Foreign Graduate Nurses looking jobs in California

steppybay · Aug 8, 2012

Oh, wow, congrats on your new RN license as a foreign new grad! I hope that you have found a job by now? I know it's been stated that even for CA new grads with the near 50% unemployment rate they are facing, it must be even tougher as a foreign nurse, since the CA hospitals are more likely to hire USC or those that took their clinicals in that hospital.

Yes, it's true that most foreign nurses today are limited to those types of facilities you mentioned, which is okay, but really I think the most of us would really prefer working in a hospital setting. I know many will say, they don't mind the nursing homes, SNF's and LTC's, but the truth is to be in a nice hospital with the better benefits (hourly wages, paid vacations and other amenties). Granted, sometimes it's not about how much you make versus where you're working at and proudly displayed on your badge.

I hear friendly arguments about all the time about working in a nursing home etc, then later they really deep inside would like to be in a medium or larger hospital environment. Nothing wrong with that. It's part of the American dream.

For someone like me, I don't care to work with the adults side of nursing, I love working with the kids and hope to be working in the Pediatrics unit. Peds nurses have said they rather be with whining kids, crying babies than to deal with whining and complaining adults, but it's really to each his/her own. Those that prefer adult style nursing can't stand the sound of a crying child or the fussyness of one, but I love that!

I have several PH friends who are recent CA nurses before all the CA BON fiasco and they too report they are unable to find any jobs, received any call back for an interview, getting only either no emails or phone calls to their resumes. I know that they have submitted 100's of applications all over CA and since they are unattached (no kids, no husbands) they can move anywhere. Even the nursing homes, but like you said, they want "experience" and willing to work those, if anyone would hire them. Many of the jobs they come to find out went to the local students who also did their clinicals there or most likely did volunteer work for them and in most cases, RN's were not needed, but hired the locals as LVN's, who are bridging over to the RN side.

Anyways, getting off track, but good luck, ladyangel341, I love that name too!

perioddrama · Aug 9, 2012

just to share my sentiments and ask some opinions. i'm a foreign graduate nurse in orange county. i passed my nclex exam last august 2011. entering the world of unemployment is so harsh, especially if your a foreign graduate.
1. rn new grad program. well, i guess i'm wasting my time on this. i tried to apply, though. they need recommendations. clinical, personal, etc. and the grading system is different. a, b, c, d or 4, 3, 2, 1 while in ours is 1, 1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 2, 2.75, 2.5, 2.25.....
2. the language. i can't deny that i might have good english but i still have an accent..and if i have spanish as my first language, that would be a plus...but no...
3. the only facilities i can go are acute-care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (irfs), skilled-nursing facilities, long-term-care hospitals, outpatient programs and home health agencies but note, most of them now hired nurses with experienced, especially if your living in high populated areas. even, i have a year experience on other country, it is not credited here in california.
if someone could tell me things i can do. i would really appreciate it.

it's a very, very tough market right now for ca new grads - both old and new. i know, since i'm still unemployed, like many new grads.

other than volunteering and getting certs and networking, have a positive attitude. something will come; it's just very, very slow in coming.

good luck!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 9, 2012

I concur. It's a bad market for any new grad. Heck, it's a bad market for a lot of experienced nurses as well.

You may want to search away from the coast, since those are the areas that are oversaturated with new grads as well as the nursing schools churning them out. Try looking at inland California.

ladyangel341 · Aug 9, 2012

Thanks. I'm working in an assisted living facility as a medication technician for now. It's really tough if you don't know anyone. Some of the SNF hires foreign new grads but I have to know somebody inside. I applied more than 50 facilities through walk-ins and had 100 or more internet applications but still no luck. I hope for the better next year.

allnurses Guide · Aug 9, 2012

The job market is tough even for experienced RNs who have worked in California for decades.

ladyangel341 · Aug 9, 2012

I guess this is something to do with the economy too... I really hope it's going to be better next year...

eedo_rn, RN · Aug 11, 2012

i feel you... Im a foreign grad too with 2 years experience. I just got my license February this year and I haven't landed any interview at all.. I had some nurse recruiters call me but as soon as they hear my experience is overseas... boom! end of conversation.

I've applied to Re-entry and New Grad Programs.. although it seems hopeless i apply anyway.

a) For the grading system- there are a couple of agencies that evaluate our Transcripts - CGFNS is one. there are others, just google.

b) For the recommendations - i submitted recommendations from my employers. Not sure if it works but I say keep trying.

As to the language.. hey just keep speaking and we'll get there. As long as you speak clear and grammatically correct..

I tried all SNFs.. home healths.. nothing.. but ill say it again.. just keep on trying..

Hope these helps. GOODLUCK!

steppybay · Aug 11, 2012

i feel you... Im a foreign grad too with 2 years experience. I just got my license February this year and I haven't landed any interview at all.. I had some nurse recruiters call me but as soon as they hear my experience is overseas... boom! end of conversation.
I've applied to Re-entry and New Grad Programs.. although it seems hopeless i apply anyway.
a) For the grading system- there are a couple of agencies that evaluate our Transcripts - CGFNS is one. there are others, just google.
b) For the recommendations - i submitted recommendations from my employers. Not sure if it works but I say keep trying.
As to the language.. hey just keep speaking and we'll get there. As long as you speak clear and grammatically correct..
I tried all SNFs.. home healths.. nothing.. but ill say it again.. just keep on trying..
Hope these helps. GOODLUCK!

Oh, I can see why maybe your application in some cases are being rejected for the new grad programs. From my understanding, you are considered a "new grad" if you're applying within one year AFTER your original graduation date, not by the month and year you got your license.

Some hospitals are very specific on those dates, some require no RN experience, some less than 6 months, some less than one year, so that is probably causing your application to be passed over. But at least you're trying and lucky to have gotten your CA license.

Have you thought of going out of state and getting US experience as many places don't really consider overseas nursing experience and then trying to come back into CA? Just like so many unemployed CA new grad nurses are doing just to gain the needed experience, when one needs the experience but from where if no one is hiring. Good luck!

eedo_rn, RN · Aug 11, 2012

you're right steppybay. thats why i mentioned it seems hopeless. I cant get into a new grad program and i also cant be hired since i got no local experience. sucks big time! lol!

other states-it's on my mind but im not yet ready to give up on CA :)

still applying away, hoping and praying something's gonna give!

thanks steppybay! Goodluck to you too!

ladyangel341 · Aug 12, 2012

They said Texas and North Dakota hires a lot of nurses without experience but since I'm married, relocation is not an option. For my fellow foreign nurses try to recall some friends and acquaintances that is working in nursing field. They might be able to recommend you. I've than that though but they just give me advises that I already know. I have a classmate that got into SNF because her father knows a worker on that facility and my friend got hired and trained even without experience as an RN in the foreign country. This is not "what you know" but "who you know" nowadays.

Did anyone of you tried to apply in staffing agency? Some of them accept nursing experience overseas. I got accepted once in staffing agency but I back out. The thought of just sending me to a hospital without any orientation make me scared because I'm putting my license on the line. Since the practice here and in the country where I came from is so far different. I'm not confident that I would be able to do the job. They are some equipment that I'm not familiar with. The electronic charting which I haven't tried even once. I'm only confident in IV insertion and some of the nursing procedures.

Slaton,Phil · Dec 13, 2013

A lot of hospitals, including those in California, have stopped sponsoring foreign nurses. Sutter in California is about the largest that has stopped sponsoring that I know of ...