I pased my NCLEX in October and it's been a month of applying to different nursing positions but no luck. Not even a rejection, nothing. Radio silence.
On top of that, I went to a job fair and got hired on spot. HR said they would give me a call the following week, but that never happened. They are ignoring my calls and emails for three weeks now. One time I spoke with someone on the phone I was told to be patient (the person was very rude and seemed annoyed).
Anyway, I applied at the hospital were I did my role transition and my preceptor said he would be glad to give me a references when I need it. So, I was thinking of calling him at work (i dont have any other contact info) but not sure if that is a good idea. I am not even sure what to ask or tell him.
I graduated magna cum laude, passed NCLEX in 75 questions but it means absolutely nothing if I don't have connections. I am just so confused, frustrated and desperate.
You do need to be patient. Historically, my experience with HR, in any form, has been a nightmare.
Example. NGR at a major trauma 1 on the eats coast. You apply prior to graduation, or you get kicked back almost a year if you really want into residency there. Applications open dec1 of your final year. You have to have everything put together and ready to hit SUBMIT within several hours of application opening, because there are hundreds and hundreds of applicants just like you, with the same or better qualifications, who can write better essays as to why they should be chosen over you....and if you are not within the first 50 applications, you are most likely not getting an interview.......THE FOLLOWING APRIL. If you are chosen, your cohort begins in june or july.
7 MONTHS after you initially hit submit on your application to them.
And, this is if you graduate and pass NCLEX. So, local students are competing nationwide. Do you believe that the only nursing applicants are from your town? Sorry. Nope. There are hundreds upon hundreds of applicants.
See all the places this can go off the rails? Holidays are notoriously slow. Those in HR are actual people...they do go on vacation. The office isnt a nursing unit...they are not required to work holidays usually.
The nursing home job....be aware of the workload. Be aware of the limited precepting, because of the lack of personnel. VERY different than a hospital. I have also seen some bias against nurses who want to do acute care, being overlooked because of their only experiencebeing in LTC. Not saying its fair. Just saying i have seen it.
Loans can be deferred.
I honestly would cool your heels and be grateful at this point that you are on their radar. I have seen people go in and ask to speak to the nurse manager of the unit they want. It has worked for some i know. Remember....these people are extremely busy. Ambition and assertiveness can work against you, particularly if you come across as entitled because of your passing nclex in 75 (so did a lot of us, including me) and getting good grades. There are crap nurses out there who were top of the class.
Even as an experienced nurse, it took 3 months from initial application to day one orientation for my most recent job. I do hear a bit of suspicion in your tone...that someone said something negative about you (fellow grad got hired the next mondy and you didn't) is there something you are leaving out? Some reason that perhaps your personality may not be a good fit or someone thinks negwtively of you?
Nursing units are more about FIT than they are about academic achievement. The impatience you are exhibiting is....really uncalled for in nursing. This is the hiring process. This is not mcdonalds. Credentialing along can drag on....and.....that is IF you get your resume in front of the decision maker. Have you had an INTERVIEW WITH THE UNIT MANAGER? If not....HR can say anything they like.....you are NOT hired until you interview with the person who wants you in their unit.
Last year I passed my nclex in the beginning of July and didn't get a job until November. I was trying in hospitals around me and reached out to my preceptor as well with no luck. Eventually I applied to subacute/skilled nursing facilities and literally got called the same day or within the day of applying to multiple different places. It may not be ideal and skilled nursing facilities are hard places to work but I worked there for six months, got a lot of experience and now I've been in the hospital setting since June. SNF are always hiring because they are so short staffed. I would try that direction. good luck!
From what you've described, it sounds more like bad timing as much as anything; combination of the holidays, staff turnover, & just being in the wrong position in the hiring queue. In my case, dean's list throughout nursing school & passing NCLEX-PN in 85 questions didn't make all that much difference; working the floor as a CNA did, though. Took me about a month to get my first gig, currently on my 2nd nursing position, working in an LTC/SNF as a charge nurse; if you opt for that route, check to see what kind of rating the facility has (Medicare has a 'nursing home compare' function on their website) & stay away from anything less than a 4 star rating. Been there, done that. Best of luck, and welcome to the wild & wacky world of healthcare.
I passed NCLEX October 2016 and finally got my first job in March of 2017. I had put in at least 100 applications, done several phone interviews but no in-person. It takes a long time. To be honest I lowered my goal position quite a bit just to get working, but once I had some experience I became a lot more marketable.
Congrats OP! I am a new grad as well and passed my NCLEX in October. Last week I was offered p/t day med/surg at the hospital I currently work at (I am currently a PRN unit secretary there) and I still not even sure when I start (I have to wait until my "transfer" is processed before I can start orientation). The process for getting that initial job is slow, even with "connections." Many of the students I know that graduated from my program last year got jobs up to 6 months after passing NCLEX so its still early for you. It's also very competitive out there, especially for new grads so you should be persistent but patient. I have literally been on 4 different interviews since I graduated (2 at my hospital) and this was the only offer I received so I jumped on it, not to mentioned my transition would be slightly easier since I already work at the hospital. Also like someone said, hiring managers look to see if there is a fit with the unit and/or climate. Good grades are great but unless you are applying to a residency program they are not that important and honestly not one manager asked me (I also did my NCLEX in 75 questions and no one asked me that either!). Keep hustling and best of luck!
Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
I would make sure my resume and cover letter are perfect, then I would call the manager of where I put my applications out. Then you can also try to network if you know anyone who works where you want to work. If you're not getting any luck with that, consider applying out of state.
HomeBound
256 Posts
You do need to be patient. Historically, my experience with HR, in any form, has been a nightmare.
Example. NGR at a major trauma 1 on the eats coast. You apply prior to graduation, or you get kicked back almost a year if you really want into residency there. Applications open dec1 of your final year. You have to have everything put together and ready to hit SUBMIT within several hours of application opening, because there are hundreds and hundreds of applicants just like you, with the same or better qualifications, who can write better essays as to why they should be chosen over you....and if you are not within the first 50 applications, you are most likely not getting an interview.......THE FOLLOWING APRIL. If you are chosen, your cohort begins in june or july.
7 MONTHS after you initially hit submit on your application to them.
And, this is if you graduate and pass NCLEX. So, local students are competing nationwide. Do you believe that the only nursing applicants are from your town? Sorry. Nope. There are hundreds upon hundreds of applicants.
See all the places this can go off the rails? Holidays are notoriously slow. Those in HR are actual people...they do go on vacation. The office isnt a nursing unit...they are not required to work holidays usually.
The nursing home job....be aware of the workload. Be aware of the limited precepting, because of the lack of personnel. VERY different than a hospital. I have also seen some bias against nurses who want to do acute care, being overlooked because of their only experiencebeing in LTC. Not saying its fair. Just saying i have seen it.
Loans can be deferred.
I honestly would cool your heels and be grateful at this point that you are on their radar. I have seen people go in and ask to speak to the nurse manager of the unit they want. It has worked for some i know. Remember....these people are extremely busy. Ambition and assertiveness can work against you, particularly if you come across as entitled because of your passing nclex in 75 (so did a lot of us, including me) and getting good grades. There are crap nurses out there who were top of the class.
Even as an experienced nurse, it took 3 months from initial application to day one orientation for my most recent job. I do hear a bit of suspicion in your tone...that someone said something negative about you (fellow grad got hired the next mondy and you didn't) is there something you are leaving out? Some reason that perhaps your personality may not be a good fit or someone thinks negwtively of you?
Nursing units are more about FIT than they are about academic achievement. The impatience you are exhibiting is....really uncalled for in nursing. This is the hiring process. This is not mcdonalds. Credentialing along can drag on....and.....that is IF you get your resume in front of the decision maker. Have you had an INTERVIEW WITH THE UNIT MANAGER? If not....HR can say anything they like.....you are NOT hired until you interview with the person who wants you in their unit.