Got my ADN & still jobless

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  1. ADN or BSN

    • 4
      ADN
    • 3
      BSN

7 members have participated

I graduated 08/2016 with my ADN, YAY!

Sat for my boards a month later & passed (bless me) but here I am in 11/2016 and have been rejected from Texas Children's, Memorial Hermann, & Methodist. Some of the hospitals like Ben Taub, Memorial (certain locations), and Methodist (certain locations) wont even let me past the questionnaire that asks if I have BSN. Even residency programs require BSN.

I knew I would be facing obstacles in regards to ADN vs BSN but I didn't know it was going to be this bad! It's almost disappointing...ALMOST!

But 01/2017 I start my RN to BSN program at UT TMC and I'm still debating between a 7 month hellish program or a 12 month hellish (but have some sanity intact) program.

My advice to everyone joining the nursing family (it's a great one!) go for your BSN!

Remember - [h=1]80% Of Nursing Workforce Should Have A BSN By 2020[/h]

I guess I just didn't realize how soon 2020 was coming.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I'm so sorry that you are experiencing this. I can only imagine how disappointing and frustrating it is. But, there are a lot of us here on AN who have been "spreading the word" about the growth of BSN-only hiring practices for quite a while. The DFW job market for new grads is very similar. Requiring BSN for residency programs was actually the FIRST step for most of the large systems. In some cases (such as Methodist), this effectively shut the door on ADN grads because the only way into that system for new grads was via their Residency program.

Have you checked with hospitals outside TMC? I know of a couple ADN's who were hired at the Memorial-Hermann campus in Katy after they were able to show proof that they were actively pursuing their BSNs.

Wishing you all the best on launching your career & pursuing your BSN.

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Oh man I hear you. It took me 4 months to get my first job after my RN with an ADN and I had to move 4 hours north. That said, after two years of experience I have moved to a new place and am job hunting again and my phone won't stop ringing! I've asked about whether it hurts me that I don't have my BSN and no one seems to care about it here (I'm in the Austin area). Good luck, stay positive and be willing to go to your first job, even if it's far.

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Well I was in the same predicament as you until I widened my horizons, there are jobs, its just might not be the most the desirable( depending on your definition ) place to work. I'm working at long term care facility and hospitals have started to call me for interviews. If I were you, start to look at places outside of the hospital , get some nursing experience and complete an rn to bsn program. Then you can reapply at those hospitals.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I had the same issue as you did. I eventually broke down and had to go to a a LTC faciltiy for about a year before I landed my critical care job in the hospital. I looked for months and months with no luck, so I feel your pain. I am a few classes away from my BSN now luckily! One good thing I can finally say now (I would have never admitted it when I was there) was that the LTC taught me amazing time management, med pass, rapid assessment, medication knowledge, oh and did I say time management skills. So try to look at the silver lining, you may not get the job you want right away, but that job will always be there. I was pretty devastated at first, but now after a year at my CC job I can really see where the LTC experiance helped.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I had the same issue as you did. I eventually broke down and had to go to a a LTC faciltiy for about a year before I landed my critical care job in the hospital. I looked for months and months with no luck, so I feel your pain. I am a few classes away from my BSN now luckily! One good thing I can finally say now (I would have never admitted it when I was there) was that the LTC taught me amazing time management, med pass, rapid assessment, medication knowledge, oh and did I say time management skills. So try to look at the silver lining, you may not get the job you want right away, but that job will always be there. I was pretty devastated at first, but now after a year at my CC job I can really see where the LTC experiance helped.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Just on a side note, before you commit to an RN to BSN school check out Western Governers program.

I got an awesome foundation in my ASN program and immediately enrolled into a 22 month program Within 3 months of passing boards.

22 months! I probably could have done it in 6months or less at WGU. Hindsight is twenty-twenty I guess. I'm doing my MSN right now and am on track to graduating in less than a year or two terms which is about $8000 total that my employer will cover with tuition assistance.

Good luck with your job hunt!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

WGU has a requirement that you have to be working as a nurse to be accepted.

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hi,

Did you find anything yet?

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I also have my ADN and passed the NCLEX on the first try. I am currently enrolled in a BSN program at UTA hoping to increase my chances of finding a job in the hospital. I was wondering if you had any success finding a job in Houston.

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