Michigander BSN student worried about getting job when graduates! What to do NOW?

nursein2012 · Sep 13, 2010

I'm just curious..you are not BLS certified while you are in school? For clinicals?

Testa Rosa, RN · Sep 13, 2010

Try to get ACLS certification before graduation. Do well on your senior preceptorship and leave behind a resume for the nurse manager. Get your RN license as soon as possible and be prepared to travel to where the jobs are. And, be prepared to work any job even non nursing while you look for work.

Good Luck!

ObtundedRN, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2010

BLS CPR certification should be a requirement before you can start your clinicals. Maybe you should look through you program req's because I'm sure its in there, unless they plan to teach you CPR in class in one of your first weeks.

As for the point of your thread:

I would say to keep hope that the job market will be better when you graduate. I know in my area, the hiring of new grads is starting to pick back up a little (keyword is a "little"). And during clinicals, you definitely want to make a good impression on the nurses and managers. This will be very important in your final semester when you will start looking for a job. I know many of my classmates that got a job right out of school, were on units they did their senior clinicals or their senior internship. Myself included. Also, keep your grades up. Many places are starting to screen applicants by their GPA. But a lot of the jobs are coming from who you know. You need to make as many employed nursing friends as you can. They help at getting your resume in front of a manager and convincing them to interview/hire you. Also, If you're willing to relocate for a job, I have a few classmates that found incredibly great new grad positions, but they had to move.

The job market is tough, but there are still many new grads getting jobs. Good luck with school!

fortunato · Sep 13, 2010

THANKS! I MENT ACLS! - My head is full of Patho and Pharm right now....so needless to say a little fuzzy!

I am stuck in MI! UGH! Can't move due to house, hubby's job and family!

Thank you for ideas though! I am desperate to land a gig as soon as I can. I will basically take any job I can get! I hope my eagerness and willingness to work all holidays and weekends helps my case :)

LORD!!!!

Does anyone know if there is something particular they are looking for in new grads? Do you tell them your willingness or want to stay long term - so they know you are not a 1 year and out deal? Thanks!

mriley · Sep 13, 2010

I agree with the above posts...certifications look good...but experience is preferred. Work as a NA and hopefully the unit or hospital will hire you as an RN (thats how I got my first job).

WayneStateKatie · Sep 13, 2010

I know it's probably not what you're wanting to hear, but the number one thing they're looking for right now is experience. Things are not the greatest in Detroit at the moment, and landing that first job can be tough and competition can be stiff. Last spring I went to the seminar on resume writing etc. that the head of hiring for St. John Providence held at WSU. She didn't sugarcoat stuff at all. She said she has so many applications at the moment that she honestly doesn't even look at the new grad apps without experience, but will take new grads who have experience as nurse assistants and techs in the hospital. I believe she said she only took those with current hospital experience not even LTC or home care. Hopefully for us all things will pick up, but I"m not holding my breath. I figure it's pretty much the same at all the local hospitals.

You asked why they don't want new grads..... well there is a huge pool of nurses with experience right now that are wanting to work. Many had spouses in the auto industry who lost jobs and now these nurses are re-entering the workforce or picking up more hours to provide for their families. Nurses are delaying retirement or coming back to work because of the poor economic climate. It costs WAY less financially and timewise to hire a seasoned nurse versus a new grad. They aren't green and don't require the huge investment upfront to train these nurses.

Academics are important, but I think recruiters would rather take a 3.5 student with lots of experience and work recommendations at the moment over a 4.0 student who hasn't set foot in the hospital beyond clinicals.

I know the accelerated program has a lot crammed into a very short time period (one of the reasons I personally selected the traditional track. I wanted time to work during the program and only just have nursing classes). I would call the nurse recruiters at all the area hospitals and tell them your situation that you will be graduating in x number of months and are very interested in their facility. See if you can snag a contingent position as time commitments are usually minimal (think 4 hrs every 2 weeks). You can pick up way more shifts during holidays and breaks to get that experience in.

Good luck and hopefully something will work out and don't forget to network, network, network! It all seems to be in who you know these days that might give you the edge over another applicant.

NoviceRN10 · Sep 13, 2010

There are hospitals in metro Detroit that will hire new grads :). Out of my DEC 09 graduationg class (ADN), I only know of one person for sure that has not gained employment as an RN (Well, he did get two LTC jobs but quit both). Only half the class worked as techs or aides during school; many had no previous hospital experience when they were hired. I would think by the time you graduate there will be more job opportunites than there are currently. My classmates have gotten jobs at St John, Henry Ford, Beaumont, St. Joseph Mercy, and the DMC.

07302003, ASN, RN · Sep 13, 2010

As someone already mentioned, try to snag an NA or nurse tech job at one of your clinical sites (of course this is if you like the atmosphere on the floor). Talk to the nurse manager. Work hard, don't stand around and chat. Answer other's call lights. Volunteer to do stuff or help clean up patients. Showing a great work ethic could be a step in the door. Unfortunately, Wayne doesn't have preceptorships like other schools, but you'll have several clinical rotations. Best of luck!

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Sep 13, 2010

Hospitals are not hiring new grads because they take time (weeks to months) and time (about $60,000) to train a new grad when a nurse with experience only needs a few days of orientation, and merely involves how that particular hospital operates/policies, ect.

Honestly, it is a little late to be doing many of the thing you could be doing to help get a job. You should have been thinking about this when you entered nursing school. I did, and the "new grad crisis" only just started the semester I graduated. BLS is basic, it is not going impress anyone. Getting extra certifications such as NRP, ACLS, will look good in the sense that you already have that out of the way if the department you are going into requires it, but it is not necessarily impressive. Yes, you have to have extra stuff on your resume than the average new grad to get you in the door; but really, you have to sell yourself in the interview.

LordHaveMercy · Sep 13, 2010

I graduated in Dec 09 and am working at University of Michigan. I knew someone on the floor and she put a good word in for me so that at least got me an interview. The other new grads that were hired on my floor either had tech or extern experience, or were "recruited" by a nurse on our floor that also teaches clinicals there. So try to make connections and impress them in clinicals if you can't extern/work as a tech. Worst case scenario w/ my colleauges was a few had to work a few months in LTC to get "experience" and then they got in at hospitals. Just about everyone from my class is now working in a hospital. Volunteer experience is also important to many employers! ACLS wouldn't hurt, if you find you are having a hard time getting in somewhere. Best wishes!

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2010

I am from MI which is why I was attracted to your post. I have to say while I do worry about teh same thing I don't understand what people are thinking when they decide to change careers to nursing or otehr medical jobs. Do people think there are a million jobs just waiting for you when you graduate just because of advertisements or family members???? I'm not trying to be sarcastic but I have read so many threads like this and it kind of amazes me, and to a certain extent I understand it because Michigan has lost a lot, but how can you invest so much of yourself into a major and not have a realistic idea of whats going on with it so that you are properly prepared. I am just starting nursing school but I know its going to be a tough competitive market out there but I have faith it will all work out, I've always wanted to be a nurse and thats the only major I've had in school and will be my first career. I guess the point of my message is that I just don't understand why the current job market is so shocking to people, I understand its scary but it shouldn't be surprising. My sister just graduated from law school last summer and at the same time her class of 300 graduated 2 other law schools around us graduated with similiar class sizes. The job market is tough for everyone and every career right now and I don't anticipate it being any different when I graduate.