Help-Desperately Need Advice!

[LorileeRN]

I graduated in May 2010 with my BSN. I had a job lined up at a smaller hospital but they ended up dropping that position and resending the offer at the last minute. By that time it was too late to apply for internships/graduate positions because they had already been filled.

It is now almost October and I am STILL looking. I am so discouraged and cant help but be freaking out. I have applied everywhere and called so many different hospitals with the respose always being the same; I need previous experience or I will have to apply for intern positions for January. I can wait for January (right now I am doing medical exams for insurance companies so I have income). My worry is that being out of school for so long will keep me from being competative in January.

Any advice? Does anyone know of hospitals hiring grads or that dont require RN exprenience. I have my license and 1 1/2 years of extern experience in Surgical and ICU areas and I ran a whole medical facility for a camp last summer. I never thought that I would be having a problem finding a job. So bummed out.

Thank you- I would appriciate ANY insight!

[LorileeRN]

Thank you so much for the suggestion of Home health. I thought you needed experience for that too so I will definetly look it too that :)

[LorileeRN]

Do you have a professional resume? A cover letter?

I have both. I got help with my resume by someone who use to do that for a living.

[themoreyouknow]

I wish you the best of luck. The market is seasonal almost. A lot of student nurses are hired on after they graduate in May. Quite a few start quitting about this time as they realize the floor/dept they chose was not "for them". Keep your chin up! :)

If you have any friends who have been hired, sometimes name-dropping really helps. Med-surg floors are usually desperate for help.

If there is a place you would really like to work, here is something you can try. (Why not?!?) Call and speak with the unit manager. Ask if you can schedule a time to talk with her about tips for a new grad. "I'd like to interview you".

Most prof nurses like to talk about their position. Show up early. Dress professionally. Talk to her about her position as manager, her unit, and ask her what she suggests for a new grad. If you have a copy of your resume, bring it. Show her and ask "What sort of things do managers look for on a resume that make a new grad stand out?" "What would you suggest I do if I wanted to work for a unit like this one?" Chances are she will ask if you have applied. :)

My last director of OB suggested this to me. She was an interim director. She stated that the girls who came in to talk to her and ask what they needed to do to become employed on a specialty unit were the ones who stood out to her. "I tucked their names and resumes away to call when I had a position available because they were assertive." When a position opened up, she would call them. The ones who had followed her suggestions (NRP certification, ACLS certification) were the ones who were given an interview.

It's worth a shot if hospital nursing is what you are really looking for! :)

~Sherri

[LorileeRN]

Thank you so much for the suggestion! I will be trying that. I always call the hospitals I apply for and talk to the recruiter but I never asked for a face to face like that. Thank you so much for your advice.

[vwde]

Obnursesherri is really onto something. I have also been looking since I graduated in August (I know, not as bad as your situation, yet) and have applied EVERYWHERE and EVERY position. I just got an interview with the exact place I want because I called the unit and found out who the managers were and did some investigative work. I figured out their emails and sent messages with my resume/cover letter attached and expressed that kind of enthusiasm that includes "you won't be disappointed" with me! I also got on with my local free clinic as a triage nurse and with the volunteer fire/ems company. I have also (strange, I know) started EMT classes at night to show my dedication for emergency care and so I can do more when I'm riding the ambulance. Needless to say, no job yet but I'm incredibly hopeful since the Director of the ED emailed me and said she'd have her assistant set up an interview with one of her nurse managers! Persistence and assertiveness really pays off in this market!!!

[LorileeRN]

I tried your suggestion about calling the place I wanted to work however the reponce was "we dont give email adresses to employees" Was there a trick to getting the email address?

[vwde]

With the hospital I was applying to, I called the unit and asked for the nurse manager's name, and then asked if she was the appropriate person to receive resumes. Then I googled her to find out her background/email. I also was able to try different combinations until I got her email right since the hospital uses a "firstname.lastname" combination.

[jovial10]

You can try small community hospitals...

[LorileeRN]

I got a job!! I was hired at Plaza Medical Center Fort Worth for the internship in the neuro ICU!!! I am sooo excited. I want to thank all of you for your help and suggestions! I can not wait to start!

[OCNRN63, RN]

With the hospital I was applying to, I called the unit and asked for the nurse manager's name, and then asked if she was the appropriate person to receive resumes. Then I googled her to find out her background/email. I also was able to try different combinations until I got her email right since the hospital uses a "firstname.lastname" combination.

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't do that. If the hospital doesn't give out emails and someone goes to all sorts of lengths to figure out a manager's email, it could come across as cyberstalking. In this case it worked out, but just remember it could blow up in your face.

Personally, I would be furious if someone did this to me.

[enchantmentdis, BSN, RN]

Most hospital staff are prohibited from giving out email addresses of managers or any other employees. They have to have these gatekeepers in place or management would be DELUGED with resumes. There have to be some controls.