Frustrated New Grad

[WildcatFanRN]

Well, I finished my RN program and have been applying all over the place for a job. Amazingly no one seems to want to hire me. I've had attendence issues before at previous job and all were due to being sick, but that doesn't seem to matter to anyone. All anyone see's is how many jobs are on my resume, which I can't remove any of them. No one seems to want to give me a chance as a new RN. Apparently KY doesn't have much of a nursing shortage since I've applied at about 12 different hospitals all to no avail. I'm beginning to feel like I wasted my time completing my associate's degree since what happened when I was an LPN is being held against me in a big way. How can I convince anyone that I'm not an unreliable employee when they won't even give me a job. Oh and the job I did have, that was supposed to become full time after graduation....had no job for me. Nor could they keep me PRN as they said they had no hours available for me to work, so they gave me two choices. Resign, or stay on payroll and be resigned in 6 months of not working. Not much of a choice huh, especially since I used their tuition assistance.

Sorry this is such a long post, especially since no one knows me. But I've been looking for a job since Feb as I was planning on working 2 for awhile to get caught up on bills. Now instead of having what I thought was a guaranteed job at least is now gone and I'm stuck with another short time job on the resume.

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

My school has the exit HESI and a pretty high NCLEX pass rate. And hospitals here in KY have to hire you before you take the test, or at least they did until today. It was required that you work 120 hours before you would be given the ATT. Fortunately that has changed.....in the last 24hrs.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Hate to say it but AD in nursing dosen't go as far as a BSN. The hospital I work for will not even interview a new grad AD nurse. You may end up having to practice through an agency or in a LTC center to get some hours under your belt before the hospitals will consider you. As I have advised others before- a geographic change may be needed. There are large areas of the mid west that are in a nursing shortage- just not your area. If you can relocate as little as 100 miles or so you may find oppertunities more abundant.

I think the BSN prefered over ASN is regional at best. In my geographical location ASN and BSN nurses are paid the exact same. Only when you get to mgmt level does the BSN factor into the equation.

[hpcat]

Just a thought - does your school have a career center? If so, I'd take my resume down there, explain what's happening and see if they can help. Maybe it's interviewing skills or something on your resume that doesn't look right.