This may be redundant cause I posted a similar thread some time ago, but here goes. I graduated from an ADN program last May, got my license in the beginning of September...I've been applying to lots of places and still no job. No I never envisioned that 8 months after graduation, I'd be unemployed...that I'd be seen as such a big burden, a useless tool. I feel like crap. I don't wanna call up people I've graduated with cause I don't even think they'll understand. I've already been told that I'm lazy...and well, that may as well be, when you're unemployed. I've no experience as a nurse or even a tech so I don't even think I could call myself a nurse. I certainly don't see myself as a nurse cause really I'm not. My confidence is down the drain...and it's always been low, but it's getting lower.
Anyways, these are all the hospitals I've applied to so far:
White Plains Hospital,
Westchester Medical Center,
St. Vincent's,
Lawrence,
Dobbs Ferry,
Riverside,
Montefiore,
Phelps,
4 Winds,
Hebrew Home,
Sarah Neuman,
Mount Sinai Queens,
Downtown Hospital in Manhattan,
Coler-Goldwater,
Bellevue,
Jacobi,
United Hebrew Geriatric Center,
Northern Westchester,
St. Joseph's
...and there's probably more.
And I have no preference and am willing to work anywhere. What do I have to do, apply to a prison next?
Is this not enough? Obviously not. I guess I could always apply some more, I know that. To some places, I've applied more than once, just so I could remind them of ol' me, still out there, lurking in the shadows...I know sometimes they don't like this, but it's worth a try, right? Anyways, I've had only 3 interviews. Out of the three interviews, I've only been notified once and that was via a rejection letter in the mail---and , I had called these guys who sent me the letter twice for some feedback some time after the interview, but they never even bothered to call me back and all I was expecting from them was for them to humor me with some BS about my lack of qualifications or what not.
Really, I don't know what to do. Most of the times, when I apply for a position, I've done so online and that's usually what HR tells me to do. I also notice that when I go directly to HR, they don't seem interested at all. I'm lucky if I get a full sentence out of them. I must have been very naive when I was in school or uninterested...I never really looked into jobs before graduation cause I didn't think it would be this difficult and of course all the faculty members in school would say "Oh you will get a job after graduation, no doubt about it. If you graduate our program, you will be employed." And I guess that's partly true...most people I graduated with do have jobs.
I just don't get it. There must be something I'm doing wrong. I know the big factor is economy as well as luck. I know they hire you if they have the means and are willing, but there must be something I am lacking or doing wrong. Am I not being aggressive enough? Am I being too high brow? Should I just try to be a nurse tech or something...but then they're just gonna tell me, "You're a nurse, why are you applying for tech position?" or "We don't hire RNs as techs, why don't you go for a real position?" (I did have a dream that I got hired at a hospital, but it was as a laundrywoman, and they were providing extensive training). Should I try to get in touch with an agency? I spoke to one, but they seemed very hesitant about taking in a new grad. Just don't know how I am supposed to break into this field. Maybe it was never meant to be. I know this sounds sorry assed, but I'm regretting the whole experience, the loss of time.
The truth is, I never wanted to be a nurse in the first place, but I put myself into it cause I never thought I would amount to anything. A sorry comment again, I know, but I'm just being honest. Just did it for the money and to have a stable career, and I'm sure I'm not alone here. Muscled my way through school...even though I hated every bit of it...the only thing I could find agreeable about it was that I would eventually be doing work that is meaningful and honest. I have a history of depression too, and of course it got worse during school. What contributed to it wasn't the nature of nursing school itself, but the stress it produced. Once I was bedridden for days because I couldn't cope anymore.
OK.
The whole experience has been pretty bad.
I'll still be looking for work of course.
Please offer some tips, advice, anything that might help.
I have to admit, I know exactly how you feel. I never hurt patients or gave wrong medications during nursing school and yet i am feeling as though i have been black listed!!! I saw a good friend of mine from nursing school at the mall a few weeks ago and almost ran in the other direction as to not have to talk to her (she did not see me of course) I just did not have the heart to explain to one more person why I was not working yet! I am starting as psych nurse this coming monday which I am really happy about (finally working and getting paid is a great thing) but I was really wanting to start my career in med-surg (Pediatrics specifically!)
Everytime I call HR its like I am bothering them in applying... I also have done the online thing and gotten no where.
From my perspective, you sound like you don't really want to practice nursing... and that conflict may be leading to depression. Or maybe not. But let me share my experience.
I've struggled with my conflicted feelings over nursing. I worked a couple of different positions, feeling like I was juggling flaming torches, counting the minutes til it was over and dreading having to go back. I'd never felt that way about work before. As I reflected on what kinds of work I'd done in the past, I realized that while I find it very satisfying to work directly with clients/patients/students, that I also find it very draining and at times overwhelming. Meanwhile, I'd always taken very well to more adminstrative-type work - voluntarily taking on small projects and looking forward to seeing various projects completed.
I wanted to be a sharp, adventurous, self-confident ICU travel nurse and was finding myself to be more like a quiet, introverted file clerk. Administrative work is considered so dull and meaningless and divorced from direct impact on others; I wanted more from my life than that!
I had to fight this kind of black-and-white thinking. I could decide that nursing didn't suit me and still have a satisfying and meaninful job and life. I realized I was much more motivated to find a potentially satisfying desk job than I was motivated to find a potentially satisfying nursing job. I was much more motivated to "make it work" at a desk job than I was motivated to "make it work" at a nursing job.
I finally managed to land a desk job reviewing health care articles. It was a stable job that suited my personality and wasn't overly stressful to me - though I could see colleagues who found the office environment very stressful and who couldn't wait to leave. I now work with health care data and feel about 100x better than I ever did in nursing school or working as a nurse.
Sure, I wish I'd been self-aware enough to figure out what would work for me before I picked a major in school. But somethings you can't learn about yourself without first hand experience. I might still be thinking "maybe I should try nursing" if I hadn't already tried it! Volunteering and talking to nurses certainly didn't dissuade me before.
I know I'm missing out on a lot by not practicing nursing, but I also know that I'd be missing out on a lot if I forced myself to stay in a career that felt as uncomfortable as nursing did. I so admire those who do take to nursing and who make it work! And I can still respect myself for my own unique strengths.
I know how you feel and I wonder when it starts to feel good being a nurse, my dream and very hard work.
I too graduated in May 2008, after passing boards in October started working in December in Acute Psych Unit- when my plans were to be a midvife... nobody was hiring when I got out of school, this job just happened. I like psych patients but I feel that I am missing on hand on nursing experience ( putting foleys, IV, assessing..)
I got worst possible shift 3-11pm 8 hours, in poorly staffed unit, where I get no support and most of the time I am left to make decisions and run the floor when I am unprepared to do so. I cant understand why new grads are placed on shifts with such limited support, most of the staff is gone in the evening, doctors are on call so learning new job is difficult.
why I am saying that? maybe try nursing homes? family care- visiting nurse? long term care?
If I had to do it over thats what I would do. learn from bottom up, and hospital may not be the best place to learn if they place you on evenings when you are basically left alone and scared to make any move because it may cost you your license.
Since I have job and market is what it is right now I decided to keep it as long as I can, at least until a year and then try to transfer to another facility which is closer to home ( I have to drive from lover manhattan to bronx) and possibly a med surg unit.
It is tough, economy and us new at our professions but it's got to change!
another thought: some places outside NY are hiring new grads, they offer housing and sign on bonus so lack of $$ wouldn't be a problem when relocating. I thought about that too and if I have to I will move just to get experience.
I know about a place in Queens and Brooklyn which is hiring home care nurses, if you'd like PM me for contacts
Take care and keep posting here, together we may find it easier to be a new RN.
and remember, you've worked to hard just to let it go now!
i don't know if your job search is still ongoing but since you are in westchester, wouldn't a southern connecticut job also be a choice for you? i grew up in fairfield county and i know the commute to westchester for me was less than an hour. there's greenwich hospital (greenwich) and silver hill hospital (new canaan), to name a few.
good luck in all your future endeavors. i hope you are a working nurse soon! :)
:nurse:
SweetLemon
213 Posts
I have to admit, I know exactly how you feel. I never hurt patients or gave wrong medications during nursing school and yet i am feeling as though i have been black listed!!! I saw a good friend of mine from nursing school at the mall a few weeks ago and almost ran in the other direction as to not have to talk to her (she did not see me of course) I just did not have the heart to explain to one more person why I was not working yet! I am starting as psych nurse this coming monday which I am really happy about (finally working and getting paid is a great thing) but I was really wanting to start my career in med-surg (Pediatrics specifically!)
Everytime I call HR its like I am bothering them in applying... I also have done the online thing and gotten no where.