Anyone having trouble getting hired??

Guest1030824 · Apr 4, 2020

I haven’t applied anywhere yet but I did sign up for Illinoishelps.net for local assignments. I haven’t worked in two years thou.

Sour Lemon · Apr 4, 2020

On 4/2/2020 at 6:07 PM, skydancer7 said:
Hello all, I am an RN with 10 years experience, been applying for 2-3 weeks now. I have had one interview, they checked references. A week later, no reply. Talked with HR at two other places, they say they will get back to me....
Are they just so busy and overwhelmed that they can't get their *** together to hire folks? I have never (not since I was a new grad) had such a hard time getting hired! I have even been talking with agencies. 3 out of 4 haven't even followed up.
I have excellent references, tons of experience. Left my last place on good terms. This makes NO *** sense. I took a leave of absence from school to join the covid response, and I am still sitting here on my *** waiting to get to work.
I have to assume HR is just drowning right now...??

From what I've seen, hospitals that are not "covid crowded" yet are very slow. The census in my hospital is way down, and as a per diem employee, I've been canceled for more than half of my shifts over the past six weeks.

People don't want to come to the ER and risk exposure. Nursing homes don't want to send patients if they're able to deal with an issue in house. Even our behavioral health unit has added pages of new and strict medical criteria for clearance and admission.

My hospital did show interest in orienting me to a higher level of care, but I've passed on that for now.

skydancer7, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2020

This makes sense. My area is not covid-flooded yet; we acted early and our curve is a lot flatter than places like NY, so census is VERY low especially for surgeries, and with OR being my specialty, no one wants me right now. I decided to stay in school, finish the quarter, and just work starting in Summer. I am sure nurses will be ready for a vacation around then, so I will swoop in and be like 2nd shift, give them a break ?

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · Apr 6, 2020

I work at a FQHC. I can confirm that, while our RN job ad is still up, we definitely do not have the manpower to interview or hire. HR is working from home (with a skeleton crew at that). Our nurse manager is barely staying afloat with daily work. While do have openings for RNs, they are going to have to wait until the crisis has passed, unfortunately.

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2020

On 4/2/2020 at 7:26 PM, skydancer7 said:
Thank you, that's really good to know and confirms what I was thinking is happening. It's kind of ironic and too bad; when they need help the most, it's hardest to get folks on-boarded. Put me in coach, I'm ready!

"Put me in coach". ha ha. You just dated yourself.? ?

I already have a job, part in a hospital and part in an outpatient clinic, not really bedside tho. I'm just waiting for the day when they call me up and give me a legit patient load in the hospital?, or I get laid off. One of those two things.

allnurses Guide · Apr 6, 2020

On 4/2/2020 at 6:07 PM, skydancer7 said:
Hello all, I am an RN with 10 years experience, been applying for 2-3 weeks now. I have had one interview, they checked references. A week later, no reply. Talked with HR at two other places, they say they will get back to me....
Are they just so busy and overwhelmed that they can't get their *** together to hire folks? I have never (not since I was a new grad) had such a hard time getting hired! I have even been talking with agencies. 3 out of 4 haven't even followed up.
I have excellent references, tons of experience. Left my last place on good terms. This makes NO *** sense. I took a leave of absence from school to join the covid response, and I am still sitting here on my *** waiting to get to work.
I have to assume HR is just drowning right now...??

Have you thought about the RED CROSS?

allnurses Guide · Apr 6, 2020

We don't move fast in the best of times. Now that COVID-19 has hit, nothing is "normal". Expect it to take a while. Possibly a very long while.

zillynurz · Apr 6, 2020

I've got 20 years experience but get ghosted on every single interview. I've come to suspect my age, when I show up I'm typically older than any of the managers. Having been on both ends of the interview process I'm pretty certain I'm not doing anything wrong. That said, this is not the time to hire new workers since the existing work force is nearly out of a job.

thecareerchanger, BSN · Apr 6, 2020

On 4/2/2020 at 9:24 PM, Rose_Queen said:
Not only is HR drowning, in most places they aren't even on the premises and are trying to work from home. Nurse managers, who make the final decisions, have more than enough on their plates. Quite frankly, 2-3 weeks of applying is nothing compared to what others have been through in recent times- and that was even before COVID hit hard.

This. If you are not looking for COVID specific jobs everything else will wait a long time until crisis over or at least dies down.

greener22, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 7, 2020

On 4/2/2020 at 8:07 PM, skydancer7 said:
Hello all, I am an RN with 10 years experience, been applying for 2-3 weeks now. I have had one interview, they checked references. A week later, no reply. Talked with HR at two other places, they say they will get back to me....
Are they just so busy and overwhelmed that they can't get their *** together to hire folks? I have never (not since I was a new grad) had such a hard time getting hired! I have even been talking with agencies. 3 out of 4 haven't even followed up.
I have excellent references, tons of experience. Left my last place on good terms. This makes NO *** sense. I took a leave of absence from school to join the covid response, and I am still sitting here on my *** waiting to get to work.
I have to assume HR is just drowning right now...??

I would go back to school. It often takes at least a month to get a job AFTER having been interviewed. There are usually several applicants to interview and that takes time. Right now, I think many places are on a hiring freeze to keep only trained essential workers going to work. Someone I orientation is not essential.

Wuzzie · Apr 7, 2020

Giant hospital system (7 tertiary facilities, 3 enormous specialty ambulatory centers and multiple satellite facilities) now with every money-making department all but shut down causing a huge drop in revenue is resulting in staff being furloughed and a hiring freeze that will be in place for an indeterminate amount of time. Smaller hospitals are faring much worse. I’m pretty sure this is one true instance of “it’s not you it’s us”.

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2020

Where I work, the orientation classes are cancelled and also, staff is repeatedly either floating to other unit, different from their job description or are called off work.