Frustration & No RN Job Opportunities

panurse9999 · Mar 3, 2010

I have 8 years of RN experience and have been unemployed for the last 2 years. I am licensed in PA and NJ and I cant find work anywhere. I got out of school in the mad frenzy "nurse shortage" and let me tell you....there was no shortage. I did get hired, but things cooled off in 2003, and finding work has always been hard...especially since hospitals fire their RNs every 3-6 months. This media frenzy of a nursing shortage was intended to bring more nurses into the field in anticipation of the baby boomers needing care...but that wont be happening for at least another 15-20 years, so we have all been fooled! Its been 8 years of pure hell, and I never earned enough to even pay down my school loans. I am taking a one way ticket out of healthcare and I wont look back.

LuvScrubs2, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2010

OMG your story is heartbreaking..... I hope it turns around for you... Good Luck to you

MissNikkiRN · Mar 4, 2010

Bariq, I too am a new RN graduate in NY. I have applied to numerous hospitals, craiglist, monster, checked out agencies, I am going to an upcoming jobfair from Spectrum so I am hoping that it turns around. Have you tried job fairs, aftercollege.com, indeed.comor any other options that I have suggested. I know it is totally frustrating and to top it off most of the postings i see are too far for me. i also have a school age child and I can't just pick up and relocate. i don't know your situation but I do know that what goes up must come down and what comes down must go back up. Good Luck and i will post my status updates as they change.

LuvScrubs2, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2010

MsNikkiRN , I am going to a nurse spectrum job fair in my area on March16. I hope this works out. :)

FLmomof5 · Mar 5, 2010

Bariq, I too am a new RN graduate in NY. I have applied to numerous hospitals, craiglist, monster, checked out agencies, I am going to an upcoming jobfair from Spectrum so I am hoping that it turns around. Have you tried job fairs, aftercollege.com, indeed.comor any other options that I have suggested. I know it is totally frustrating and to top it off most of the postings i see are too far for me. i also have a school age child and I can't just pick up and relocate. i don't know your situation but I do know that what goes up must come down and what comes down must go back up. Good Luck and i will post my status updates as they change.

Just a note from a previously single mom of 5..... kids adjust. I have been in IT for 18 yrs and I was laid off every 2 - 3 yrs. (While the Gov't was promoting that everyone go into IT! LOL! NEVER trust the government for advice.) Anyway, my oldest was born in CA, the next 2 in FL, the next 2 in CO. From there we went to NY (LI), TX, SC and landed finally in FL. One thing for sure, my children weren't afriad to enlist (had 2 in the USARMY), they aren't afraid to relocate for work and learned that $$$$ pays bills and you have to go where the jobs are. My youngest attended 9 schools before her freshman year in HS! :eek: But, the Lord has been kind and she will have only attended 1 HS. She is in AP/Honor classes, NJROTC, Varsity swimming and soccer. Next year she will be in dual enrollment. Moving isn't always a bad thing.

career#2 · Mar 6, 2010

No advice here....but I feel your pain. I'm in S. Jersey. Today was just about the last straw for me. I've been applying to every job that I come even close to meeting the requirements for. Im a May 2009 grad., 3.86 gpa, no prior healthcare experience but worked in a very detailed IT environment for many years (BS in Information and Computer Sciences), BLS and ACLS certified and enrolled in an RN to BSN program part time through Rutgers. Figured I'd go ahead and apply to New Grad positions again this year. Received a rejection letter today. Called nurse recruitment, of course neither of them are available. Secretary asks if she can take a message. I explain the rejection letter, graduated last May, better than average GPA and explain that I had spoken with someone in the office before and was told that I can't apply for open RN positions either. The response was that you can apply for positions if you have 1 year of experience. Do you see my problem??? She took my name and number with the promise that a recruiter would get back to me. Still waiting on that phone call. I've not been particular with jobs, I've applied to LTC facilities, Dr's offices, hospitals, dialysis, home health care....you name it. Thank goodness for the home health care agency that I've done flu clinics for. I'm going in for training next week to do cholesterol and blood glucose screenings. They'd like to use me for other things but have a corporate policy for home health care that you have to have a year of experience. I'd move in a minute if I could. However, my husband is the only one of us making any money and he owns a business here.

I made the decision to go back to school to be a nurse after taking some time off from my prior career to be with my kids. It was pretty much school or back to work. If I had to do it all over again, no question I would go back to my old job (and am currently exploring that as an option). I don't think there's anything else that I can do to make my resume look any better - I don't think additional certifications will help and I'm doing/I've done the best I can as far as school is concerned. My employment history is just about as good as it gets, letters of appreciation, individual applied excellence awards, etc. Just don't know what else I can do. Too experienced for a new grad position and not enough experience to apply for open staff positions. That just takes the cake. I could kick myself squarely in the backside for not trying to return to a M-F job with no nights and weekends that paid better sooner. When I think of the lost income over the past 3+ years, combined with tuition costs and lost time/experience it just literally makes me feel ill.

LuvScrubs2, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2010

Career2 I agree with you.... It's so hard out here... I live in Philly and I can't even get a position with home health because they require " 1 year experience". I feel like it's a CONSPIRACY against new grad RN's..... I wish these nurse recruiters/HR people would see our point of view... In addition I hope they remember that they too were new grads....

career#2 · Mar 6, 2010

Sorry my post yesterday was looooonnnggg on the rant and short on advice. It is just so frustrating. To make matters worse this area had only been graduating associate degree RNs. This year a local college will also be graduating a class of BSNs for the first time. Yay. I've asked on one occasion if the community college plans on cutting their class size. I was met with a pretty emphatic 'No!'.....seems there's a nursing shortage looming. That may very well be, but by the time it comes to fruition, a good portion of those trained will have fallen by the wayside or moved on to greener pastures. I feel like a victim of some fraud scam.

Anyway, back to the advice part. These are the only other things I can think of. Volunteer somewhere even vaguely medical related. May not help but it can't hurt and you never know who you might meet. If you can afford it, take additional classes or certification courses. While humiliating, it's nice to be surrounded by that many employed nurses, never know when you might hear about a job opening. Good feeling, too, to know that even though I'm feeling rusty I'm able to keep up with the experienced nurses. I wish there was a way for me to push my clinical skills along, too. Anyone else have any suggestions?

MissNikkiRN · Mar 6, 2010

Well Flmomof5 I am glad that the moving worked out for you and the kids. I appreciate the advice on not being afraid to move. I have to say that for right now I am going to tough it out and stay positive. I know that something has to eventually come up. I will keep moving in mind if need be. :)

MissNikkiRN · Mar 6, 2010

No advice here....but I feel your pain. I'm in S. Jersey. Today was just about the last straw for me. I've been applying to every job that I come even close to meeting the requirements for. Im a May 2009 grad., 3.86 gpa, no prior healthcare experience but worked in a very detailed IT environment for many years (BS in Information and Computer Sciences), BLS and ACLS certified and enrolled in an RN to BSN program part time through Rutgers. Figured I'd go ahead and apply to New Grad positions again this year. Received a rejection letter today. Called nurse recruitment, of course neither of them are available. Secretary asks if she can take a message. I explain the rejection letter, graduated last May, better than average GPA and explain that I had spoken with someone in the office before and was told that I can't apply for open RN positions either. The response was that you can apply for positions if you have 1 year of experience. Do you see my problem??? She took my name and number with the promise that a recruiter would get back to me. Still waiting on that phone call. I've not been particular with jobs, I've applied to LTC facilities, Dr's offices, hospitals, dialysis, home health care....you name it. Thank goodness for the home health care agency that I've done flu clinics for. I'm going in for training next week to do cholesterol and blood glucose screenings. They'd like to use me for other things but have a corporate policy for home health care that you have to have a year of experience. I'd move in a minute if I could. However, my husband is the only one of us making any money and he owns a business here.
I made the decision to go back to school to be a nurse after taking some time off from my prior career to be with my kids. It was pretty much school or back to work. If I had to do it all over again, no question I would go back to my old job (and am currently exploring that as an option). I don't think there's anything else that I can do to make my resume look any better - I don't think additional certifications will help and I'm doing/I've done the best I can as far as school is concerned. My employment history is just about as good as it gets, letters of appreciation, individual applied excellence awards, etc. Just don't know what else I can do. Too experienced for a new grad position and not enough experience to apply for open staff positions. That just takes the cake. I could kick myself squarely in the backside for not trying to return to a M-F job with no nights and weekends that paid better sooner. When I think of the lost income over the past 3+ years, combined with tuition costs and lost time/experience it just literally makes me feel ill.

Wow Career #2 I can relate. It is very frustrating with these nursing recruiters and HR staff. I guess how quick they forget when it doesn't concern them. I have to say that it does make me feel a little better when I hear other people with situations that closely resemble mine. Only because it allows me to understand that it is not something that I did or didn't do, right now this is what it is. You are an educated person from what I can uncover and you do always have that degree to fall back on but don't give up on nursing just yet, not until you have at least gotten your feet wet. The tide will come in sooner or later. There is a saying that I heard in nursing school that I find does hold true. "Weed out the weak and the strong will be left standing." I think if we hang in there and keep applying, submitting resumes, going in in person as opposed to an online application might help. I did read your next comment about volunteering. That is an option because it allows you to come into contact with the people that either are doing the hiring or could put a good word in for you. What about your school do they have any resources for you. :hrnsmlys: Pretty soon we will all look like this image because our long and frustrating battle will be over until we start our nursing career and prepare to embark on a new one.

panurse9999 · Mar 7, 2010

Career2 I agree with you.... It's so hard out here... I live in Philly and I can't even get a position with home health because they require " 1 year experience". I feel like it's a CONSPIRACY against new grad RN's..... I wish these nurse recruiters/HR people would see our point of view... In addition I hope they remember that they too were new grads....

That is true...it is a conspiracy, but its for ALL nurses, experienced or not. The well published "shortage of nurses" was only a myth designed to flood the market with nurses, so that hospitals and the like can fire everyone and re-hire with smaller pay rates. Its a way to decrease nursing wages, and make nurses a dime-a dozen. In 2004, I resigned from a job, giving 2 weeks notice. Later that day, I was fired, and another nurse was already there to take my place. That is an indication of a nursing surplus, rather than a shortage. In 2009, 2 NJ hospitals (nursing staff) went on strike. The agencies hired to fill all of the positions temporarily were able to find 400+ staff in less than 2 days. Now will people listen to me when I repeat myself over and over...THERE NEVER WAS A SHORTAGE!