Nursing is the Biggest Mistake of My Life

Nurses General Nursing

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I am graduating in two months. It took me seven years from the moment I decided to become a nurse to when I started my BSN program. I thought I did everything right. Graduating Summa Cum Laude. Volunteering at every opportunity. Years of job experience in healthcare. Networking. But, I am getting turned down for every job I apply to.

I am still in debt, though I signed my life away for a scholarship that doesn't even guarantee a job but severely limits my employment options after graduation. My fiancé is talking about leaving me if I have to take a job that's not in a desirable area (even though I knew I might have to do that when I took the scholarship). But, even jobs that are considered "undesirable" won't take me. And it's not just me. It's all new graduates.

The best advice I could give anyone is not to pursue a career in nursing. I thought I was going to be an awesome nurse. I have the passion, the drive, the compassion, the dedication, the hard work--but that doesn't matter. If you don't have two years experience you can't even get your foot in the door. No one will take you.

I got one job interview but I flunked the "describe a situation where..." questions. The biggest employer in my area requires an electronic "talent" test and if you don't get the right algorithm your application doesn't even make it past HR, so it doesn't matter how hard you work. I regret the moment of "clarity" when I thought nursing was the right thing to do. Me, and thousands and thousands of other naive people who think they're actually going to make a difference in the world.

This is probably the lowest point in my life, and I've been through a lot. I thought I'd finally "made it". I thought I'd pulled myself up by my bootstraps. But I don't see any way out, now. I'm in debt and can't get a job, and neither can many, many other new graduates.

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
And I told the fiancé this...he says it's not so much that he'll break up with me, but he thinks that he'll be so unhappy living in the middle of nowhere that it will put undue strain on our relationship and we will end up breaking up

I'm sure this has been said, but if this is his attitude about a temporary living situation, it's probably for the best. What if you got in a car accident and became a quad? What if you had a child with severe birth defects, or a serious genetic disease? What if one or both of you lose jobs and you lose your home, as was the case for so many families a few years ago? Do you trust him to stick by you for better or worse, in sickness and health, richer or poorer....if he can't even promise to stick with you through a temporary living situation?

To address your job problem, like Guy in Babyland said your apps might not even be making it to anyone's eyes. With online application systems your apps might be getting filtered out since you at this point haven't graduated from an accredited nursing school and become licensed.

This happened to me a few years ago: I was applying for my current job which required ICU experience... well I had ICU experience, but my job at the time was in a long term acute care hospital. I had to enter my five most recent positions and school info into the system and then upload my resume. I called the recruiter maybe a month later and asked if they had seen it because the position had been posted for a while, and I thought my resume should have been at least competitive enough for a callback. Well, because the *most recent* position I'd entered wasn't an ICU position, it was filtered out. The nurse recruiter looked at my resume, and I got a call from HR later that day to set up a phone interview.

I would suggest making contact with flesh-and-blood people to introduce yourself and express your interest. Don't limit yourself to hospitals either...although I don't recommend home care for new grads personally, because as a new RN you will need to be able to ask questions. In home care it's you and the client, and 911 if needed.

I am sorry you are going through such a frustrating time. But I would point out I don't think nursing is the biggest mistake of your life; your biggest mistake would be sinking deeper into the hole you are in.

Many of us heard "no" before we got a job offer. Study for your NCLEX and take the test. If you have debt, get a job and work it to make a dent in it. So what if it isn't the nursing job you want? If it takes a while to get a job in nursing, take a job you can get that gives you some study time if you haven't passed the NCLEX yet.

If you are stressed out by your debt, do not get lured in to "I'll just go to NPschool or get my MSN" traps. There is nothing wrong with working retail or food service while studying for the NCLEX. If people in your life don't support you getting your finances in order, cut them loose. Easier said than done I know but you have to look out for yourself.

Give your first nursing job a chance. Work that job and claw your way out of debt. I'm down to 6K. Any new job will be overwhelming. Keep an open mind and look to the experienced people around you.

I would recommend contacting the scholarship committee to ask if they have any information on where other recent graduates have been able to find jobs. I would think if they are willing to pay for nursing school to staff underserved areas, they would have some insight on where the greatest needs are. And remember, even if you get 100 no's all it takes is 1 yes. Don't lose your confidence and determination. You have the right attitude as long as you have the willingness to move where needed. Good luck!

Specializes in PACU, ED.

Underserved doesn't necessarily mean distant and remote depending on where you live. There are family health clinics in my large city that qualify as underserved per the Feds.

I am a federally employed nurse and work for IHS. Can you tell me specifically what scholarship you have? I lived on a reservation for 8 years along with my husband. I loved it. It would be a great place to start your career. Also, have you checked out Comission Corp?

I am a federally employed nurse and work for IHS. Can you tell me specifically what scholarship you have? I lived on a reservation for 8 years along with my husband. I loved it. It would be a great place to start your career. Also, have you checked out Comission Corp?

jobellestarr, I am very interested in working for IHS. It is actually my top choice. This is definitely a point of contention for my partner, as he believes that he won't be able to find a job (a possibility) and will generally be unhappy there because there's "nothing to do". May I ask what region? Feel free to send a PM.

Both Navajo and Phoenix. I hope you don't mind my unasked for advice but you need to take care of you first. My husband didn't work either on the Navajo reservation but it sure was nice to come home to a well made dinner. It also frees him up so you can go on adventures together on your days off. Most reservations are in beautiful and interesting places so there's lots to discover. And your housing will be cheap and it's forced housing on the reservation so you can claim it on your taxes. It's hard not to save money. I say you do what you need to do and if your s/o loves you, he will follow. Best of luck to you and feel free to ask ?'s.

You will find life less stressful when you're not with someone who is arbitrarily announcing he will leave you if you don't do things to his liking. Dump him asap and you will find your life and outlook improving.

Specializes in ICU.

Can I ask a question? What school did you attend? Was it a for profit by chance? Is it a nationally accredited school?

Also OP, you don't have your license yet. Many places don't hire until you have that. Dump your fiancé. He sounds like an idiot.

You may need a course on how to write a resume and get some interview skills. Answering the personality questions is not difficult. There is some kind of issue there and you need to learn how to answer those.

There are places out there that can help you with the skills you need to obtain a job. Check with your school first.

Specializes in CVICU CCRN.

So, if your scholarship is through HRSA (federal) you may be pleasantly surprised at what qualifies as "underserved". There are many different criteria, and even the large trauma center I work for in a good-sized city is considered underserved. In the Pacific Northwest at least, large swaths of the region are considered underserved by the HRSA, and there are many different criteria: large homeless population, major mental health needs, large seasonal and migrant farm worker population, etc. You may not necessarily need to work at a critical access hospital that is "in shambles" as one poster stated. The system can be challenging to navigate but my philosophy is, when faced with a crisis, get all your facts lined up *first* and go from there. Try not to react based on assumption or what you think you know.

If this is the scholarship you are referring to, the website has a database that you can search for different regions to figure out which hospitals and clinics meet the criteria. You can search by address, zip code, etc. Of course, IHS is a given. It's also true that many smaller hospitals don't have residency programs and therefor don't consider applicants unless they have an active license, so that may be part of your current challenge.

Get your facts lined out, get your boards done, get a plan together, and keep moving forward. Best wishes.

You haven't even graduated and you already have such a defeatist attitude. How are you going to survive the world of nursing?

It took me and some of my classmates several MONTHS after earning our licenses before getting a job. In some places, new grads are unemployed for upwards a year before obtaining any employment.

At least graduate and pass the nclex before complaining about not having a job.

Unemployed for a year?? I hope that is atypical.

In response to previous questions: I am at a fully-accredited school, highly ranked. I have some loans from a previous bachelor's degree, and from my first of the two-year program (the scholarship only covered the second year). I should add, I live in a state/city where it is notoriously tough for a new graduate to find work, but knew this going into the program and am willing to move.

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