For all those applicants out of the loop- Rant

Published

Specializes in Trauma ICU.

Having almost completed my first semester of nursing school I have to say I'm immensely frustrated with how hard it has been to find a job. Here I am, a good student with several years of health care experience (both in rehabilitation and now starting into acute care). I have good references and people skills and its -really- unlikely I'm not going to pass my Fundamentals of Nursing class with anything less than a B yet I can't get a job.

Why? Because wherever I look the applicantions ask for CNA licensure and prefer to have it already posted on the state BON...and I'm not done with my class requirements just yet. I have my picture and my fingerprints ready, I'm just lacking the signature of my instructor thus I'm SOL. Not to mention the schools require transcripts from nursing school and since I haven't finished the semester just yet (we have two weeks) I can't get that either.

This is so unfair! The nursing students who enter in the fall semester get both Fundamentals and Adult Health under their belt before the summer time and so they get all the jobs where spring applicants like me are left out in the dark. Is it a problem to want a job over the summer and get even more experience under my belt before I become an RN?

Has anyone else had this problem and managed to get a position this late in the summer? I'd love to get into a Patient Care Tech program or something where I can continue to learn (one in particular I'm looking at starts IV training). I'd also like to have that position in the fall where I can work PRN or perhaps 8 hours a week to keep my skills up. So far though from my spring break to now I've been out of luck.

ARGH! :angryfire

(Note: This is a rant and while every nursing student who has started a program in the fall isn't out to get me at this point I'm rather ticked. You were warned with the title)

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Specializes in Neuro.

I've had my NA (nurse apprentice) license (a little more than equivalent to the CNA license) for about a year and I still haven't found a job in healthcare. It happens.

For now I just work outside of the health care field. In some ways it is nice to have a break from what I get every day at school.

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Specializes in OR-ortho, neuro, trauma.

I'm about to finish my first year in an ASN program and have been applying for PCT jobs in hospitals and have gotten nothing except a job offer from a LTC but the pay cut was too much. I have over 5yrs experience in the healthcare field, first as an EMT then a CMA (working in either MD office or hospital). The job market just plain ol sucks right now.

Just keep on applying and keep your head up!

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Specializes in CICU.

I started nursing school last fall, started applying for positions last December, now have three acute care clinicals under my belt, and have had zero luck as well.

So don't hate;)... just teasing, of course! Good luck.

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Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

I'm finishing up my 4th semester of clinicals (6 semester BSN) and I can't get a job in a hospital either. I can't even get an interview. I do have a job working for an optometrist taking health histories, chief complaint, and checking vision and so forth, so at least I'm employed. The unlicensed assistive personnel market sucks everywhere right now.

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I don't think there are many hiring right now. It's frustrating as a student. I'm just going to take my time in May off, work my June rotation, and then have July early Aug break and get focused for my last year.

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