DEPRESSED New grad. What are we suppose to do?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone,

I know this thread is nothing new... I guess I'm just looking for some insight or something.

I finished school in June, passed and all that and I'm registered. I have been searching for about 6+ months.

I first started applying to manly hospital job postings but for the last couple of months I apply to anything. (besides Homecare- I do not have my own car)

My question is HOW am I suppose to be spending my days? ahhhhh!! I feel like time is flying by.

I have completed an ECG course and am starting ACLS which I'm studying for. (I'm praying and hoping with everything that this opens some doors). I heard from another new grad (she finished around Christmas- it took her a while too to also land a job)

I currently live at home. All I do is workout and apply to jobs.

I've received one call (during the summer for a camp nurse job- he wasn't interested when he found out I haven't received my results back yet). I went on a interview for a nurse pool position- thought the interview went well - sent a thank you card... did all I could do. Didn't get the position. That has been it......

I try to get the hiring managers names to address on each cover letter. Many times I've been hit with "Sorry we are unable to give any specifics as to who to address... that is confidential" So, I am left with putting "Dear Human resource" ( this is what human resource told me- keep in mind I have gotten Hiring managers names but what good would that do if it goes through Human Resource first?)

Many of my friends have landed positions. Most in their last yr clinical rotations.. but were secured with a position before they even wrote their exam. I can't help but compare myself to them. I LOVED my pre-grad clinical rotation. I had an awesome time... everyone in the unit (express unit- not an actual floor) told me to apply (to an open position on a new floor), gave me awesome words of encouragement and introduced me to the nurse manager... she wrote my name down and everything. I never received a call... but I heard through the grape vine that one of my male classmates did. He never stepped foot in that hospital or anything. I guess I was just really hoping for that. "Would have been perfect" :crying2:

I have student loans like crazy and I have to start repaying my 2nd one at the end of the month. My other loan is calling me every damn day. Seriously, I did not sign up for this.

I mean, Somethings got to give. This is keeping me up at night. I lose hours of sleep stressing over this.

And each time I see someone they ask me "Did you find a job yet?" ...............

I guess the only good thing that has come from this is that I have lost 30+lbs. Other than that God help me :crying2:

ps. And getting references are a whole other stressors. None of my nursing clnical tutors are even returning back my emails or anything. I need references to even start a volunteer application........ in the hopes of getting my foot in the door.

Wish they would have told us this before we took all these loans out :crying2::crying2::crying2::crying2: I am losing my mind!!

I live in Southern Ontario.

whoa, and excuse my typos and horrible grammar... just a little frustrated :no:

Specializes in Oncology, Psych, Corrections.
yeah, I'm thinking I might have to do that. :crying2: Wow though. Who knew ... I really think they should be informing the first years about the pros and the cons of nursing. :down:

Nursing hasn't always been like this though. I graduated in 2005 and had a job 3 months before even graduating.

I'm brand spanking new to this site and love it already! Everything is so helpful to me so heres my little input: my heart goes out to you and I understand what being unemployed can do. Im not even an RN (would love to be one someday) As an LVN (unemployed currently) I have found some solace and relief in temp positions. I dont know can you do that? Agencies, skilled nursing facilities, hospital float and PRN pools, flu/immunization clinincs etc. It can all add up to a full paycheck in a pinch! True its feast or famine, but it helps out. Hope I helped if not you then someone else out there.

Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.

Just like the Bay Area nursing jobs for new grads are almost impossible to find. It sounds like you don't have any ties holding you to Ontario besides friends etc.? Have you thought about moving? That is never fun (or actually maybe it could be!) but there are jobs somewhere...

Apply at anything and everything, even where they say they want experience.

I just got a job as an ED Tech (start nursing program in January) and on the application is said "Required 1 year experience as a CNA, preferable experience as an EMT". I have a CNA license but have never worked as one --in fact I have no patient care experience.

They want the cream of the crop but sometimes , even underquailified, you end up being the best of the applicants.

Good luck!

maybe get some other work while looking for a nursing job? even a CNA job? I feel the same too. I spend all day by myself gazing at computer and screen every local positions on Monster.com.

Specializes in ICU.

Well today there is another lovely little article on Yahoo news about the top 10 fields with the lowest unemployment rate, and nursing is right there in the list. According to them, nursing jobs are apparently plentiful. Don't know where they get their data from.

wow... I wondered that myself where are all the nursing positions at? this is the first time I have ever heard of the difficulties of new grads.

I'm in the same boat. I graduated Dec. 2010 and not even 1 interview. I've applied to over 300 jobs. I've stocked recruiters and managers. Nothing. I keep thinking something will happen.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Can you apply for some US hospitals that are near where you live? Years back we had a couple of nurses from Canada move and work at our hospital. Then after a couple years experience they were able to move back to Canada and get jobs there.

I think Canada has less jobs second to national healthcare where US has lots of hospitals competing with each other.

Specializes in none.

This is exactly what i am scared off . . .loans!!!. I am looking into the lvn program but im so scared of the student loans and not getting hired soon enough. I wish you the best and i hope we hear good news from you soon.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Psychiatric.

My suggestion is for you to contact your former professors, clinical instructors, hospitals where you did your rotations. Look online for career fairs or open houses. Take any job - CNA or GNA, unit secretary - if those are the only available as of the moment. When you are in the system, it is easier to bump you up. Don't lose hope please. If you forget all the advices here or just cannot handle everything, put this in your head "NEVER GIVE UP". Say that when you wake up, before you eat, before you work out, after your day and before you sleep!

Anne

Same thing here in Texas. I am a new grad ADN (Spring '11) and have applied at PLENTY of places with hardly any luck. I went to a local hospital's job fair and they were SO excited I came in until they learned I was a new grad. Then they said, "ohhhh....well, umm...you could apply for one of our internships, but we only have 2 spots and have over 150 applicants"...

jeez...as far as taking a job as a CNA or anything else hospital related, they are telling us that because we are already licensed RNs we cannot take another position that is not in registered nursing...

just got an email for an interview at a long-term acute care establishment...hopefully that will go well...every one of our classmates that have gotten jobs in a hospital (and that's 6 out of 46) were either already working there as a tech, etc or knew someone that pulled strings...

I have school loans too, but luckily I am just trudging along and taking enough classes this semester towards a BSN that my loans don't come due...as far as contacting former instructors or counselors, we have had some of the most difficult times getting responses...our program was pretty horrible about assisting with job placement or scheduling recruiters to come see us or to send us to...

of course, I'm not pouting...it's my job to go and...umm...find a job, but like others have said...keep your chin up, try to stay positive, and KEEP FIGHTING!...this is definitely teaching me to treasure any job offer and hold on to it for a long time if I get hired! ;)

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