Didn't get into new grad program - what next?

[canned_bread]

So I didn't get into my new graduate program (no surprise, I KNEW I stuffed the interview up!) and so now I am looking at nursing jobs... and they all require experience.

The only places that seem to not mention experience is medical centres, but I don't know if I could provide safe care to my patients being a sole RN, especially if any patients come in acutely unwell.

Can anyone please provide some guidance as to any paths I can take to find a job, or enable me to get some experience? Anyone been in this situation before? I know right now there are thousands who ARE in this situation, which will potentially make competition fierce!

I live in Sydney, NSW, and am ultimately looking for jobs in the western sector. Ie. Westmead, Parramatta and surrounding suburbs. Bit of a dilemma, and I don't want my skills to filter out of my head!

[joe_mulligan88]

From my observation and experience, many of the Victorian hospitals have mid-year intakes....and they will take you on before this as a new grad....a new grad program is a program that has set times, education etc. Hospitals can do this for new grads without being in the program.

Its about time the unions and government look at this, as Australia is not short of nurses without experience. We are also not short of nurses, ready and willing, to go back to nursing after having families, but cannot afford the 10,000 course, that the government will not pay,.....but it is easier and cheaper to pay a nurse from overseas grade 2 year 1 pay and pay for the visa application.

We need to start fostering our own educated nurses and give them a big chance first, without the worry of not finding a job at the start of their career and continue their career after child raising duties that Australian women take as their duty only and leave nursing for the 7-8 years, and then cannot re register as a nurse, without an expensive program, such as the bridging programs that the government will not pay for and it is difficult to get any sholarships for these days.

....any hospital or aged care facility, that dares approach immi with a 457 visa to sponsor an overseas nurse without any experience or experience 4-5 years ago needs a big no, please explain.....have you advertised for 6 months, where how and why cannot you find a local first. How does the experience of this nurse is better than a local., Sorry, just a rant, but I can see where all this ends, in a big circle... and local nurses still will not be encouraged and fostered to remain in industry,

The ""Australian Way""- welcome everyone, without consideration for locals and local resources, IMHO

I knew you were biased towards all people trying to immigrate to aus. In the US we welcome everyone its a melting pot for a reason. Change is good. As I've talked with Australian people before (and traveled as a student ambassador to Australia) US nurses don't need a bridging program and you insist on telling everyone that asks they do. So stop please, stop misinforming people. We are trying to leave this place! Lol

[ceridwyn]

I appreciate your opinion, at no time have I said that nurses from the US need a bridging course, only if they were educated in one of the countries not mentioned in the ANMAC criteria and have not worked for 3 months in the countries that Australia excepts education, if you have been educated not in one of these countries and have not worked 3 months in one of those countries, then a bridging course is required.

A nurse educated in the US and has 5 years secondary education plus degree in english in one of the countries mentioned does not do bridging or english test, exempt, does not require, nil. and yes, Australian graduate nurses should be given graduate postions before any other nurse, they have debts to pay and have been educated towards the Australian health system, have experienced all the lives first hand.....the ANMF Australian, Nursing and Midwifery Federation, endorse this completely and have been constantly lobbying the government to restrict 457 visas so that local graduates, are given a chance at work first.

Every country strives to foster and grow their own local nurses first.

What is the best idea for Australian nursing then? to farm out our nursing education overseas as well, like call centres, more local jobs lost,, no nursing academia happening in Australia then once finished come to Australia for the Graduate year.....Oh my...

I think Australia with such a small population does a pretty good job at being multicultural, and those local nurses that I am being accused of being baised towards! are usually sons and daughters or grandchildren of immigrants from India, Phillipines the UK, China, Malaysia, Iran, Sri Lanka etc etc. as well as we are trying foster and encourage people who are indigenous into the health system LOL.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

Ceridwyn is not being prejudiced in any way. She is merely stating the criteria that every hiring manager has to go through to to employ any overseas person who requires a visa.

These criteria are the same as the UK and Europe for hiring people.

[joe_mulligan88]

So what about new immigrants you don't want them to get a job? visas aren't horribly expensive I was planning on paying for my own i didnt think they would up an sponsor anyone. So what ceridwyn? you wanna stick me in Papua New Guinea with all those people trying to seek "asylum" in Oz? Is that who i am to you? Listen so your saying that theres an equal right to work? so if i pay for my visa and my move, become a citizen cause i have traveled around and thats where i want to live that i have to be passed on a job because Im new? well im glad your not making decisions and qualifications is most likely the deciding factor. Maybe this is a thing in america, but sweetie you may have lived there you whole life but your family once immigrated there too (like we are trying) and if my qualification gets me a job (which is why Im getting exp from a lvl 1 trauma hospital in a big inner city) then why wouldn't you want me on your floor helping save lives at that point its a factor of trying to work together.

[joe_mulligan88]

And im from Detroit, so to say i want outsourcing is a ridiculous notion. Bringing workers in (i know you say you have enough) but you can never have enough in todays economy, is what our governments are just trying to do, more citizens, thats the game isnt it? more people more money bigger economy? Listen all im saying is most quotes i read from you seems biased, im just confronting you on it. Im not saying your a bad person, I just putting another point of view out there. We have the same problems over here, its no different. And i have to work just as hard, and bring just as much money as your complaining about, 10k, in the bank. Plus my visas, moving exp. etc... im expecting to spend 20k in Australia off the bat. So no outsourcing is not what Im saying, ive seen it ruin economies local/state/feds. And you know what ive noticed is that those who are "immigrants" usually work very hard, at least over here, they dont have that self entitled attitude most citizens have.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Each country has their own requirements and job issues. We know the US is having many nurses struggling for work, we know the UK is going through lots of issues and I am sure there are many issues in Australia and not all that we are aware of. We can politely debate things but please respect each other and no personal attacks.

Immigration to any country is not cheap and I haven't always seen immigrants work harder than locals, what I do see is some people have a good work ethos and others don't

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Ceridwyn is knowledgeable in the immigration process to AU. I would heed their advice. Immigration to many countries, including the US, has become increasingly difficult in the present poor global economy. While experience will be considered and help you stand out from the pack it is no guarantee that you will be granted entry to the country to work.

Many countries have tightened their work entry boarders. I believe the US has almost a 10yr waiting period right now.

[Sahaya]

I am the best example -- I didn't get into any new graduate program, and I've been trying to apply to hospitals for a year now and all my applications are unsuccessful. Most hospitals require one-year experience (how can I have one when I'm not given a chance??? grrrr). Anyway, the point is, it can be very competitive out there and if you are a fresh grad, chances are somebody else will hold better qualifications than you have...getting into new graduate is still the best option, that's my opinion. Currently, I am working in Aged Care, but my passion is somewhere along the lines of pain management in Cancer Care or Burns...I know I have the ability and have future plan of further education, but without any hospitals giving me a chance due to 'technicality' (I have no new grad, and all I have is an Aged Care experience)...I just don't know how I can make my dreams happen. I obtained my qualifications from a good Australian university...ALL SUCCESSFUL NEW GRADUATE RNs SHOULD HAVE A GO AT A PLACEMENT IN NEW GRAD PROGRAMS. Seems impossible that with the several 2nd, 3rd, 4th... choices you've indicated in the application you can't get a spot...it's just difficult to comprehend how they can't take in everyone. I keep hearing we still have nursing shortage... ... ... sorry, can't help but vent ... I am a bit stuck right now...

[Sahaya]

MY POST ABOVE IS IN REPLY TO STUDENTNURSE1985 :) (Just joined today, still learning the ropes to this posting biz )

RIGHT! I am also confused about this whole "New Grad RN program" that hospitals have. My question is do I need to be in a "New Grad program" in order to get hired into the hospital as a new graduate nurse? or can I still apply to any opens positions on the hospital floor and they will just orientate me as a new grad without having to be in a "New Grad program"?

Someone please help! I'm so confused on going about how to apply for my first nursing job and the nursing recruiters and human resources are so unhelpful!

[ceridwyn]

Try Canberra, some are reporting they are sponsoring overseas nurses with very little experience and gaps of 1-8 years since practising. Pity the many locals such as you, in your position, did not know about these jobs if you have been searching extensively how does this happen?

[Sahaya]

Sorry for the late reply ceridwyn. I ask myself that question so many times but I guess I was just resigned to my fate. So from being casual, I am now a permanent part timer at my aged care facility (the same one, the very first one that accepted me 2 months after I graduated). It is a familiar job and pays the rent/bills. So I guess the answer to the question is -- I have to somehow survive. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for my aged care job and even being with the same facility for a year and a half now, I have never succumbed totally to compassion fatigue (I do have bad days but our RN/patient ratio is 1:90 or if lucky 2:90, so yeah, some days are crazy busy)...though, I always give all that I can in a day's work, always going the extra mile in fact, literally, spending at least one hour over my shift since a year and a half ago. I know it can be taken against me (going over my shift), but I figured out that paperwork can be done in a later time; I'd rather make sure the clinical care has been done and only prioritise exceptional charting (we have scheduled documentation/asssessments aside from exceptional, so I figured out I can leave that last)...that and other issues...bottomline is -- it's just impossible to finish on time. And it's not only me. Compared to an acute care setting, I know that I will have learned more had I been given a chance to be accepted in a new grad in the first place...but oh well...had to move on.

I suppose for a new nurse it is critical that you have a solid foundation of clinical skill set and I still believe that the best avenue of training is in the hospital. I discovered that working an aged care setting is more of administrative/leadership scene...and if you're a new nurse, to be thrown into that can be very daunting. It's not doing any good to my confidence level either--I have to admit that in the back of my mind I feel inept, clinically speaking--yes, I have 1.5 years aged care experience, compare that to somebody else who's got 1.5 years in acute care setting. Yep, of course it's relative but I can't help and think that way--in my current workplace, I am surrounded by people I work with who don't believe in me and what I can be capable of. The only ones that appreciate me are my residents and occasionally some of the nurses I work with. I am not trying to seek attention or to be recognised. I don't have to prove anything. It's just me having this dilemma if it's still worth it to continue working in a place when I am looked down on. There is no assurance from agency work and my application is still currently on process. I read blogs about agency work and it's a really tough environment. And for someone like me with a limited experience, agency nursing at hospitals is going to be a very bumpy ride. But one good thing about agency nursing (as what I have read in one blog) is that you can 'focus more on patient care rather than facility politics'. I am feeling a bit lost now...I do am thinking of resigning...now, if only a hospital will take me in to their casual pool, I know that with the staff support/education support I have a better chance of becoming a good nurse--I don't want to let go of that dream just yet.

[red_caviar]

Sahaya, you do not know how lucky you are because yes it is aged care but you work as a RN, that is the main point. Many graduates would be very happy to get a RN position in nursing home, however they do not have such opportunity. So they have to work as an AIN or a career giver due to lack of experience (a new grad program). I agree with you that all graduates should be given a chance to complete one year graduate program even for free or paid by graduates themseves.