RN New Graduate Challenges - 2011

U.S.A. California

Published

Hello Everyone,

I am a recent graduate from the Los Angeles County College of Nursing (December 2010), and wanted any information from other new grads on the challenging, and frustrating job search. I am also an EMT/Paramedic with 11 years of pre-hosptial clinical experience as an EMT and then Paramedic. I also have experience as a transfer coordinator for the County of Los Angeles, where I have been employed for the last six years.

Yet despite all of my experience and abilities I have only obtained one interview for over 100 applications. I never thought that the job market would be this way, I thought their was a nursing shortage. It amazes me that everyone is asking for 1-2 years of nursing experience yet nobody wants to hire new grads. How do they think these new grads are going to get the experience if nobody is hiring them?

I know there are new grad programs, however these programs are few in number and typically flooded with applicants (ex. UC San Diego 2011 New Grad Program - 14 positions, 2600+ applicants). I don't know what the future will hold, I am honestly frustrated with my dillema, but I know I am not the only one.

Nonetheless I continue my job search, 2-3 applications a day, sometimes more, but I must continue. I am glad that I currently have a great job, I just want to begin my career as an RN and obtain the experience that I need to make me a clinically competent nurse.

Good Luck to you all, hopefully others will share their stories or words of advice.

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I came to the realization it would not be an easier market for someone with medical experience to get a new grad job during my clinicals. I asked my preceptor if being an LVN for eight years will increase my chances of getting a new grad position at her hospital. She told me it is less likely as a LVN you will get offered a position. She also told me they prefer to work with new nurses because they like to mold new grads into the nurses they want to be. I was in a clinical group with 7 other LVN's and they all got the same story from their preceptors. Finally, some of my fellow LVN/students went to the hospital's recruiter to ask if it was true, and she told them it was. My clinicals the next semester was in a different hospital owned by the same company. My new preceptors told me the same story as the previous preceptor.

Also, one of my LVN to RN friends was being interviewed for a new grad position at a hospital he worked at for seven years. One of the questions the new grad recruiter asked him," we usually dont like to hire LVN to RN's because LVN's have a know it all attitude, how will your attitude be different?"

After graduation, the only LVN's I know who got hospital new grad positions were currently working in that hospital. Every other LVN to RN I know who graduated with me in 2010 still has not gotten a new grad hospital job, not even a interview for a hospital job.

What did surprise me is seven inexperienced new grads ( most in their early 20's) from our class got jobs as new grads in hospitals. Hospitals that us LVN to RN's applied for and didnt even get an interview. I don't know if it because we are older or less malleable in their eyes, but we were taken a back.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I came to the realization it would not be an easier market for someone with medical experience to get a new grad job during my clinicals. I asked my preceptor if being an LVN for eight years will increase my chances of getting a new grad position at her hospital. She told me it is less likely as a LVN you will get offered a position. She also told me they prefer to work with new nurses because they like to mold new grads into the nurses they want to be. I was in a clinical group with 7 other LVN's and they all got the same story from their preceptors. Finally, some of my fellow LVN/students went to the hospital's recruiter to ask if it was true, and she told them it was. My clinicals the next semester was in a different hospital owned by the same company. My new preceptors told me the same story as the previous preceptor.

Also, one of my LVN to RN friends was being interviewed for a new grad position at a hospital he worked at for seven years. One of the questions the new grad recruiter asked him," we usually dont like to hire LVN to RN's because LVN's have a know it all attitude, how will your attitude be different?"

After graduation, the only LVN's I know who got hospital new grad positions were currently working in that hospital. Every other LVN to RN I know who graduated with me in 2010 still has not gotten a new grad hospital job, not even a interview for a hospital job.

What did surprise me is seven inexperienced new grads ( most in their early 20's) from our class got jobs as new grads in hospitals. Hospitals that us LVN to RN's applied for and didnt even get an interview. I don't know if it because we are older or less malleable in their eyes, but we were taken a back.

maybe u can try other facilities like acute care/LTCs/hospice/home care because they are not that choosy...besides even u don't have RN experience you can use ur LVN experience on those facilities

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I graduated in 2007 with a ADN and worked for 8 months, had to quit to stay home raise two little kids, meanwhile I continue for my BSN. Now I graduate, but I was told that I have less than one year experience to qualify for a non newgrad Rn position. And when I apply for newgrad, they want RN with NO experience. I feel really bad...was hoping to get a job with my experience and other license as RT. Only few years, I feel like I have been totally left out by the world.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/ Tele/ DOU.

Maybe don't put your 8 months of experience on your resume.

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That's what husband advised...I first would not consider because I hate to lie...but now if I have to...

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Update: Persistence and patientce are two keys to success, I just got hired as an RN in the emergency department for a local hospital in my area. It has been a long road to begin a new journey, but it started with a dream, a goal. I wish all of you success in your paths to career placement. Do not quit or give up, just remember to always be hopeful, always be persistent and always believe. It may not happen in a month or two, but eventually you will be at a interview and then next thing you know you will be in HR filling out paperwork. Keep your heads high and know that anything is possible through prayer and belief.

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Update: Persistence and patientce are two keys to success, I just got hired as an RN in the emergency department for a local hospital in my area. It has been a long road to begin a new journey, but it started with a dream, a goal. I wish all of you success in your paths to career placement. Do not quit or give up, just remember to always be hopeful, always be persistent and always believe. It may not happen in a month or two, but eventually you will be at a interview and then next thing you know you will be in HR filling out paperwork. Keep your heads high and know that anything is possible through prayer and belief.

Congratulations! I'm in the new grad boat that applies to several job a day but alway seeing the same ones... and out of ??? Apps only 3 interviews and countless rejections. I'm hoping to soon be employed as an RN or I guess I'll be applying for jobs outside the medical field

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Congrats on getting a job. As for the medical experience as an LVN being a negative I disagree. Most places like the previous medical experience in fact a job I interviewed at they told me I wasnt accepted because I had no exp. Being an EMT, paramedic or LVN etc is helpful the ones I know who I graduated with at least got interviews and most jobs.

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Hang in there! It took me a whole year to land my first nursing job after I graduated with my BSN. It took some of my classmates longer! Trust me, it was a very frustrating experience. From what I remember, people with CNA experience or connections to nurse managers got jobs first. A few classmates started volunteering at hospitals and got jobs that way. Even with connections, I wasn't able to get a job. Took a lot of persistence and hope. I went on 6 or 7 interviews and I believe most of those positions already had someone in mind and were just entertaining other applicants as a technicality. I finally got my job from a friend's referral to her manager. Honestly, it really comes down to who you know. My manager hired over 15 new grads as a group at the time. All of us had some kind of connection to the hospital.

Don't give up, don't lose hope!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I'm so glad I found this conversation. I've been losing my mind applying for positions while watching my classmates get picked up left and right. It's been a rough 10 months of applying, interviewing and getting rejections. I hope what people are saying about being older isn't true. I am in my 30's with a previous career related to the medical field and feel like my resume is opening up doors only to be shut after I interview. Then I tried following the networking route by going to a manager of a friend. My faith is being tested to the max with this job hunting situation.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I'm so glad I found this conversation. I've been losing my mind applying for positions while watching my classmates get picked up left and right. It's been a rough 10 months of applying, interviewing and getting rejections. I hope what people are saying about being older isn't true. I am in my 30's with a previous career related to the medical field and feel like my resume is opening up doors only to be shut after I interview. Then I tried following the networking route by going to a manager of a friend. My faith is being tested to the max with this job hunting situation.

i am sorry for what u are going through right now, i can relate to you... it's been 6months since my RN license and not job yet, few interview and lots and lots of job application... i am in california, in LA area... i decided to relocate to washington... i hope i can find my job there.... it's really hard... been through depressing moments, hopeful moments...i just hope and pray my time will come to finally land a job...

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