Atlanta area nurses...I need to vent!!

U.S.A. Georgia

Published

OK...

I graduated in Dec. 2008 with a BSN. I moved from Mississippi to Atlanta around the end of December. I took the NCLEX in April and got my license. It took four months for me to get my ATT. That was nerve wrecking, but anyway I have my license now. I have applied for every residency in the area (Grady, Emory, Dekalb Med, Atlanta Med, Gwinnett Med, Piedmont, Northside, Kennesaw.....& more) I have talked with the recruiters at all of these facilities and they tell me that they don't have many residency positions and they have an abundance of applicants. Most of the facilities only offer residencies twice a year! So if I don't get one this summer (Aug 2009) then I can apply for next Spring 2010. WHAT?!! I don't have a job. I need one badly. I even tried to get a cna job temporarily until I get a residency and I was told I need a cna license. Again, WHAT?!! I tried to get a medical assistant position but when I told them I have a BSN they were not interested because they knew I would leave as soon as I could get a nursing job.

I am so angry and frustrated. During nursing shcool all we heard was "there's a nursing shortage so you guys won't have any problems getting a job." Well, there doesn't seem to be a nurse shortage in the Atlanta area. I was in the clerical field before nursing school. I am tempted to get a clerical job until I can get a residency. But I feel so stupid working as a bank teller or secretary when I have a BSN that I worked very hard to get.

Please talk me down....I am so disillusioned. Was nursing the right choice?

TeeTee

Guess what, A floor manager from Grady called me on Friday May 8. She invited me to an interview on Monday the 11th. I was so excited. The interview went great. Anyway, I just got a call from the human resources department making me an offer for the job. I can't believe it. As soon as I vent and rant....I get a job!!! YAAAAA ME!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Flight Nurse, Pedi CICU, IR, Adult CTICU.

Congrats!...I knew there were jobs out there in Atlanta...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Awesome TeeTee!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.

Great job. My first nursing job was at Grady in the ICU. I loved it there. It is a great place to work. Congrats!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My friends that graduated in december 08 have experience the same things. why don't you check out spalding medical in grifin they do not have a residency and also medical center in macon if you don't mind traveling to the south end.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, telemetry, ER.

Congrats!!

And residency is NOT the only way to get a job as a new grad. I wasn't in Atlanta straight out of school, but I did not go through a residency program to get my first job on a telemetry job. Also, I have worked in an ER here in Atlanta and we had new grads who I don't believe were part of a residency. They did has a seperate training that lasted longer, but I'm pretty sure they were hired just as "New Grads" not a residency.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I understand you had a different experience as I did. However recently it sems that most hospital are requiring residency for all their new grads.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for all the CONGRATS.

Most hospitals in the area require at least one year of experience or you have to do a residency. But Grady does not. I was told that I would have a 6 week preceptor and after that if I didn't feel ready for the floor, I would be sent through a classroom type residency program. I start on June 8th. But most of the other hospitals have residencies only twice a year in Feb. and August. If you don't get into the one in Feb, then you have to wait 6 months for the one in Aug.

The HR sent me a packet and study guide for a pharmacology/dosage cal test. So, I'm studying as we speak, I feel like I'm back in school. You have to pass this test before you can start work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

hi tee tee congrats on your job with grady . i too would love to work for them because i will be coming from a big county hospital like grady. i wanted to know if you would like to contact me because i really need serious help. i bought a house in the metro atlanta area 3 years ago and i have tried everything to look for work in different places in the atl. about two years ago i had a small glitch in my plans and got accepted to nursing school out of state, i took the opportunity and ran with it. so you see i think that i understand you the most when it comes to frustrations. for god sakes i’ve been at this for 3 years and counting. this is an invite to you for help. a fellow new nurse who needs desperately away to find a job, and to finally find a way home. thank you and may god bless you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU, Gyn/Uro Surgical.

All I know is that I graduated last week and there are very few jobs for new grads out there. Yes hospitals are hiring...but only the experienced nurses, if that much. Emory had no positions for new grads except for their NEAT scholars and whoever was already in-house as a tech. Same for Piedmont, same for Northside, same for St. Joes. I was lucky to have a NEAT with Emory and now have the job I wanted. Things are supposed to get better in a few months, but with this economy, all the nurses who quit to have families are coming back because husbands are losing jobs left and right. It is much cheaper for the hospitals to re-orient experienced RNs than to orient new grads and put them through training. All of this is from a recruiters mouth.

Congrats on the job Tee Tee...you are proof that you've gotta keep plugging along until something opens up.

Good luck everyone...back to studying for NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neurovascular, Ortho, Community Health.
Guess what, A floor manager from Grady called me on Friday May 8. She invited me to an interview on Monday the 11th. I was so excited. The interview went great. Anyway, I just got a call from the human resources department making me an offer for the job. I can't believe it. As soon as I vent and rant....I get a job!!! YAAAAA ME!!!

Congrats. I graduated in Aug 08 and moved to ATL @ end of Feb. I work @ Southern Regional, but I tried to get into Grady (shocking I know) b/c they are a disproportionate share hospital (DSH) so you can apply to the feds for loan repayment...you should look into that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If you only became an RN just for the purpose of job security, then yes...nursing was not the right choice for you.

The market has tightened up, but there are jobs in Atlanta...I don't know what to tell you. Is it possible that there is an element to this story that we are not aware of?

I just received a recruitment flyer from Piedmont about a month ago. A bit surprising, but clearly someone is hiring.

Actually I know several nurses who are Piedmont and they are on a freeze as well, more importantly, there are several reasons why people go into nursing and job security could just be one of them. I for one, do not see anything wrong with that and I am sure that is not the sole purpose for becoming a nurse but needing a job is not too much to ask for

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment