Finding a Job as New Grad in PA

U.S.A. Pennsylvania

Published

Hi, everyone.

My husband graduated from his associates degree program in nursing in May. He passed the NCLEX shortly afterwards, and has since been job searching. Because I do not work due to health issues, I have been trying to help him job search to the best of my ability.

We live outside of Philadelphia, and the prospects seem bleak in this area, even though my husband currently works at the local hospital as a patient safety advocate, has references from doctors, and worked in a doctors office for several years. I guess none of that is guaranteed to help land that coveted first RN job, huh?

Basically, we just don't know what to do. We knew it would be tough for him to get a hospital job here, but what stunned us is that every single posting we have found in the Philly area for a rehab center or hospice requires experience. He has been applying to jobs everywhere in PA at this point. I found out about critical access hospitals, and thought maybe he would have an easier time getting a job at a hospital like that?

If you have any general advice or pointers about promising areas to look in Pennsylvania, I would be much obliged. We just got married in June, and given my health issues, having my husband struggling to find any FT nursing job is terrifying. The bills are piling up, we have to decide if we want to renew our lease, and the bank account is dwindling...

Thanks so much

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Moving to the Pennsylvania forum for more targeted responses. Best of luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

3 months is not a very long time. I know people from my associate's program who still do not have jobs and I graduated in May 2012! I know it is frustrating and scary. But, he has to keep on applying, applying, applying. I know a couple nursing homes in the area where I received calls back from (but did not get the job) - I can message you the facilities. I would recommend he look into working towards his bachelor's degree - if that is possible. Most hospitals require a BSN now. It's not impossible to get a hospital job without the degree, but it is very difficult. He might also want to check into getting a license in a neighboring state - such as Delaware. I do have a Delaware license, as well, and finally received a call back from a nursing home there just as I was traveling across country to a nursing job out west! =p!

Has he tried Reading Hospital? I have applied there quite a number of times, with no luck. But, I know a couple new grads who were able to land jobs there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for your response. He very recently applied to Reading Hospital. He is planning on getting his BSN very soon- he had applied to the RN to BSN program at West Chester but did not get in for the fall. (We heard the program is in very high demand and doesn't have nearly enough spots for all the qualified applicants!) He is considering applying again there or doing it online.

Today he got a call from a local nursing home, and has an interview this weekend. Of course this is great news, but online I saw the company has a bad reputation amongst employees. I hope he has a good impression- maybe it really depends on the location. What would you consider to be the norm salary for a new grad rn working at a nursing home outside Philly? We live in a fairly expensive Main Line type town, if that makes a difference.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

quite a few RN's from the Philly area come up here to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the coveted "year of experience"...there are plenty of hospitals and nursing homes around here - more than half my class had jobs before graduation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ortho/Spine, Telemetry, SNF/Rehab.

Im in the Philly area as well and graduated with my BSN in December. New nurse with no nursing experience but 13 yrs as a Medical Assistant. It was extremely difficult and frustrating to find a job, but I was hired in May at a Rehab/Skilled Nursing/LTC facility. It can be done. Most of the nurses I work with are LPNs and the RNs do not have their BSN, It's a great place to start and get the experience I need to get into a hospital eventually. Those places will definitely hire an RN without the BSN. In fact, I don't think the BSN is an issue at all at the place I was hired. Good luck, trust me when I say I feel your frustration!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

It can be difficult to get into West Chester's program. That is where I did my RN-to-BSN. Make sure that he applies on time for the Spring semester. Good luck to him on his interview!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thanks for your response. He very recently applied to Reading Hospital. He is planning on getting his BSN very soon- he had applied to the RN to BSN program at West Chester but did not get in for the fall. (We heard the program is in very high demand and doesn't have nearly enough spots for all the qualified applicants!) He is considering applying again there or doing it online.

Today he got a call from a local nursing home, and has an interview this weekend. Of course this is great news, but online I saw the company has a bad reputation amongst employees. I hope he has a good impression- maybe it really depends on the location. What would you consider to be the norm salary for a new grad rn working at a nursing home outside Philly? We live in a fairly expensive Main Line type town, if that makes a difference.

There are plenty of alternatives to the WCU RN to BSN program and many of them will not cost any more. Some of the on-line programs I'm aware of are Slippery Rock State (PA), Thomas Edison (NJ), U Texas-Arlingtion, U Wyoming and Ohio U. All of these programs are CCNE and regionally accredited and all should be under $10k.

After getting my AAS at DCCC, I did the RN-BSN program on-line at OU. The cost was quite modest - less than $7,500. Granted, my case was a bit different because I had already a non-nursing BA and MBA but even if I had to complete more courses, the cost would have been well under $10k. I would definitely urge your spouse to consider schools other than West Chester. Just be aware that even having a BSN may not be enough to land a hospital nursing job in the area. There are more than 2,000 new grads from the 25 or so nursing programs in the area who pass the NCLEX each year. Unfortunately, nursing job growth over the past years has barely averaged 200. Of course, some nurses retire or move, so there are more nursing jobs (and nurses hired) than 200 but nowhere near the 2,000 needed to have all grads employed in nursing.

With that in mind, I would also urge your husband to take the nursing home job, almost regardless of salary (and it is likely to be quite low). As noted, the job market for new nursing grads in the immediate Phila area is quite dismal. When I completed the DCCC program in 2010, very few of my classmates found work in hospitals (primarily those who were working as PCTs or CNA - their hospitals tended to pick them up as RNs once they passed the NCLEX). Most went to nursing homes or other non-hospital settings though. The situation has not improved very much since then and quite a few of my classmates, myself included, do not work as RNs. A nursing home job may be less than ideal, but at least it keeps you involved in health care and can be a springboard to other nursing positions.

Best of luck to you and your spouse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

Pennsylvania is a tough market for new grads. I am in the Lehigh valley area and many flock this way because Philly don't have jobs for new grads. They come get experience and then leave. We are starting to see softening of the census so now positions are on hold. So not sure if it will get better anytime soon. I know NJ has the same issue. Take whatever your husband can get, get the BSN. Build experience and then look. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a new grad with a BSN and lmccrn62 is right - it is difficult. Add in the fact that a few of the local area hospitals are on a hiring freeze and it makes the availabilities even tighter. A few people are applying to Geisenger and getting offers but that is just too far for me. Best of luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Try the rural areas of central and NW PA, someplace that doesn't have a lot of colleges and universities cranking out RNs. The rural hospitals like UPMC Greenville and Sharon Regional still hire LPNs because they have trouble recruiting and retaining RNs. The populated areas like Pittsburgh are only hiring BS RN just because the cities with the degree programs provide a glut of new grads. But the rural areas have a vo-tech LPN program and probably no nearby RN schools. They still hire diploma RN and associate degree RN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment