fed up- cant get a job

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hello all. im just at my wits end. I have gone through 4 long years of school, studied and (thank god) passed the NCLEX my first time, but now i have another blockade. i cant get a job. not only can i not get a job, i cant even get an interview. i decided to take the summer of and relax, but this has turned out to be disastrous since every hospital i have applied to has already hired their new grads. I have a pretty strong resume and have sent my application to nearly 15 hospitals. i ahve been waiting for some sort of reply from anywhere but havent heard a peep. today i spent all day trying to call the recruiters of the hospitals or talk to HR to see the status. most times i get the same stuff-we'll contact you if we want you. and most places say not to bother coming in just give application via fax or email. i dont know what to do. please help. thanks

Specializes in Emergency Room.

A licensed RN can't find work? Hmmm, maybe the nursing shortage is not as bad as they say.

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Specializes in nicu.

It is easy for RNs to find work only if they are experienced. Hospitals are not too keen on training new grads. The hospitals that are more likely to hire new grads are the large teaching ones in urban areas. Which hospitals did you work in as a nursing student? What hospitals did other people in your graduating class get a job as an RN in? Maybe you should check those resources too. :)

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I too was in a similar situation. Took the summer off and initially wasn't getting called for interviews. I revamped my cover letters and resume countless times to no avail. My best advice for you is to just keep applying. Check for openings on the hospital's websites daily. Be willing to apply for anything: day shift, night shift, part-time, full-time, per diem, etc. Once you get your foot in the door it will be much easier to find the job you really want in the future.

Also, a friend of mine recommended posting my resume on Monster.com. I got a ton of replies on this website. I didn't take up any offers because it required relocation or working for a temp agency in many instances. But I kept these options as a back-up plan incase a local hospital wouldn't call back. Thankfully I did get called back and I believe that you will too. It just takes time. I applied for nearly 25 positions before I was called for an interview.

Also, are you aiming for certain specialties in which it is difficult to get hired on as a new grad? I think this was my problem, I kept applying for intermediate care positions rather than general med/surg positions. The funny thing is that once I started applying for med/surg, none of them contacted me. Instead I was contacted by an intermediate cardiac care unit who then hired me.

I know how hopeless you might feel right now. I was in the same situation. It all just takes time. Eventually you will get called by someone. Don't give up hope. The job search can be quite frustrating but there are many alternative options out there to just get your foot in the door. Good luck!

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Hello-

I feel your pain!! I am an experienced nurse (Adult Onc, Peds, PICU) who took time off from bedside nursing to be home with my youngest..who just started first grade - full- time - yeah!

My CEU's are current, I hold both CA and CO licenses and I am looking everywhere within a 45 mile radius for acute care job - PT (in Denver, CO area).

I was told to take a refresher course by the same hospital (Health One - aka Columbia) I worked for in another state! YIKES!! When I looked at the course - it is for those w/exp'd licenses..and cannot get in til March! AND $2200 so I can sit with people in a lab every Fri night for six weeks and then give 120 hours clinical time! Double YIKES!!

I finally found that Children's in Denver has a program for returning nurses and am invesigating that..NOT giving up!! My resume is out there and I am going online, EMailing and making phone calls daily!

BTW as a new grad I got on to Adult Onc in Feb - new grad training program..The larger hospitals usually have the better, bigger programs. You have to just keep trying! What about your County Hospital? Any teaching hospitals?

Well - let me know if anyone has any advice for me - and good luck to you!! Keep positive vibes and visualize yourself getting there! There is a nursing shortage (so I keep hearing) so it will happen!

Best of luck :o) :balloons:

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It is easy for RNs to find work only if they are experienced.

Not always true. I've been an RN for seven years. I just posted about how I live in an area where there are way too many nurses and I've been unable to find a job.

I became a traveler.

I never did believe there was a nursing shortage.

I sympathize with everyone here and wish you all success in your job searches.

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A licensed RN can't find work? Hmmm, maybe the nursing shortage is not as bad as they say.

I believe the shortage is a complete myth.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

Hiring goes in cycles for new grads.

St Barnabas in Livingston hires in rounds as does every other hospital due to the training involved with getting new grads on the floor. There is usually several weeks of classroom training and then weeks to months of being precepted. It is expensive and they will not hire a new grad or rn unless it is during those enrollment periods.

You need to be pushy with HR departments by calling constantly until you have an answer one way or the other.

I don't believe NJ agencies will hire anyone without at least 12 months experience for med surg or 18 months for critical care/ER.

There are always job fairs, one last week in Manhattan and one today in Edison with recruiters looking for nurses. You need to avail yourself of school career counseling, go to Advance for Nurses for job fairs, and all of the online services...including Monster.com. Talk to your friends who are employed and find out how they got jobs.

Congratulations on your accomplishment in graduating with a BSN. You will find a job, be patient. Many hospitals only want to hire BSN's find out who they are.

Good Luck on your job search,

Maisy;)

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thanks everyone, i appreciate all your input. thus far i have gotten 1 interview and i have 2 more coming up. i did go to that career fair in edison and have extended my wanted positions from med-surg to ICU and tele also. It was funny, when i went to the fair i saw all the people that i kept bothering on the phone so many times. hopefully something will come up. As for now i have to go back to waiting tables. Oh, and i think the theory on hiring new grads in big waves is right.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

When I first graduated from NS, the hospitals in my area were not hiring a lot of new grads either so I opted to work in a TCU. You can get very good experience in a facility like that. Don't overlook that possibility. Most have IVs and other treatments like hospitals and is a great way to get a varied and good experience.

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"When I first graduated from NS, the hospitals in my area were not hiring a lot of new grads either so I opted to work in a TCU. You can get very good experience in a facility like that. Don't overlook that possibility. Most have IVs and other treatments like hospitals and is a great way to get a varied and good experience." quote

What is TCU?

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I have a different situation. I am trying to return to the nursing work force after 14 years of raising a family. I don't mind spending the money for a refresher course but I have heard that it is not even close to a guarantee. I would very much like to return to my chosen profession but I haven't gotten a warm welcome, either that or I'm being too choosy.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

TCU= Transitional Care Unit

Hospital based skilled nursing facility (SNF) for short term care usually less than 20 days with goal discharge patient to own home ----- as opposed to SNF nursing home with longer stay 100 days or more. ;)

Great place to start a career along with hospital based rehab unit.

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