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I've been a nurse for 4 years and have not worked in the hospital setting but am trying to get back in so I've been applying for positions like internships and positions at certain hospitals that are listed as having no experience required. Then I'm getting rejection notifications saying that my background and experience don't meet any positions they have available. What does that even mean?! I spent hours last night filling out 13 different applications for positions and in one email they dismissed me.
So disillusioned and frustrated. How can I apply for an internship and be rejected based on lack of experience?!
I'm confused about the response to my 'attitude' and 'sense of entitlement'. FWIW I HAVE applied to positions in offices and other areas. I'm not comfortable working in home health because I have no experience and would be out there on my own with no immediate help. I have looked at prison positions previously but never saw any that didn't require experience. The one area I didn't want to work in was LTC and when we were in nursing school we were told that if we didn't want to work somewhere then we shouldn't because it affects your whole life. I guess I believed them when they made it sound like having a nursing degree actually meant something and that we would be able to get a job with it (a job we actually want). I didn't get into nursing to work in an LTC where you are understaffed and overworked. If I had to do it with the promise of moving on I would. FWIW I've looked at LTC facilities here and they also require 1 year of experience. I checked again last night and did not find a single RN position that didn't require experience. I never thought of school nursing but I could look into that though I don't think the hospital will see that as relevant experience either.There's nothing wrong with knowing where I want to work and where I don't. It seems ridiculous to judge someone for that and say they aren't cut out to be a nurse because they don't want to work in LTC. I made a huge mistake believing that having an RN degree 'guarantees' you'll always have a job. If I'd known this and it had been at all possible I would have never taken a break between graduating and now.
If I work in an LTC it will lower the time I can spend on school. It's worth it to give up that time if I'm working in the field I want to but giving up valuable time on my BSN to work in a job I don't want with no promise it will help me get where I want doesn't sound like an automatic 'yes'. But I guess it's pointless to work on my BSN thinking it will make me a more attractive candidate it they are still going to throw out my app because I don't have hospital based experience.
You didn't research nursing education and job availability. Whose fault is that? FWIW, hospital nurses are often understaffed and overworked. You must not want it very much. Most people are willing to suck it up for a while if it means reaching their goal. That's why people think you sound entitled.
So which is it? Only applied to acute care hospital jobs, or have applied to anything and everything (with the exception of HH or LTC)? Because I see you saying two different things here.
In the past I applied to office positions despite the fact that I wanted to work in the hospital. I thought it would help me gain experience to earn a hospital job but after seeing so many applications and talking to other nurses my understanding was that the experience wouldn't count towards 'hospital experience' anyway. My life circumstances at the time were such that staying home with my SN child was a high priority, so if something wasn't going to count towards what I wanted to do later, and make a decent income, then it wasn't necessary. I didn't understand at the time that the market was becoming so saturated that any job would be fiercely competitive. I didn't start from a position of 'I'm too good for this'. I'm doing the best I can with my life circumstances and trying to make the best decisions possible.
I haven't applied to office positions recently because the pay would not be enough to cover childcare costs for my kids now. I would be losing money on that salary. It might be worth it if it moved me closer to my goal but my understanding was always that once you worked in an office you were sort of written off for hospital positions. So I'd be losing money or barely breaking even and getting nowhere.
I understand now that I don't have much of a chance at all of ending up in the hospital. I can ensure you I'm not self entitled at all. I'm just having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I chose a degree in a field partially because everyone talked about how there will always be jobs, etc. and that's not entirely the case. I didn't realize I needed to work while going to school and working for my degree so I could get a job in an office, so I could maybe get a job in an LTC so that maybe I could keep working on my BSN, so that maybe one day, maybe, a hospital would hire me. I had no idea how competitive it is.
You didn't research nursing education and job availability. Whose fault is that? FWIW, hospital nurses are often understaffed and overworked. You must not want it very much. Most people are willing to suck it up for a while if it means reaching their goal. That's why people think you sound entitled.
When I was in nursing school there were tons of interships and positions available here. Now, as verified by many people in the work place that I've talked to, there is only a small percentage of that available now and they go to people with the most experience. The job market has changed dramatically in the years I was absent.
And yes, I was incredibly naive to believe all of my instructors and the other nurses who told me about job availability.
Everyone keeps telling me to suck it up to reach my goal but my point is that DOES WORKING IN AN OFFICE OR LTC ACTUALLY IT INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN A HOSPITAL? Everything I've seen around here says probably not so I had spent time trying to focus my effort in an avenue that would lead me in the direction I actually wanted to go.
Do not presume to know how much I do or do not want this.
It sure is difficult times for nurses to get nursing jobs these days. I remember the "good old days". I remember my "hospital interview" when I was hired for an LPN job at the hospital. I remember the interviewer being very impressed when I told her I had been working in a nursing home for one year. She said that the nursing home was good experience. I remember the "good old days" when I would walk into a nursing home and tell them at the interview what shift I wanted to work and what days off I wanted to have. They would always say "That's fine. Can you start tomorrow?". Those were the "good old days" when we really did have an actual "nursing shortage".
I really feel sorry for the new nursing grads of today. It must be terribly frustrating. I just wanted to say that at the local nursing homes in my area that they always say in their ads "Must have one year of nursing experience". However, the reality is that they have hired several "new grad nurses who have had no prior nursing experience". I just wanted to suggest that they apply to jobs even when the ad says "Must have one year of nursing experience."
When I was in nursing school there were tons of interships and positions available here. Now, as verified by many people in the work place that I've talked to, there is only a small percentage of that available now and they go to people with the most experience. The job market has changed dramatically in the years I was absent.And yes, I was incredibly naive to believe all of my instructors and the other nurses who told me about job availability.
Everyone keeps telling me to suck it up to reach my goal but my point is that DOES WORKING IN AN OFFICE OR LTC ACTUALLY IT INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN A HOSPITAL? Everything I've seen around here says probably not so I had spent time trying to focus my effort in an avenue that would lead me in the direction I actually wanted to go.
Do not presume to know how much I do or do not want this.
In some areas it will help to have had ltc experience in others it will not or will hurt your chances. pet people say what they want but that is the truth. it depends on the region, facility, hiring manager etcs. either apply to hospitals in other areas or in ltc you may meet someone who works at a hospital or has some sort of connection. buddy up to people . no connection is too small....... some hospitals have an endless supply of acute care experienced applicants and new grads.
When I got my ADN in 2008, area hospitals would only hire BSNs, and even nursing homes wanted experience. I didn't want to work in LTC, but I applied anyway because I had no other options. After 1 cancelled SNF job, a bad-to-mediocre year at an ALF, and 6 nightmare weeks in Nursing Home Hell, I was ready to throw my nursing license in a drawer and let it expire. I was fortunate to find my home health job, but hospitals in my area only consider hospital experience. Unless I move, I'm no closer to a hospital job than I was the day I passed the NCLEX.
If the OP doesn't want to work at a SNF, she shouldn't feel bad about not applying at SNFs. I will sell my body on the street before I work in another SNF.
Within two months of my year mark as an RN in sub-acute rehab on a long term vent unit and a skilled rehab unit (same floor/staff floated to and fro) I was hired onto a med/surg and ortho floor at a magnet teaching hospital. After one year of that I transferred within to critical care, where I am coming up on my one year mark. Prior to RN I was an LPN for two years in a clinic setting and LTC, and before that I was a CNA. It can be done.
When I was in nursing school there were tons of interships and positions available here. Now, as verified by many people in the work place that I've talked to, there is only a small percentage of that available now and they go to people with the most experience. The job market has changed dramatically in the years I was absent.And yes, I was incredibly naive to believe all of my instructors and the other nurses who told me about job availability.
Everyone keeps telling me to suck it up to reach my goal but my point is that DOES WORKING IN AN OFFICE OR LTC ACTUALLY IT INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN A HOSPITAL? Everything I've seen around here says probably not so I had spent time trying to focus my effort in an avenue that would lead me in the direction I actually wanted to go.
Do not presume to know how much I do or do not want this.
Yes, accepting a position in LTC or ambulatory care will increase your chances of getting a hospital job someday.
Apart from everything else, it'll look better than having no nursing experience whatsoever.
DOES WORKING IN AN OFFICE OR LTC ACTUALLY IT INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB IN A HOSPITAL? Everything I've seen around here says probably not so I had spent time trying to focus my effort in an avenue that would lead me in the direction I actually wanted to go.
Job as a nurse in a doctors office, clinic or LTC facility = RN pay + RN experience
Remaining unemployed while waiting for hospitals to call = Zero pay + Zero experience
I had four years of LTC experience as an LPN/LVN when I earned my RN license three years ago. I received two job offers from two different acute care hospitals, both of them in med/surg oncology, but rejected them for personal reasons.
My point is that some nurse managers and HR staff do see some value in LTC experience. It sure beats remaining jobless and turning into a stale new grad.
It is ridiculous as them saying "You need experience to get experience." Very frustrating!! I have been applying not just to hospitals but clinics, health departments, etc. You cannot limit yourself in today's economy. Just to get a foot in the door will be worth it. Besides, hospitals just burn nurses out so quickly with crazy nurse to patient ratios, lack of help. I worked hard for my license and by george I am going to KEEP it. Apply in all areas of nursing
nurseprnRN, BSN, RN
1 Article; 5,116 Posts
This may be beating a dead horse and/or restating the obvious, but just because they say no experience is required doesn't mean they wouldn't take it preferentially if offered...so perhaps it would behoove you to actually, like, get some.