Advice from a sad new grad

[Lamjammcgee]

I Graduated from Pasadena with an ADN, my first mistake. Most of the new grad jobs being offered are to BSN's. Also, apply for ANY job you can that is in a hospital (if that is where you would like to work) and make time to volunteer. I felt i needed to spend every moment when i wasn't in school with my eyes on a book, looking at videos, practicing skills or anything else nursing related that i thought would make me a better nurse in the end, and it all served little purpose. So what if i passed NCLEX in 75, can't find a job

and I'm pretty sure I'm showing all the signs of depression.

Balance thats the key, Eye on the prize and look at the bigger picture.

[auralae]

Here in MO, they are telling us up front to get our BSN. The two hospitals in my town are sending their veteran nurses back to obtain the BSN as well, so even though I wasn't planning on it up front, I am now dually enrolled so I can knock some of it out while in the program.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

It's odd how every state is different. Here in Ky all of the people I knew who were fixing to graduate a ADN program had jobs BEFORE graduation.

Same here in my area of SE NC. I had a job in my first choice CVICU 2 months before graduating from my ADN program May 2013. Most of my classmates also had job offers before graduation, and all but 2 are employed now.

I start my RN to BSN in August, as does 80% of my other classmates. We know sons my around the country are struggling to find work as new grad RNs, we're thankful the situation is not that dire here yet, but the pressure to continue on to get a BSN or higher is still high.