Can't get a new job... Any help?

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Hi. I graduated from nursing school in 2010 with a BSN. It took me a couple months after passing my boards to find my current job as a pedi home care nurse. I have been looking for a new job for about 9 months now. I have only had two interviews in that whole time and no job offers. I thought once I had a year exp. I would start getting calls but I now have a year and a half exp and still nothing. I don't understand why I can't find a new job... Am I doing something wrong, or is homecare exp not really good enough? Someone help, or advice please!!!!

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It is probably a geographical thing.

I suggest expanding your search radius.....

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Moved to Nursing Job Search Assistance for more response.

Good luck in your search.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Not enough info...

What kind of job are you looking for?

You don't have any acute care (hospital) experience, and

that's apparently a big minus to many employers.

Unless you are looking for a job on a peds floor; then

your experience would be a plus, I would think.

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You are not alone!!! I have been dealing with the same problem. I have been working at an outpatient cancer center, administering chemotherapy since my graduation in 2010. With almost two years under my belt, I thought I would have a much easier time finding a new job with some "experience". Apparently, that is not the case. I recently relocated to the Atlanta area, hoping to have an endless amount of job opportunities at my fingertips. From the countless applications I have filled out, I've had only 1 interview come out of it.......still waiting to hear back about the job. I began my job search at least 6 months before my projected move date in April. It has been so frustrating!!! I have gotten a few responses back stating, "I need hospital experience". I truly didn't think I would ever have as hard of a time finding a job, as I did as a new grad lacking "experience".

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I am Ultimately looking to work in a NICU. I would like to go back to school for my masters and get my Neonatal NP. Those arent the only jobs I am applying to though. I am applying to every acute care position I can find. I apply to at least 8 jobs a week and either never hear back from the position or get a rejection email. Even, when I apply to pedi positions it seems as though my "experience" doesn't matter, even though the job says 1yr pedi exp and I have Longer than a yr. I am glad to hear it is not just me and that it's just as tough in other states because I did think abut relocating but it's not possible at the moment because I have an apartment and rent to pay.

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I am Ultimately looking to work in a NICU. I would like to go back to school for my masters and get my Neonatal NP. Those arent the only jobs I am applying to though. I am applying to every acute care position I can find. I apply to at least 8 jobs a week and either never hear back from the position or get a rejection email. Even, when I apply to pedi positions it seems as though my "experience" doesn't matter, even though the job says 1yr pedi exp and I have Longer than a yr. I am glad to hear it is not just me and that it's just as tough in other states because I did think abut relocating but it's not possible at the moment because I have an apartment and rent to pay.

May I ask what type of home health pedi experience do you have? what are the kind of skills you do? about what ages? Have you tried children's speciality hospitals? I would think they would give you a look?

Are you working through an agency or private employer? Perhpas you can get an agency to get you work in a hospital so you can start to build hospital exrxperience that way.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

My hospital will not consider you if your only experience is in home care, SNF or LTAC. Sad but true.

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My hospital will not consider you if your only experience is in home care, SNF or LTAC. Sad but true.

I can understand the Home Health and SNF snubbing but LTAC?

I would have to then say that the powers that be at your hospital do not realize what an LTAC is or what goes on in an LTAC hospital.

LTAC patients are every bit as complex, often times moreso than are patients at a STAC lets call it, short term acute care hospital.

The only thing that is different is the length of stay and the timeline of patient goals......

I would urge your facility to reconsider this position or to perhaps do a bit of research....

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Urge away. I have no control over that. Most of the hospitals in my area feel the same way.

I also am baffled by it. I did my preceptorship in LTAC and was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Got tons of skills experience that I use every day now in my hospital job.

I suspect it is simply because there are a plethora of people looking to work who have the acute care experience, so it is just another means of whittling down the number of applications they have to wade through.

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First an LTAC IS a Hospital. Second, LTAC patients are every bit as acute as STAC patients.

Even in your post you refer to your LTAC experience as seperate from hospital experience. At the LTAC where I work it is sey up, and operated just like a traditional hospital. The only differences are as I eluded to earlier.

You also refer to your acute care experience as seperate from your LTAC experience. They are the same.

The patients at my hospital are on vents, have trachs, chest tubes, PICCs, foleys, pegs, g-tubes, j-tubes, dialysis, they get transfusions, IV meds, piggybacks, EVERYTHING that patients in a short term stay hospital get. There is NO difference.

I would venture to say that a nurse at my hoospital could work on any med surge floor at any hospital and not miss a beat. The converse may not be true.....

Our patients are more complex in that they cannot communicate for the most part, therefore our assessment skills must be extremely keen.......anyway, there is still much ignorance out there about what an LTAC is and does....here is a link to briefly elaborate......

Cheers

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Here is another link, please take the time to view, it is short

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