and did everything that all of you have done. After 10 months I started to think that I might have made a mistake and was seriously considering a different career path. I was bored and depressed and decided to find a volunteer position in a hospital. I just did office work, but I met people and within six weeks I got a job on med/surg.
So, my advice is to do volunteer work at a hospital - any volunteer work. It looks great on a resume and gives you access to the people you need to know.
I graduated with a BSN in June 2010, and did everything that all of you have done. After 10 months I started to think that I might have made a mistake and was seriously considering a different career path. I was bored and depressed and decided to find a volunteer position in a hospital. I just did office work, but I met people and within six weeks I got a job on med/surg.
So, my advice is to do volunteer work at a hospital - any volunteer work. It looks great on a resume and gives you access to the people you need to know.
Good luck everyone!!!
Thank you!! That is good advice. I was trying to get into volunteer work at the local clinics but everyone of them is actually booked and they ask for you to try again in August!! I had not thought of hospital volunteer work, so Thank you!! :redbeathe :redpinkhe:heartbeat
A hospital opened 2 years ago in Gilbert, AZ (Phoenix area)- they hired 200 Phillipino RNs on some type of temp visa that I don't understand (they claimed a local shortage, which is a sickening lie), I have heard they are all paid under $20 an hour.
I am an Oregon native, graduated last year, unable to find a job in Oregon except flu clinics and peds home health (very few hours) I made the jump to Vancouver.
I have been there 8 months and just gave them my 2 week notice last Thursday, I saw today that they already have an ad up looking for an RN to take my place.
It is crazy at times, but the have a LTAC/vent wing and a rehab wing, plus LTC so a great place to learn
The jobs are loosing up in OR, as I have been hired for Providence on-call for their LTC pedatrics unnit:yeah:
and I picked up another SNF/LTC position closer to home in Oregon full time, untill I can transition the pedis job into something full time. But I applied to 260 job in the Providence system before they called me to interview me.
The Portland VA has Outpatient Procedure & PACU RN contracts right now. They are giving locals preference however they will also honor a license from ANY state so a bunch of travelers will be applying. Hit me up if you want the company info, I have a buddy working for them now.
It is a sad time for RN's. Just read an article in the Baton Rouge, LA newspaper telling about how glad the local hospitals were that they could pick and choose from a large pool of applicants. In a situation like this you really almost have to know someone to get a job. Or if you knew exaclty what criteria they were using to pick and choose.
What about county clinics, rural clinics, Red cross, blood banks, skin banks. Go into the reserves a flight nurse, See if the office of diasaster planning in your area has a position for you, it may not have the title of nurse. What about working for a congressional leader on healthcare policy. Grant writing. Research labs. How about working for a nursing or healthcare journal.
Use Indeed.com andsort by keyword healthcare and see what comes up
Dpiana,thank you for the reply! I have tried several of those options only to end up spinning my wheels. Most frustrating on government positions as their applications are so long. Have you heard of any success with new grads volunteering at the hospital and then applying as an internal candidate? I have also never heard of a skin banks before so my google searching has expanded!
I am still hoping for a job that actually uses my skills sometime in the future! If you think of anything else let me know!!
NurseWinn....The point is you need to be circulating among the RNs that have jobs...so when something becomes available they think of you. Join NWONE ( and I bet they will let u join at student rate since u do not have a job) This is where the key managers, directors and RNs in portland area come together. Volunteer for a committee....
I would also called NWONE and ask about the Portland Nursing Salon...when is the next get together? This is a relatively new get together for any & all nurses at someones house to discuss nursing issues, etc. ....I would also check the MeetUps in Portland...is there some that are related to healthcare, nursing etc...you need exposure right now. Dallas
Dipana! Thank you for your advice, once you stated it, it seemed so obvious!! I am joining right now as I type and will be searching for the next meet up! I can't thank you enough!! It may not be a job line up but I am sure this will at least put my toes in the water!! Thank you again!
. I can place RN after my name....but....I have no job. 
lilredrn
121 Posts
:bowingpur WOW!
Hopefully the opening of the floodgates will trickle down to the new grads too!