Why Won't Anyone Hire Me??

Nurses General Nursing

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Ok. So I've had my license now for almost three weeks. Since I got the happy news that i've passed the boards and am now an RN, I have been applying for jobs everywhere. To date, only staffing agencies have been contacting me only to tell me that I need at least 1 year of experience. How do I get that experience if no one will hire me since I don't have that 1 year of experience? I don't suppose that the time spent during clinicals counts as experience. Does it?

Since I already had a great full-time job in a very prominent company, I didn't apply for a temporary license to work as a GN when I finished school. I'm thinking now that maybe that was a mistake and that maybe that's how a new nurse gets their foot in the door in the event that they do not already work at a facility as a tech or a cna. And if so, what do I do now that the opportunity has passed? Am I jumping the gun? Should I really be like ok it's only been 2 1/2 weeks, give it time?

I've always had the impression that people would be beating down my door trying to hire me because there's such a demand for nurses. OK, I really didn't expect that to happen, but the silence from my phone not ringing is discouraging. Now I'm thinking that maybe I need a higher degree to make myself more marketable, so I started applying to different schools for their RN-BSN programs.

I'm not looking for an answer really... I just needed to vent. But it would help to know if maybe there's someone else out there who's gone through the same thing and is now working as an RN. It would be very encouraging.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

If you have applied for positions online, you need to either call HR or email them. If that doesn't give you results, put on some nice clothes and go meet with them in person.

You have to do a lot of leg work with some HR people, especially if they are swamped and this is the time of year they are swamped.

It's also only been 2-3 weeks and really in the realm of HR world, that isn't much time at all, however it doesn't help when you are anxious and ready to start working.

And, if you are applying for RN positions you are probably going to continue to get the rejection notices. At this juncture because you do not have any experience as an RN you probably should be applying for GN positions or RN internship positions. These are programs tailored to people who have just graduated.

There are many posts with similar experiences and some great advice. You could search those as well for more advice.

I also don't want to shoot you down, but depending on your location many GN positions have probably already been filled months ago. Most people start looking for jobs long before graduation and NCLEX and most graduates have a job lined up before they even take the NCLEX. However, that might not be the case, so you really need to check more into that. I just know that is the case where I live and it may be totally different where you live.

But RN jobs just don't appear at your door so you are gonna have to do more work than just apply and hope for the best. Start making some phone calls and sending out emails tomorrow.

Good luck to you!!!!

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I am a proponent of going in person to apply for jobs. I've been hired on the spot at least six times that I can remember off hand. One time the person I met at the reception area left for a time and when he came back I noticed a woman followed him and gave me a glance or two. I was given an appointment for an interview and found that the woman who came downstairs was the person doing the hiring. She didn't talk to me, just looked at me. Go to prospective employers with your resume and info in hand, you never know. You can take the time to go to floors and try to arrange meetings with nurse managers once you've been to the HR area. Making this effort just might be the trick. BTW each and every time I have applied for work online, my application has been ignored. So I continue to go in person. No matter what you do you are going to have to be persistent. So good luck. And don't give up.

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Identify hospitals in your area you want to work in, and identify nursing specialites you would like to orient in -- say if you are open to med/surg, peds, rehab, whatever, more than one might be helpful -- and call those units, ask the secretary the name of the manager and her number, and call her. If she does not return your call within a few days, call the unit and ask what days she's there. Then show up, dressed nicely, resume in hand, and wait for her.

It is very hard to get past HR in hospitals. I'm definitely not a new grad, but this fact influenced me to go into travel nursing instead of a regular job while finishing an online program ... this doesn't apply to you of course, but it can be hard for any RN to get past HR. The advice I gave you is what I finally figured out -- call the managers themselves and schmooze! There is frequently a disconnect between what they need and what HR thinks they need in terms of hires. The manager could also tell you when the next new grad training programs are, or give you suggestions on which hospitals WILL have them and who to call.

You gotta hustle, baby ... even with a shortage!

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Specializes in Pulmonary.

I know that in my area the hospitals have already been hiring for positions for months. I was actually hired at least 2 months ago, and I just took boards on Thursday.

What are your expectations in a job? Are you requesting specific hours or specific areas. I did not get the position that I wanted because there were three other graduating techs who already worked on that floor who were offered the positions first. Sometimes as a new grad you are more likely to have to work your way into certain shifts or positions. Good luck and be persistent. Show your continued interest and you will get hired!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

Another thought...If you are applying online, as many organizations invite you to do, check to make sure they received your info. I applied for a job online and could not figure out why I did not get a response because they had several jobs available and I was more than qualified. I finally decided to download the application and mailed it and my resume. They responded immediatly. Claim they never received my online application, even though I received an auto-response.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Are you willing to move? My facility is hiring and has positions for new grads. What kind of position are you looking for?

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i like all prvious advise:

call hr for an interview date/time

how many faclities do you have in your area, my dtr after grad had to take a job in another town, when she had built up about a years experience she came back to town and had her choice of jobs

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.
Are you willing to move? My facility is hiring and has positions for new grads. What kind of position are you looking for?

Where are you located NancyNurse? I am in the same position.......the hospitals where I live aren't really interested in new grads (or it is very competitive to get in as such) - I think in part b/c there are so many nursing schools in the area - so I am figuring out I need to relocate.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.

Go there in person! And remember that HR doesn't work fast. I was looking to change positions and put in an application a few years ago. I have 24 years of nursing experience and didn't get any response for a month. I went in person to HR....to find out that they had lost the application....hired on the spot.

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Are you willing to move? My facility is hiring and has positions for new grads. What kind of position are you looking for?

Thanks for the advice.

I think that in the end, I may need to relocate. Where are you located?

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Thanks Everyone!! I really appreciate all of the advice and I am feeling the love...:loveya:

I live in Philadelphia and there are a million and one hospitals here and in the surrounding areas, but there are also a million and one nursing schools so I know that the competition for the open jobs is going to be astronomical. But this is what I really want so I'm gonna follow through.

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