Are Jobs So Plentiful?

netglow, ASN, RN · Aug 18, 2010

Then you go to an interview and have a NM pretty much try and talk you out of accepting the job, saying she could never do it, and those kind of hours/type of patients will catch up to you. What's up with that :confused: I bet she was just having a slip of honesty and is very stressed. This is one of the only hospitals who occasionally post NG positions (wonder why... turn-over?) and is a good hour's drive going 70 mph in the next state. The pay is a whole $5 less bringing it to the level of UAP almost in my state.

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2010

Some of you guys just don't seem to recognize what's been going on nation wide for about two years now. The new grads that are on this board talking about getting hired soon after graduation are most likely new grads that were working in their hospital while in nursing school and at the time they graduated. Their foot was already in the door, so to speak. Unfortunately, many of these newly hired new grads/new nurses fall short of mentioning this in their posts on this board, thereby creating confusion for yourself and others. As I have stated before in threads I have started on here dating back many months, and I'll say it again, if you don't already have a position at some capacity in a hospital by the time you graduate, there's a good chance you are going to struggle for a while to get a job. It is imperative that you already be employed at a hospital before you graduate if you expect to have a hospital job after nursing school.

With regards to the one's that are leaving their jobs after a few months, well, they'll probably be in for a surprise, and not necessarily a pleasant one at that.

For all the new nurses that flocked to Texas and Oklahoma in the early to mid part of last year where some hospitals were still taking new nurses at that time, to get that coveted "one year of experience", some of them may be surprised when they come back home and find that they are still not wanted.

Even those of us who did work in a hospital during school are having a hard time finding jobs. The hospital I work in at this time is not hiring any new grads (even those who have worked their butts off as NAs) and have given these same people 4 months to find a new job. It's a scary world out there for new grads. Congrats to all of those who could find a job.

wezzie, RN · Aug 18, 2010

Some of you guys just don’t seem to recognize what’s been going on nation wide for about two years now. The new grads that are on this board talking about getting hired soon after graduation are most likely new grads that were working in their hospital while in nursing school and at the time they graduated. Their foot was already in the door, so to speak. Unfortunately, many of these newly hired new grads/new nurses fall short of mentioning this in their posts on this board, thereby creating confusion for yourself and others. As I have stated before in threads I have started on here dating back many months, and I’ll say it again, if you don’t already have a position at some capacity in a hospital by the time you graduate, there’s a good chance you are going to struggle for a while to get a job. It is imperative that you already be employed at a hospital before you graduate if you expect to have a hospital job after nursing school.
With regards to the one’s that are leaving their jobs after a few months, well, they’ll probably be in for a surprise, and not necessarily a pleasant one at that.
For all the new nurses that flocked to Texas and Oklahoma in the early to mid part of last year where some hospitals were still taking new nurses at that time, to get that coveted “one year of experience”, some of them may be surprised when they come back home and find that they are still not wanted.

I never worked in healthcare prior to graduation in any capacity. I owned a dry cleaning business for 11 years and was a laborer sorting bulk sod staples into retail sized packages for $10 an hour during the summer months while in school.

I do believe it helps tremendously to work at a hospital prior, but it is not imperative. I know people from my class who worked at the hospital I was just hired at as CNA's, PCA's, etc prior and still couldn't get hired on as an RN after graduation. It depends if the unit has room for a new grad or not. I think it helped that I wanted mental health. Not many new grads gravitate towards that specialty area. It was my first choice.

I also got offers from a LTC facility and an offer for OR from another hospital. My buddy who I graduated with accepted the job in OR and is moving to Fargo and starting in September. He mowed lawns during the summer all through school and has never worked in healthcare either. Matter of fact, most of my class didn't, and many have found jobs. Lots moved to other states. Texas, ND, SD, Iowa, and Maryland that I know of. One got a job in an ICU unit at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.. so awesome..

I had an interview in Wyoming set up for their ER, step down neuro, and surgical units. I didn't interview because I accepted an offer that morning, but if I had I think I would have had my choice of any of those units.

So, don't create confusion for new grads here into believing it's utterly hopeless to get into a hospital if you haven't worked there prior, because it's not.

Call recruiters, tailor your resume and cite specific clinical experiences related to the job. Call HR and get names, write a heartfelt cover letter to specific people for specific jobs each and every time. Try to meet as many people as you can in person. Get letters of reference from instructors, preceptors, and past employers. Learn as much about the place you're applying as you can and the people who handle applications.

Do anything you can to stand out from the crowd and don't be afraid to let them know how much you want to work for them and why. Call or email people in education departments who handle new grad residencies even if they say their new grad programs are closed and ask them questions. I did this, and the hospital was not accepting applications for their new grad residencies at this time, I never got a reply back to my email but I got a call a week later and an interview that lead to my job.

One of the people that interviewed me was the person I sent this letter to. She does no hiring but only interviews new grads and advises the department leaders on her thoughts who are considering hiring new grads. I knew that she knew and highly respected my mental health clinical instructor who referred me to her. I had gotten a reference letter from her and asked her if she could give me any advice on who I could contact at the hospital. I also got a letter from another professor, and my Capstone preceptor that I know made a huge difference in my applications being seen. Network as much as you can, don't be afraid to ask for help. Do a bunch of applications then plan 4 or 5 days down the road to spend that time making follow up phone calls.

I didn't worry about keeping my resume to one page either, I had about 2 pages and highlighted specific experiences in mental health I'd encountered in all my rotations. Med/surg, geriatrics, ER, oncology, etc..

For other positions, I did the same thing, only different experiences. I rarely submitted the same resume twice and never sent the same cover letter, unless it was for the exact same position at the exact same hospital/facility.

I posted the unsolicited letter I wrote her here..

Thoughts Please - Nursing for Nurses

I posted the cover letter for the job I eventually got here..

Cover letter for psychiatric nursing job - Nursing for Nurses

I'll post my resume I used for this specific application on this thread after I remove the personal info..

I hope some of this helps somebody out there with some ideas for looking for that first nursing job. It was frustrating and a lot of hard work. If somethings not working, try another approach. I can't say what made the difference for me specifically, but I think it was just all the little things I did all added up to a job offer.. actually, 3 of them, and I'm sure I would have had a 4th if I interviewed in Wyoming. I woulda packed up, moved 1000 miles away, and picked ER, my second choice after mental health. :)

I feel very fortunate, but I must have done something right. Many days it was so depressing getting the computer generated rejection letters, and I often felt like I'd never get an interview let alone a job. But eventually I did get both. Quite a blessing.

I know it's hard, but be flexible, stay positive, and never give up!!!!

wezzie, RN · Aug 18, 2010

Here was the resume I submitted for the job I was offered and accepted. I did it in notebook to fit for formatting on their online application system.

______________________________________________________________

My Name

My Address

My Phone#

My e mail

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OBJECTIVE:

Seeking RN position in mental health setting

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDUCATION/CREDENTIALS:

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING --- MAY 2010

My School

*Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Any State Board of Nursing

*Cumulative GPA 3.75/4.0

ANY STATE REGISTERED NURSE LICENSE, 2010

*BLS certified through American Heart Association, 2009

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 1/2008 - 5/2010

NURSING STUDENT, My School

-Clinical rotations utilizing the nursing process providing safe, competent, holistic, patient centered care

*Maintains patient safety at all times

*Knowledgeable on JCAHO and ANA standards, policies, procedures, patient rights, and ethics

*Positive, supportive attitude

*Excellent skills calming agitated patients

*Demonstrates high level of initiative and professionalism

*Displays excellent communication skills

*Flexible, mature, composed, and adapts easily to change

*Collaborates effectively with multidisciplinary teams

ANY HOSPITAL, Location

-Inpatient Mental Health, Medical/Surgical, Oncology

*Cared for variety of adult patients with multiple DSM-IV diagnosis including Anxiety Disorder NOS, Bipolar Disorder NOS, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, and Depressive Disorder NOS

*Formulated care plans, including assessments, interventions, outcomes and nursing diagnoses

*Administered all medications properly in accordance with 6 patient rights utilizing all routes

*Educated patients and families on disease processes, procedures, and therapeutic regimens

ANY HOSPITAL, Location

-Mental Health, Child/Adolescent Partial and Recovery Plus

*Supervised and played games with children ages 5 – 12 and assisted with activities and meals.

*Developed and initiated teaching project on maintaining boundaries for group of 12 adolescents aged 14 – 17 with chemical dependency issues

*Developed and initiated teaching project on sleep and relaxation techniques for group of 9 adolescents aged 14 – 17

*Assisted with group activities for adolescents aged 14 – 17

*Utilized critical thinking in caring directly and indirectly for all patients aged 5 – 17

ANY HOSPITAL, Location

-Emergent Care, Capstone Practicum, 200 hours

*Cared for 21 year old female with Somatization Disorder, 44 year old female with suicide ideation, and a variety of intoxicated and agitated patients

*Proficient and independent in assessments and cares including urinary catheters, enemas, IV starts, EKG's, bladder scans, dressing changes, wound care, blood, urine, stool, and sputum collection, NG tubes, patient education, documentation, discharges, and medication administration (PO, SL, IV, IVP, SQ, IM)

ANY SENIOR COMMUNITY, Location

-Geriatrics

*Commended by staff for developing effective method to wake 92 year old female patient with Dementia for meals and activities

ANY HEALTH SERVICES, Location

-Public Health

*Utilized skills to independently build therapeutic nurse/client relationship with family concerning issues of drug/alcohol dependency, homelessness, physical/emotional abuse, and child development

*Referred family to proper services for further assistance

ANY COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, Location

-Public Health

*Collaborated with team to develop, implement, and present findings of research survey concerning the need for a community health clinic in Southern Any County, successfully helping to secure grants for implementation

ANY AREA COMMUNITY

-Home Health Care

*Identified mental health issue in patient being treated for venous stasis ulcers and collaborated with multidisciplinary team to facilitate compliance with prescribed anti-psychotic medications for Schizophrenia, Paranoid Type

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WORK EXPERIENCE:

ASSOCIATE: 9/2006 - 6/2010

-Company, Location

*Part time employment while pursuing nursing degree

*Various duties for landscape supply company including packaging, production, and inventory

ENTREPRENEUR: 6/1995 - 9/2006

-Owner/Operator/Manager of any Dry Cleaners, Location

*Established and managed small, customer service based business

*Increased sales year to year

*Provided training and support to employees

*Provided outstanding quality

*Worked over 60/ week, missing only 3 days in 11 years

*Completed successful sale of business, 2006

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES: 2000 - Present

*Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing

*Golden Key Honour Society

*Rapport Leadership Course Graduate

*Nursing Club, School Name

*Fund raising for Susan G. Komen Foundation

*Fund raising for Any Youth Mentoring, Location

*Chosen to participate in cadaver dissection, summer session, 2007 after finishing in top 5% in Anatomy and Physiology course, My School

________________________________________________________________

I hope this helps with ideas..

Most of these clinicals were done at the hospital system I applied to, except the Capstone and Public Health.

Good luck all new grads!!!!!! May you find your calling and a willing employer.. :)

guiltysins · Aug 18, 2010

Here was the resume I submitted for the job I was offered and accepted. I did it in notebook to fit for formatting on their online application system.
______________________________________________________________
My Name
My Address
My Phone#
My e mail
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBJECTIVE:
Seeking RN position in mental health setting
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCATION/CREDENTIALS:
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING --- MAY 2010
My School
*Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Any State Board of Nursing
*Cumulative GPA 3.75/4.0
ANY STATE REGISTERED NURSE LICENSE, 2010
*BLS certified through American Heart Association, 2009
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 1/2008 - 5/2010
NURSING STUDENT, My School
-Clinical rotations utilizing the nursing process providing safe, competent, holistic, patient centered care
*Maintains patient safety at all times
*Knowledgeable on JCAHO and ANA standards, policies, procedures, patient rights, and ethics
*Positive, supportive attitude
*Excellent skills calming agitated patients
*Demonstrates high level of initiative and professionalism
*Displays excellent communication skills
*Flexible, mature, composed, and adapts easily to change
*Collaborates effectively with multidisciplinary teams
ANY HOSPITAL, Location
-Inpatient Mental Health, Medical/Surgical, Oncology
*Cared for variety of adult patients with multiple DSM-IV diagnosis including Anxiety Disorder NOS, Bipolar Disorder NOS, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, and Depressive Disorder NOS
*Formulated care plans, including assessments, interventions, outcomes and nursing diagnoses
*Administered all medications properly in accordance with 6 patient rights utilizing all routes
*Educated patients and families on disease processes, procedures, and therapeutic regimens
ANY HOSPITAL, Loaction
-Mental Health, Child/Adolescent Partial and Recovery Plus
*Supervised and played games with children ages 5 - 12 and assisted with activities and meals.
*Developed and initiated teaching project on maintaining boundaries for group of 12 adolescents aged 14 - 17 with chemical dependency issues
*Developed and initiated teaching project on sleep and relaxation techniques for group of 9 adolescents aged 14 - 17
*Assisted with group activities for adolescents aged 14 - 17
*Utilized critical thinking in caring directly and indirectly for all patients aged 5 - 17
ANY HOSPITAL, Location
-Emergent Care, Capstone Practicum, 200 hours
*Cared for 21 year old female with Somatization Disorder, 44 year old female with suicide ideation, and a variety of intoxicated and agitated patients
*Proficient and independent in assessments and cares including urinary catheters, enemas, IV starts, EKG's, bladder scans, dressing changes, wound care, blood, urine, stool, and sputum collection, NG tubes, patient education, documentation, discharges, and medication administration (PO, SL, IV, IVP, SQ, IM)
ANY SENIOR COMMUNITY, Location
-Geriatrics
*Commended by staff for developing effective method to wake 92 year old female patient with Dementia for meals and activities
ANY HEALTH SERVICES, Location
-Public Health
*Utilized skills to independently build therapeutic nurse/client relationship with family concerning issues of drug/alcohol dependency, homelessness, physical/emotional abuse, and child development
*Referred family to proper services for further assistance
ANY COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, Location
-Public Health
*Collaborated with team to develop, implement, and present findings of research survey concerning the need for a community health clinic in Southern Any County, successfully helping to secure grants for implementation
ANY AREA COMMUNITY
-Home Health Care
*Identified mental health issue in patient being treated for venous stasis ulcers and collaborated with multidisciplinary team to facilitate compliance with prescribed anti-psychotic medications for Schizophrenia, Paranoid Type
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORK EXPERIENCE:
ASSOCIATE: 9/2006 - 6/2010
-Company, Location
*Part time employment while pursuing nursing degree
*Various duties for landscape supply company including packaging, production, and inventory
ENTREPRENEUR: 6/1995 - 9/2006
-Owner/Operator/Manager of any Dry Cleaners, Location
*Established and managed small, customer service based business
*Increased sales year to year
*Provided training and support to employees
*Provided outstanding quality
*Worked over 60/ week, missing only 3 days in 11 years
*Completed successful sale of business, 2006
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES: 2000 - Present
*Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing
*Golden Key Honour Society
*Rapport Leadership Course Graduate
*Nursing Club, School Name
*Fund raising for Susan G. Komen Foundation
*Fund raising for Any Youth Mentoring, Location
*Chosen to participate in cadaver dissection, summer session, 2007 after finishing in top 5% in Anatomy and Physiology course, My School
________________________________________________________________
I hope this helps with ideas..
Most of these clinicals were done at the hospital system I applied to, except the Capstone and Public Health.
Good luck all new grads!!!!!! May you find your calling and a willing employer.. :)

Thanks for posting your resume, it does give me ideas and also read your cover letter which was amazing. I'd offer you a job if I had one LOL. I think it's great that you included your experience from clinicals on your resume and that instead of just listing off general responsibilities of a nursing student you listed specific cases which really made your experiences even that more important. I've always been a little confused because some people on this board have discouraged from listing clinical experiences since it isn't real nursing experience but not every student is exposed to the same practices during clinicals.

FloridaToday · Aug 18, 2010

i do believe it helps tremendously to work at a hospital prior, but it is not imperative. i know people from my class who worked at the hospital i was just hired at as cna's, pca's, etc prior and still couldn't get hired on as an rn after graduation.
so, don't create confusion for new grads here into believing it's utterly hopeless to get into a hospital if you haven't worked there prior, because it's not.

i never said if you were already employed at a hospital that an open position there would be guaranteed upon graduation.

you may want to re-read the following sentence objectively and with particular attention given to the word "expect" and the context by which it is being used:

it is imperative that you already be employed at a hospital before you graduate if you expect to have a hospital job after nursing school.

wezzie, RN · Aug 18, 2010

Thanks for posting your resume, it does give me ideas and also read your cover letter which was amazing. I'd offer you a job if I had one LOL. I think it's great that you included your experience from clinicals on your resume and that instead of just listing off general responsibilities of a nursing student you listed specific cases which really made your experiences even that more important. I've always been a little confused because some people on this board have discouraged from listing clinical experiences since it isn't real nursing experience but not every student is exposed to the same practices during clinicals.

You're very welcome.. and thank you for your kind words.. :)

I think those experiences really helped me stand out as a new grad trying to get into mental health.. and helped to reiterate and support the observation I pointed out in my cover letter that mental health is found everywhere.

Good luck to you guiltysins!!

wezzie, RN · Aug 18, 2010

i never said if you were already employed at a hospital that an open position there would be guaranteed upon graduation.
you may want to re-read the following sentence objectively and with particular attention given to the word “expect” and the context by which it is being used:
it is imperative that you already be employed at a hospital before you graduate if you expect to have a hospital job after nursing school.

i read it and understood it..

imperative = absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable ..

so, you're saying unless you worked there prior, don't expect a job in a hospital. well, then don't, don't even try.. it's imperative that you work there prior and hopeless if you didn't and any new grad saying they got a job in a hospital unfortunately falls short of mentioning that they already had their foot in the door and causes confusion for yourself and others here.

well, it's not absolutely necessary and it's still ok to "expect" to be hired by a hospital. actually, no one should "expect" anyone to hire them in any capacity. i never expected anyone to give me a job anywhere at anytime in my life.. the world owes me nothing.

so, if you want me to pay special attention the the context of a word you used, define it.

i also included that statement in the context of the rest of your post as well..

the new grads that are on this board talking about getting hired soon after graduation are most likely new grads that were working in their hospital while in nursing school and at the time they graduated. their foot was already in the door, so to speak. unfortunately, many of these newly hired new grads/new nurses fall short of mentioning this in their posts on this board, thereby creating confusion for yourself and others.

like i said.. no experience in healthcare at all prior to graduation.. and since i was the only new grad on this thread posting about getting a job in a hospital, i wanted to address your generalizations, sweeping accusations, assumptions, and general negativity to clear up any confusion for yourself and others.

FloridaToday · Aug 18, 2010

i better have the winning lottery numbers in advance the next time i play the lottery so that i can “expect” to win at the moment i purchase my ticket. but until then, i’ll just do like everybody else does and buy a ticket and “hope” that i win. now if you take the aforementioned example and apply it to the topic of my post, you might be able to appreciate the aspect of being employed upon graduation.

you stated: “any new grad saying they got a job in a hospital unfortunately falls short of mentioning that they already had their foot in the door and causes confusion for yourself and others here.”

i did not say nor would i have said “any new grad” as you have stated.

i said: “the new grads that are on this board talking about getting hired soon after graduation are most likely new grads that were working in their hospital while in nursing school and at the time they graduated.” i repeat “most likely”.

i base my statement on numerous posts on this board for nearly two years now from new grads who have said that all there buddies that graduated with them and landed jobs soon after graduation were those who already had jobs during nursing school at the same facilities that hired them as nurses subsequent to nursing school and licensure. after a while (about two years in this case) i recognize the pattern.

regarding the need for me to define words of the english language, i’m not responsible for any misinterpretation on one’s part.

show me where i have assumed anything in my post to this tread.

you seem to be offended by my post and i certainly didn’t mean to offend you or anyone here. as a matter of fact, every thread i have ever started on this board has been in the effort to put the word out about the plight of nurses (particularly new grads/nurses) gaining employment. if you have doubts about that statement, feel free to refer to my profile. so i can appreciate the sensitivity of this issue. i acknowledge your ability to land a job as a nurse with no prior healthcare experience. i never said that couldn't be done. i think you just missed the point.

wezzie, RN · Aug 19, 2010

i better have the winning lottery numbers in advance the next time i play the lottery so that i can “expect” to win at the moment i purchase my ticket. but until then, i’ll just do like everybody else does and buy a ticket and “hope” that i win. now if you take the aforementioned example and apply it to the topic of my post, you might be able to appreciate the aspect of being employed upon graduation.
you stated: “any new grad saying they got a job in a hospital unfortunately falls short of mentioning that they already had their foot in the door and causes confusion for yourself and others here.”
i did not say nor would i have said “any new grad” as you have stated.
i said: “the new grads that are on this board talking about getting hired soon after graduation are most likely new grads that were working in their hospital while in nursing school and at the time they graduated.” i repeat “most likely”.
i base my statement on numerous posts on this board for nearly two years now from new grads who have said that all there buddies that graduated with them and landed jobs soon after graduation were those who already had jobs during nursing school at the same facilities that hired them as nurses subsequent to nursing school and licensure. after a while (about two years in this case) i recognize the pattern.
regarding the need for me to define words of the english language, i’m not responsible for any misinterpretation on one’s part.
show me where i have assumed anything in my post to this tread.
you seem to be offended by my post and i certainly didn’t mean to offend you or anyone here. as a matter of fact, every thread i have ever started on this board has been in the effort to put the word out about the plight of nurses (particularly new grads/nurses) gaining employment. if you have doubts about that statement, feel free to refer to my profile. so i can appreciate the sensitivity of this issue. i acknowledge your ability to land a job as a nurse with no prior healthcare experience. i never said that couldn't be done. i think you just missed the point.

i apologize, sincerely, but yeah, i was offended. like i said, i was the only new grad on this thread posting about getting a job in a hospital. what point did i miss? what did i misinterpret? you hope.. others expect? what new grads are you assuming "expect" to get a hospital job that you need to inform that it's absolutely necessary to have worked in a hospital prior and to beware of new grads who confuse them by failing to mention that they worked there previously when they post that they obtained a job?

unfortunately, many of these newly hired new grads/new nurses fall short of mentioning this in their posts on this board, thereby creating confusion for yourself and others.

looks like an assumption to me.. got any proof of that claim? the new grads unfortunately falling short and the confusion of others? what confusion would that be? hope that they may too find a desirable hospital job as a new grad? but alas.. those many evil newly hired grads cause confusion by failing to mention that they worked there prior when they post on this board.. which is imperative.. right?

imperative = absolutely necessary, required.. so yeah.. you did say it couldn't be done. i'm not responsible for misuse of the english language.

k.. i'm done..