Anyone starting non-hospital jobs in this bad job enviroment?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hi new grads! I, too, am a new grad-disheartened by our job opportunities. I was wanting to know how many new grads are taking rn jobs elsewhere-not in the hospitals??

I think that I might have the opportunity to do private duty nursing-my excitment is overwhelming-I have been looking for a job since december.

I know that many people say to do "a yr in med/surg" before doing anything else. I think that that is very wise advice and that was the goal-however, for many of us, we have to be honest to ourselves and realize that that isn't going to happen.

I, personally, need a job asap-as we are bad off financially. And I know that we didn't have clinicals in private duty and that I have a lot of learning to do ahead of me-but I am grateful and excited for the opportunity just to be considered for employment.

Well, how many more are out there and where are you going, or what are you trying to get into besides hospitals??? Good luck to everyone!!

so how did that work out for ya? I just started at a nursing home and cant stand it because of how grossly understaffed it is.

Are you in LA? If you are count your blessings. I just recently called almost 30 nursing homes and not one was hiring, especially new grads. Anyone else having his problem?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I just graduated from an LPN program a bit more than three weeks ago and just got hired today by a clinic where I spent some time during my school rotations. It was my first interview and I have not even taken the boards yet. They will hire me as an MA at a lower rate until I have my nursing license and then bump me up to an LPN with a nice pay increase. I'll work 8-5, no weekends, no nights, no holidays, the pay is almost as high as in a LTC facility (which I hated in school), they'll pay for my education to become an RN, give me a one-month long internship, and I'll be floating through all clinic floors and get experience in all areas. I feel very lucky to have a job so quickly after reading this thread. Good luck to all of you!

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No I live in Northern Idaho. Here, you pretty much get to tell them when you want to work, so I guess I'm lucky in that aspect. I am interviewing tomorrow for a in home health agency for peds clients....I am going to stay where I am at and only work two days a week and make it work I guess. If I have to work 12 hour days (im only on an 8-hour shift) Then I will to be able to do the things I need to get done in the right way!

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To all the New Grad RN's,

Please don't be disheartened, our profession is a cyclical one. Although many would say it is recession proof it is not, especially when you are new to it & trying to get a foot in the door. Many nurses can attest to the fact that at some point in time they may have experienced this same thing. I did in 1995! At that time also there were some economic issues. I can only speak for New York City as that is where I lived at the time but it was nearly impossible to get a hospital position as a new grad back then. That was actually to my benefit as I always despised Med surg and was only seeking such a position on the advice of Instructors who said to me that you just "CAN'T" be a new graduate and get into the area of specialty that you desire without that 1st year of Med Surg. My program was Rigourous with 3 full 8 hour shifts a week of Med surg, so I feel I got enough med surg experience in my final year. It was a blessing that hospitals were not hiring as I was able to go directly into outpatient OB/GYN as I wanted and it's been a great ride. My outpatient experience after 5 years opened the door to my my last 8 years of Inpatient Antepartum, Postpartum, Newborn Nursery and ultimately NICU experience. To all of those who love Med Surg, do think outside the box to adjust for the state of the economy at this moment in time & seek employment in other unconventional nursing settings. But for those of you who are solely on this inpatient med surg quest because we have been taught that we cannot specialize without it, take a leap of faith and seek out those positions, areas and specialties that you desire. If that does not pan out find the lesser of the evils right now and beleive me "this time too, shall pass". Then before you know it there will be plenty of positions to choose from again. Trust & beleive, I have lived it!! Stay focused, don't give up, don't settle for less than what you are (you are Registered Professional Nurses NOW). Just change or adjust the aproach to the BEGINNING of your new career. This is just that "only the beginning". Good luck to all. :nurse::redbeathe

Your words of encouragement mean so much to me, you have no idea! I will keep on applying and never give up and in the mean time I will take Nursing Jobs and learn the entire way!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am a middle-aged career-changer who was a SAHM for many years with no background in the medical field. Here are some things I did that may have helped land me the job:

- I had my resume and cover letter done by a professional

- For the interview, I wore a very nice, high-quality business suit, had my hair done (set-up, out of my face), wore discreet makeup and looked polished overall. Shoes are important - make sure they are shined and look good from all angles. I even went and had my nails done the day before. First impressions do matter.

- what really impressed the interviewer (she told me this repeatedly) was that I came prepared with several more copies of my resume printed out on high-quality cotton paper, copies of all my credentials, awards, list of references, copies of certificates, etc. She was really blown away by that.

- I contacted my former bosses and made sure they were OK with being a reference for me. Since it had been almost ten years since I last worked there, I made sure to refresh their memory about the tasks that I had performed for them, and all of them enthusiastically agreed to vouch for me. This was probably the deciding factor in getting me hired.

I wish all of you best of luck. At this point, ANY nursing job is better than doing nothing or working in a non-nursing position. If I hadn't gotten this job, I would have tried home health agencies, which I might still do on a very part-time basis to get more hands-on experience on things like trachs, vents, ostomies, etc.

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!! YOUR TIME WILL COME!!! THIS TOO SHALL PASS

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I've started looking for jobs since late July, haven't had one yet. I thought it happens to me only but there are a lot of new grads out there that haven't been hired yet. That makes me feel better. I've applied for many places and faced the same "New grad" problem. The last place I've applied was the LTC. I called the HR this afternoon and was yelled at "I hate to tell people what I'm doing with their application. Quack quack...bye". OMG, I can't imagine how bad new nurses are treated in the resession!

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call suttonpark nursing and rehab ask for julie they are hiring new grads.http://www.suttonpark.com

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Administering flu shots during this year's flu season. . . it's a nice gig with flexible hours and good pay. .

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Administering flu shots during this year's flu season. . . it's a nice gig with flexible hours and good pay. .

Do you know where I can apply?

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I am starting at one of the prisons. DON is starting me in the infirmary, where he plans to keep me after graduation.

Working PRN hours at a nursing home I have been at for 2 years, may also pick up some home health after graduation too....

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Do you know where I can apply?

CVS MinuteClinic & Mollen

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I work at a detox facility AKA "the drunk tank." I'm an LPN now, but they'll keep me on and pay me more when I'm an RN. Interesting job, great experience in the mental health department, and psychosocial nursing. Also, LPNs and RNs are being hired on at the plasma centers near my house. Think outside the box. Oh, and for LTC I did it for a year, great place to get some experience with shots, catheters, dressing changes etc. I'm just not one for the non-stop med passing.

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