Decided to go back to the corporate world....

[shoegalRN]

Hello all!

I am a new grad just graduated on May 16th. I have been applying for RN jobs since February. I have been on 4 interviews and no offers. I left a very stable and well paying job in corporate america to attend nursing school full time. During the last 2 1/2 years, I had enough money saved from personal savings and student loans to keep me afloat.

I am a single mother with a mortgage and car payment. I had enough money to last me through May. I have contacted all my creditors to let them know I am unemployed and currently looking for a job. I have put in over 50 online applications for RN jobs in and out of state. I get the same rejection email daily: we have decided to go with someone who's a better fit/has more experience for our needs.

I am scared to death of losing my home. I've been in my house for 10 years and it's the only asset I have, considering I used my 401-K and pension to get me through nursing school. I attended a nursing school who is affliated with a hospital network and they agreed to pay for my schooling if I agreed to work for them 3 years after graduation. Although I have this scholarship, they have turned me down and this hospital system was 3 of the 4 interviews I've been on.

The dean claims she is gonna get to the bottom of it, and my contract says I have 30 days from graduation to find a job within their hospital organization or payment starts. In the meantime, I am dead broke, and doing the best I can to keep my household afloat. I've had to borrow money from a friend to pay for my state boards.

Today, I went to a job fair and was offered an interview right on the spot for an insurance company. I am currently taking Kaplan and decided to take boards in July. If I get this job at the insurance company, I have decided I will not return to nursing. I am already behind my classmates as far as on the job training and skills are concerned.

Although I will miss the bedside and patient care, my main priority is keeping my house and getting my financial status in order. I had NO debt prior to nursing school, now I'll owe about 40K in student loans, considering I'll have to pay back the scholarship to the school. My credit is now shot, because I have a 30 day late on my mortgage and all of my credit cards. I can't sleep at night and I find it hard to concentrate on studying Kaplan. I figure once I get myself out of this financial mess, I'll return to nursing and take a refresher course.

Any suggestions on how to keep my license updated and active while I am working outside of nursing? Any help would be greatly apperciated!

[caliotter3]

SoundofMusic the "Strange" thing going on is a bill called "Nursing Relief Act 2009" Someone from California introduced a bill to so that they can import up to 50,000 nurses a year from China/India. If you are not aware of it, maybe you should google that and see what comes up. Our Nurses can't find work, but they are screaming shortages and attempting to get 50,000 a year from other countries

When I got laid off and ended up living in my car, I noticed that none of the nurses from other countries were laid off. Never saw one of them at the unemployment office. Never met one living in a car. In my home town, at the facility where I was laid off from, each one of them who wanted two jobs, had two jobs. Full time with overtime if desired. My DON didn't care one rat's patootie about my mortgage or my family or my education or anything else about me. Too busy keeping the schedule convenient for her favored workforce.

[butterfly journey]

I'm with Keithjones, pay your mortgage first, the other bills can wait. If you have to end up filing bankruptcy (I pray that you don't), they cannot take your home unless you've been delinquent on it, so don't be. I also agree take the insurance job while it's there. Nothing is forever and keeping up your license is doesn't sound like it's too difficult.

Good luck.

[Ayvah, RN]

Pay your mortgage only... screw your credit cards till you get on your feet. You already own a home so dont worry about your credit score. don't be too proud (like i have been in the past) to get foodstamps to cover your food needs. then pay mortgage and power bills.

Above all DO NOT answer your phone... I havent made a credit card payment in over a year and don't answer the phone unless i recognize the number. They will have you convinced that they are going to take your home and ruin your credit forever. Usually it takes 2-4 years before they will take you to court... if they even bother at all. They don't want to risk forcing you into bankruptcy and collecting nothing at all.

This is a slippery slope; I encourage doing everything possible to not get into this situation.

Have you applied for night shift positions too?

[doesntlookgood]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

In an earlier time, I warned that Nursing Organization have to really bust their Azz regarding public & legislative outreach.

Just like how most people think the typical Airline Pilot makes 200K a year and only works 11 days a month.

In the meantime, here are a couple of links that make for VERY distressing reading.

Just like my old membership in the Air Line Pilots Association...make sure your keep sending your membership fees / dues to Headquarters.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1001.IH:

http://www.mdnurse.com/W-visa.html

Damn. I'm so sorry, guys.

DLG

[Riseupandnurse]

I think it is fantastic that you may very well be able to get a job where your nursing education will come in handy. I know it's not what you planned, but it might all turn out for the best. My advice would be when the economy lets up to keep the good job and maybe try a little week-end work in a hospital or a LTC facility. My personal opinion is that home health and hospice are not good fits for a new nurse with no experience; there is too much independent critical thought. I did home health after 3 years in a hospital and I still found it very hard. I missed the pharmacy, the access to doctors, and the advice of my colleagues and returned to the hospital after 9 months.

[newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Not to question what you've told us but what kind of employer offers a scholarship if you work for them after you graduate and then when you finish they don't have a job for you but they expect you to pay them back? I have heard of similar scholarships (including from my current employer) but if they don't have a job for you when you graduate the repayment is waived and you are released from any contract with them to seek other employment. Re-read the paperwork--I suspect you don't owe them if they can't find a job for you.

[kjwarren]

Not to question what you've told us but what kind of employer offers a scholarship if you work for them after you graduate and then when you finish they don't have a job for you but they expect you to pay them back? I have heard of similar scholarships (including from my current employer) but if they don't have a job for you when you graduate the repayment is waived and you are released from any contract with them to seek other employment. Re-read the paperwork--I suspect you don't owe them if they can't find a job for you.

Actually I have read the opposite, that if they don't have work for you, you are SOL. I was hoping this wasn't true. I really hope you are right. :/

[shoegalRN, RN]

Not to question what you've told us but what kind of employer offers a scholarship if you work for them after you graduate and then when you finish they don't have a job for you but they expect you to pay them back? I have heard of similar scholarships (including from my current employer) but if they don't have a job for you when you graduate the repayment is waived and you are released from any contract with them to seek other employment. Re-read the paperwork--I suspect you don't owe them if they can't find a job for you.

The contract says "by agreeing to sign this contract, I understand it does not gurantee me a job after graduation".

It also says that if I don't get hired for anything other than no jobs available, I am still responsible for the loan. Considering that my other classmates have gotten jobs within their network, they are saying jobs are out there. They are also saying since I've been on interviews, that shows that jobs are out there. I am considering taking this so called contract to an attorney once I get on my feet. I've saved all my rejection emails from positions I've applied for, as well as my dates of interviews, the units I've interviewed on, and with whom I've interviewed with.

And the school sure isnt trying too hard to do anything about this situaiton.

[shoegalRN, RN]

This is a slippery slope; I encourage doing everything possible to not get into this situation.

Have you applied for night shift positions too?

Yes, I have applied to days, nights, and weekends. I have also applied for PRN (which I know I wouldnt get because they want a year's experience) as well as part time.

Meanwhile, they are still advertising for jobs day in and day out.

At this point, I have given up. If I get this job tomorrow, I will work it and sit for my boards. I will try to get myself out of this financial mess I've dug myself in, and maybe in a couple of years or so, I'll try nursing again. But for right now, my main concern is saving my home and getting on my feet.

[shoegalRN, RN]

And another thing, my friend who is a nurse and is currently working at the hospital I interviewed for told me they just gave all the RN's a 5% raise. They are now starting new grads off with a slightly higher pay than some hospitals in the area.

But let them tell it, they can not hire new grads due to the economy. I think it's cheaper to try to retain the current nurses they have and work them to death instead of training a new grad. And this hospital organization is NOT losing money. In fact, they made a 10% profit from last year.

[bluesnurse]

The contract says "by agreeing to sign this contract, I understand it does not gurantee me a job after graduation".

It also says that if I don't get hired for anything other than no jobs available, I am still responsible for the loan. Considering that my other classmates have gotten jobs within their network, they are saying jobs are out there. They are also saying since I've been on interviews, that shows that jobs are out there. I am considering taking this so called contract to an attorney once I get on my feet. I've saved all my rejection emails from positions I've applied for, as well as my dates of interviews, the units I've interviewed on, and with whom I've interviewed with.

And the school sure isnt trying too hard to do anything about this situaiton.

OK, to me it sounds like it's time to get to the bottom of this "no jobs available" clause. DEFINITELY, you need an attorney! If they are currently hiring nurses, there *are* jobs available. Have any other scholarship recipients had the same problem? How's the network's quarterly report looking? What's up with the school?

In the meantime, definitely take the corporate offer for now. Don't make any career decisions until your bills are paid. I'd strongly encourage you to get your nursing license. You left the corporate world for a reason and you have sacrificed so much to go to nursing school. At least keep that door open a little. Things may look a little different when you are back on your feet, and I guarantee you we will still need nurses!

But really ... get a lawyer.

[shoegalRN, RN]

OK, to me it sounds like it's time to get to the bottom of this "no jobs available" clause. DEFINITELY, you need an attorney! If they are currently hiring nurses, there *are* jobs available. Have any other scholarship recipients had the same problem? How's the network's quarterly report looking? What's up with the school?

In the meantime, definitely take the corporate offer for now. Don't make any career decisions until your bills are paid. I'd strongly encourage you to get your nursing license. You left the corporate world for a reason and you have sacrificed so much to go to nursing school. At least keep that door open a little. Things may look a little different when you are back on your feet, and I guarantee you we will still need nurses!

But really ... get a lawyer.

There are 6 students who did not have a job lined up in their network. Out of the 6, two of them had jobs outside of the network. It is funny that these two students were contacted for positions they didnt even apply for. I applied for 5 positions with one hospital within the system two weeks ago and I called the nurse recruiter to do a follow up on my application. She calls me back two days later and left a message saying all five positions I applied for (that specifcally stated new grads are welcomed) are now full and I am free to apply for other positions on their website. I checked the website the very NEXT day and those same five positions were posted again. I was informed today by a classmate she got a call from the same nurse recruiter granting her an interview for tomorrow. I called the nurse recruiter back and asked her about the job openings and asked if those positions were now opened again. She stated they were still filled, but still being advertised on the website until the employee actually start working after accepting the job offer. I then asked her can she tell me which positions that are being advertised on the website are not filled so I may apply for them. She couldnt give me an answer and told me she will keep my application on file for "future reference".

I have a girlfriend whose husband is an attorney. I will check with her to see if he can review this so called "contract" and let me know my next move. It sounds to me this hospital system is trying not to hire me for whatever reason or another and I dont' know why. I've already worked as a Nurse Intern in one of the hospitals within the system and got good reviews although my PRN position was canceled.