Graduated 7 months ago FL- still no job!

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I graduated with an FNP summa cum laude in May 2015. I have applied for every job I can find. The only one I've landed is one for home assessments for insurance. Which I'm grateful for but there is zero clinical work and experience gained. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm in the Tampa Florida area and having a really hard time. I'm afraid I'm going to forget how to be a nurse practitioner!!

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Better question, why stay in FL? FL has to be one of the worst states to be a NP practice wise.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Does FL have an APRN organization? What about networking with your clinical sites?

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I have to stay in Florida. Joint custody agreement

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Tampa family health center have you tried them?

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Better question, why stay in FL? FL has to be one of the worst states to be a NP practice wise.

I've said this in the past also. Very true. Least progressive of all the states when it comes to NP practice. But some people are stuck there for family and other reasons. I have friends who I went to school with there who want to leave but can't.

The bad news is that Florida's main metros are all saturated with NPs. Too many schools, too many new grads, and too few jobs---for new grads. The people who are hiring there have their pick of the litter and they are known to often offer some of the most ridiculously low salaries for NPs because they know they will find someone who will take it. There are some jobs there but the great majority of them will not consider new grads.

My suggestion to the OP is that she start looking in the towns outside the Tampa Bay periphery. It may involve a commute that's not too desirable but sometimes that's the only way for a new grad to get experience. She should also subscribe to a couple of the free NP journals and periodically review patho and pharm topics to keep the clinical stuff fresh in her head.

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Maybe try Texas. I've seen hospital posts that offer NPs a 10k sign on bonus like Houston Methodist Hospital. It's close enough to Florida. I'd have a talk with my ex if I was you. At the end of the day it's all for the betterment of your family.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

OP has said that moving is not option due to joint custody arrangement.

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www.larkinorthopedics.com They are looking for Ortho Nurse Practitioner and will train you. South Miami/
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I suspect that things are about to change in Florida for NPs. Some encouraging news coming through on my feeds over the past couple of days. It appears as though the antediluvian Florida legislature has once again picked up bills in both chambers to give NPs and PAs more practice privileges---including (finally) the authority to prescribe controlled substances. These bills are ridiculously wordy and far from perfect but at least this time the language isn't buried in a monstrous omnibus bill which includes unpopular items that everyone knows will die in committee. If these bills pass, there will be more opportunities and better pay for NPs and PAs in Florida. The pill mills and pain clinics would definitely be back.

We've seen all this before in Florida but I'm hoping they get it done this time. Susan Lynch of the Florida NP association has been working very hard on this for years.

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Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.

Have you tried rural health clinics like FQHCs? An old colleague was hired right after graduating.

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It's also tough in Northeastern PA. I've been out of school for awhile and it's tough finding a job where I live. I have my certification in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and can only get out patient. Looking for inpatient but no one wants to hire a new grad in the ICU. Major mistake!!!

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