Fought the good fight...

[cincin1]

After over two years of searching, I am giving up searching for a decent nursing job. I cannot feel guilty about it. I've interned, volunteered, sent out a thousand apps. I was a great student. I've done my extra certifications, saw a career counselor, pounded the pavement. I'm so tired of explaining this to people who asks, I already feel like some kind of reject. I'm mad at myself for watching my classmates get positions and resenting them for it. I'm just tired. Tried to apply to UTA today for online bsn today and they said I cannot do it because I don't have a job. That's it. I'm done. Hurts me too much to keep this up.

[Palliative Care, DNP]

Keep researching because I believe there are several online RN to BSN programs that do not require working experience. I went straight into ODU's RN to BSN program as soon as I graduated. Good Luck to you! If you have to keep going and become an advance practice nurse. Life is to short!

[Vespertinas]

I can't believe it's getting to this point. It was a bit of a reality check when new grads would have to job search for 6 months before landing one... but to start hearing a trend of those giving up after no prospects in 2 years?? Jeez. My heart aches for you. I know how hard it was for my husband to deal with a fruitless job serach after graduating with Honors with a Masters degree in Finance/Risk Management but no real experience in the field. Pretty much same situation. It can do a real number to your self-worth.

[LynnLRN]

Anyone in your shoes would be very frustrated, I don't blame you for feeling how you do.

Well they say when one door closes another door opens.........

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

I'm sure that if you can relocate you can find a job. I applied for over 1000 positions around Detroit and got no where. Came back to ms/Tn area and had a job right when I got my license. Quit that because it wasn't for me and then got 2 more actual offers within 2 weeks.

Don't give up hope. There are jobs, but sometimes you have to go find them. Good luck!!

[mindlor]

did you go to an nlnac accredited school?

[Guest372004]

My opinion, which may be worth 2 cents, is if at all possible.........relocate. Anywhere where there is a decent sized hospital where you will get experience. The job market will change and you will have experience. And there is a possibility that you actually may enjoy where you end up? Of course this works best if you are single.

[Zookeeper44, RN]

I know you said you've done everything possible, but I just wanted to say that what I did was to take a job with a small place (home infusion/specialty pharmacy) which did not really have much of a training program and therefore it was easy to get that first job with them (didn't really cost them anything to train me as I was fully functional after a couple of weeks of them checking me off starting IV's, accessing ports, doing infusions, etc.) Stayed with them a few months, then took another job with a hospice company who again did not have much of a training program and I was off and running with a caseload after about 2 weeks so they did not really lose any money training me either.

After a few months with them, I now have a full-time case mgr. job in home health and the irony is that they ARE taking more time to train me but they required I have some experience somewhere else first.

I think it's easier to get your first job somewhere other than a hospital, and after just a few months apparently you have a lot more options if you wanted to change jobs. I could never even get the first interview in a hospital, even in the ones I did clinicals in. Don't know what it's like where you are but that's how it seems to work here.

I am mushy but I teared up when I read your post. I am so sorry you put your heart and soul into nursing and now it has let you down. I wish you the best and hope you can find something or it can find you and you can reverse your feelings of giving up.

[erroridiot]

If I could be in a position to go back to school, I would get a degree in anything except nursing. I would go into anything else, there are so many other better fields and working conditions such as pharmacy, dietician, social work, even accounting or radiology fields - anything but nursing.

Sorry to say it, but nurses are treated like dirt with horrendous working conditions.

This could be an opportunity to do something other than nursing.

[Vespertinas]

Social workers and accountants have it pretty rough too.

[Zookeeper44, RN]

I WAS a social worker with a Master's degree before going to nursing school. I now work less and make twice as much. Both jobs have difficult conditions but at least when I come home I feel like I get a little more of a reward with that salary-doubling thing :yelclap: