Frustrated :(

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2014

I appreciate the advice all except for that bit - some of the best nurses have took this test multiple times, I don't think most managers really care how many times it took me to pass the NCLEX - what matters now is that I passed and I'm licensed to practice.

Five or six years ago a nurse could get away with lag time between graduation and passing NCLEX. The employment market was more lenient back then, so a person who required more than one attempt to pass NCLEX could still easily secure employment.

However, in this day and age a summer graduate who barely passed NCLEX in December might raise some eyebrows, depending on how competitive your local employment market is. So it is naive at best to say that what matters is you've passed and are licensed.

Recruiters, hiring managers and HR folks in NYC can be ultra picky right now, and significant lag time between graduation and NCLEX passage is seen by some as a red flag, even if you've passed and have a license.

Loo17 · Dec 27, 2014

The nursing employment marketplace started to become overly saturated with too many nurses soon after the economic meltdown of '08. The most glutted nursing job markets tend to be in the Northeast (NYC, Philly, Boston) and the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland).
Now that you know you are in a city that is deluged with too many nurses, you have several options from which to pick:
1. Spread your job search out NJ and CT. Be willing to obtain nursing licensure in those states. Be willing to commute.
2. Continue to network. 70 percent of all job openings are never advertised, so continue to form friendships with those who work in the healthcare sector so they can put in a good word for you. Your employment applications will magically move to the top of the stack when you have a friend on the inside of the particular organization who vouches for you.
3. Be willing to accept employment outside the hospital. Walk into every nursing home, SNF, assisted living, hospice, home health company, private duty company, and public health center in the city. Apply in person during business hours (Mon thru Fri from 9am to 5pm) while dressed professionally. This may result in an on-the-spot interview.
4. Finally, relocate out of state if at all possible. You are in one of the toughest nursing employment markets in the entire US. I guarantee you would already have a job if you were in certain other states. I remain amazed at the number of people who are long-term unemployed, claim that they want to work, feel entitled to a job in a specific city, and refuse to budge to improve their circumstances.
Good luck to you.

I agree with this advice. Many nursing homes do not post jobs online and require you to walk in and fill out a paper application.

scaredsilly, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2014

As RunBaby said, you have only been licensed for under a month. Anything you applied for prior to that time doesn't "count", you need to be licensed to be hired. You got licenced the first day of the month that more managers take vacation than any other month of the year. So hiring is slower anyway, and it's still less than a month. It really isn't that long!

As many others said, you need to expand your search beyond hospitals, and you mentioned clinics, which is a good thing, but try LTCs, SNF, hospice, etc. They seem to be more likely to hire ADNs and new grads than hospitals in saturated areas.

The advice about looking in more rural areas is good advice. I know it isn't always possible to relocate but if it is, that's probably your best bet. If not, then decide how much of a commute you can do and look in those areas.

RunBabyRN · Dec 28, 2014

I appreciate the advice all except for that bit - some of the best nurses have took this test multiple times, I don't think most managers really care how many times it took me to pass the NCLEX - what matters now is that I passed and I'm licensed to practice.

You may not like what I said about this, but with 1000 other applicants for some jobs, most of whom got licensed within weeks of graduation, a manager (or HR) will look at that time gap, make assumptions, and pass on you.

Some of the best nurses don't have experience yet, but managers are passing on them as well. Some of the best nurses don't have acute care experience, some of the best nurses don't have ACLS, etc. That doesn't mean they're going to get hired. All I said is that you need to be able to speak to that time gap, because managers may ask. I am not judging you.

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2014

You definitely need BSN for big city hospitals. The only way to get past this is to have years of RN experience and enrolled in BSN or to know someone high up on the management ladder. Or to have worked in the hospital in some capacity and apply for an "upgrade" to RN with proof of starting a BSN program. As an ASN, you will have better luck in non-hospital settings such as clinics, nursing homes, rehab centers, etc. If you really want hospital, then look in rural areas where hospitals are not demanding of a BSN (and they have less applicants with BSN so less competition for jobs). Upstate NY, border towns in Texas, and states like North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana hire new grads with less regard as to what degree (ASN or BSN) they have as RN.

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2014

You also need to be patient...the hiring process from applying to official offer takes several months. Also as a previous poster said, anything applications you put in without an RN license number were most likely discarded. As a new grad almost 3 years ago, i did not waste time applying to any job until I had my license number available. Most jobs state RN license required in the job post so it is safe to say if there is no license number in your application , your app was ignored. Start anew with your apps since you have license now.

katie6126 · Dec 28, 2014

You also need to be patient...the hiring process from applying to official offer takes several months. Also as a previous poster said, anything applications you put in without an RN license number were most likely discarded. As a new grad almost 3 years ago, i did not waste time applying to any job until I had my license number available. Most jobs state RN license required in the job post so it is safe to say if there is no license number in your application , your app was ignored. Start anew with your apps since you have license now.

Wherein did I say I started to apply for jobs w/o my license? Like most people, I had to wait until I got my license to apply for jobs.

katie6126 · Dec 28, 2014

You may not like what I said about this, but with 1000 other applicants for some jobs, most of whom got licensed within weeks of graduation, a manager (or HR) will look at that time gap, make assumptions, and pass on you.
Some of the best nurses don't have experience yet, but managers are passing on them as well. Some of the best nurses don't have acute care experience, some of the best nurses don't have ACLS, etc. That doesn't mean they're going to get hired. All I said is that you need to be able to speak to that time gap, because managers may ask. I am not judging you.

I'm sorry, I do respect your point on this, but I completely find it hard to believe managers really care how many times you took to pass your NCLEX - besides I was told this by several of my professors. One of the best students in my nursing program passed on his first try & still can't find employment. Conversely, a woman who graduated a semester before me had to take it twice & is now working on a CC floor. There could be so many reasons for a gap from the time one graduates to the time one takes/passes the NCLEX that its rather odd that a manager would even ask you to explain that. Life happens. I'm sure there are tons of RNs who are completely terrible at their job yet passed the NCLEX the first time, that test has no bearing on real life practice as what you do when you work is definitely not always by the book. I understand you're not judging me but my worth as a nurse does not come from a test and honestly if a manager cares that much about that? They are not worth working for anyway. An RN possessing more credentials, education, and experience, yes I could see how they would get first choice but on this one topic my view won't be swayed and we are just going to have to agree to disagree Outside of that, I do appreciate the advice that was given to me thus far - the gist of it being I will just have to give it time & apply any place I could think of. I really want to thank all of you :)

klone, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2014

I'm sorry, I do respect your point on this, but I completely find it hard to believe managers really care how many times you took to pass your NCLEX - besides I was told this by several of my professors. :)

Well, you have several nurse managers right here in this thread saying yes, we really WOULD care. Now, if you applied with several years of experience under your belt, no. But as a new grad, we have very little else to judge your knowledge by other than school performance and demonstration of being able to apply the knowledge learned via the board exam. And as a hiring manager, everything else being equal, I would definitely rather bird the nurse who passes her boards a month after graduation over the nurse who has an inexplicable 6-12 month gap between graduation and licensure.

klone, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2014

Bird = hire. DYAC at its finest

RunBabyRN · Dec 29, 2014

I'm sorry, I do respect your point on this, but I completely find it hard to believe managers really care how many times you took to pass your NCLEX - besides I was told this by several of my professors. One of the best students in my nursing program passed on his first try & still can't find employment. Conversely, a woman who graduated a semester before me had to take it twice & is now working on a CC floor. There could be so many reasons for a gap from the time one graduates to the time one takes/passes the NCLEX that its rather odd that a manager would even ask you to explain that. Life happens. I'm sure there are tons of RNs who are completely terrible at their job yet passed the NCLEX the first time, that test has no bearing on real life practice as what you do when you work is definitely not always by the book. I understand you're not judging me but my worth as a nurse does not come from a test and honestly if a manager cares that much about that? They are not worth working for anyway. An RN possessing more credentials, education, and experience, yes I could see how they would get first choice but on this one topic my view won't be swayed and we are just going to have to agree to disagree Outside of that, I do appreciate the advice that was given to me thus far - the gist of it being I will just have to give it time & apply any place I could think of. I really want to thank all of you :)

You're right- there could be a lot of reasons for that gap. I've been a hiring manager (not as a nurse), and I can tell you I always asked about gaps on applications. One time, the reason was that the applicant had been in jail. Never assume a manager won't ask. That was all I was saying. I see that it's a sensitive issue for you, but you CANNOT get this defensive over it in an interview if you land one and they ask, or you can guarantee yourself a rejection e-mail. You can't "agree to disagree" that it might come up, because it just might. If you choose not to prepare yourself with an answer to that question should it be asked, that's on you.

You are also right, in that passing on the first try is not a guarantee for a job. Again, I passed 6 months ago, and I am still waiting on a hospital job. However, it won't help that it may have taken you longer. While the NCLEX is not a guarantee that a nurse will be good, it's the only standardized method of testing if a nurse will be safe. That is what it is. Again, the competition is fierce, and this is just one thing that MAY (or may not) hold you back.

DatMurse · Dec 29, 2014

I appreciate the advice all except for that bit - some of the best nurses have took this test multiple times.

Not to be rude, but based off what experience?

They have nothing to know about you but based off of what you have on paper which is graduation date, type of degree, and license. What separates you from the rest?