I've been reading and hearing about many graduate nurses both new and old who face a difficult time finding a job and experience for a while. I'm not sure if this may help or not, but if you feel as if you've applied to the jobs in the nursing avenue (RN, CNA, etc.), there is another avenue to look into.
The emergency medical scribe is a position where you (as a scribe) follow a provider in the emergency room and complete all the documentation (paper based or EMR). The pay is not as good as a nurses, but the experience more than makes up for it. You get to see everything the providers see without the liability. See everything, write everything, learn everything! They teach you why they do certain tests and symptoms of various pathologies (when it's not busy). Through working as a scribe, you get a very solid grasp of how things flow and more medical management. Some hospitals have these scribe programs in-house, but many hospitals contract with third party companies. (e.g. EMSS). (by the way, if you have clinical/nursing knowledge, you will have an advantage over other scribe applicants unless the program only wants medical students... but most programs hire undergrads who are going into nursing, NP programs, PA program, or medical (premed) students). If you can write down the conversation between the physician and patient, you can take a good history = you can be a great scribe.
I understand that to some, this is not the ideal RN experience because you will never flush and IV line or administer medication (you don't get to touch the patient); however, the experience gained is powerful. The experience you gain after working as a scribe with a nursing background is a potent combination that puts you in the mindset of a provider. This is the type of "wisdom" older nurses learn through the years. After working just one or two years, you may know and see things a "seasoned" nurse knows (or more).
After I graduated nursing school a few years ago, I had a very difficult time finding an RN position. I was applying to numerous positions that were not the most favored... When I applied to these positions, there was an internal conflict... I knew the position was experience, but I also knew it was not the best experience. It's very disheartening when you apply for many jobs and fail to catch a break. It's an absolutely horrible feeling to know you're a smart and kind hard worker, but cannot get others to see that and give you a chance. For those who are going through this, I understand how you feel and there are a lot who have felt/are feeling the same way.
Fortunately, someone referred me to the scribe position at a local hospital. I've never heard of a medical scribe, but I figured, I'd apply. I am extremely grateful for the referral and I loved being a scribe. I was accepted into an MSN program and working my way towards being an FNP. The scribe experience has given me such an edge in the MSN clinicals and it has help me "think" like a provider. When I was scribing, I've had various residents, PA students, and NP students inquire about working as a scribe (because they've never heard of it) and they would comment on how wonderful the experience was saying, "I wish they had that when I was in school" or "I wish I had known about this..". I wouldn't hesitate to work part time as a scribe while I'm working as an NP in the future. One ER attending I really admired once told me prior to leaving, "You never stop learning and seeing new things. Even after working ## years in the ER, I'm still learning. I hope you got to see a lot during your time here and I hope you get to see so much more." This opportunity has changed my life and without it, I don't know where I would be or who I would be... I really want to extend a hand to others who have struggled to find that "golden" experience. A hand to pull you out of a spiraling vortex of the RN Job Search and to a different safety ground.
