****Highly decorated RN new grad can't find a job...Any advice???****

[95catamount]

hi, i graduated from an accredited nursing school with a bsn in december 2008. i have passed the nclex exam. i have applied to over 60 positions in 13 hospitals in both south carolina & north carolina. if i hear back from any of them, i receive a "flush" letter saying i have been turned down for the position because i have no experience. i have applied to numerous nursing home, long term care and dialysis facilities in a 60 mile radius of my home.

i was the president of our school's student nurses association(sna), a member of sigma theta tau international and in the top ten of our class academically. i was on the dean's list for several semesters and on the national dean's list for 2 years. i have two bachelor's degrees and over 10 years of management and sales experience in addition to my bns degree. my wife is a physician and owns her own practice. i have been working as a nurse prn in her office but have limited hospital experience.

i have contacted several former professors, my preceptor as well as many friends and acquaintances in the hospital. they have been little help. i feel that have a good relationship with all of the people that i contacted; however, if i hear back from them all it may be responses like "hang in there", "it's tough all over", "i'm sorry" and "it will probably better in the fall". most of my emails and phone calls are met with silence. i am sure will improve over time but i need a job now. i am sure this post sounds like a "me too" post. it may be but i am strong, driven, able bodied, competitive and ready to work hard now!

i am willing to work most anywhere in the southeastern u.s. (preferably north carolina, south carolina, georgia, tennessee, virginia or alabama) in a hospital setting so i may "get my foot in the door" and acquire some nursing experience. if someone is willing to hire me as a traveling nurse (in which room & board are covered), i will be willing to go anywhere in the united states.

thank you all for your time and willingness to listen & consider my situation.

dan hunt

upstate south carolina

[95catamount]

Thanks for the post. I looked at the Duke Medical Center web site earlier today. I did not see any RN jobs listed that did not require experience. I don't know any one there to ask if there is anything "off the books". I have hit the WNC market (Asheville, Brevard, & Hendersonville) heavier than the rest of the state (due to my location and network).

[95catamount]

leslie :-D, Thanks for the post. I hear what you are saying. The post I have put on this thread is the first time I have used this language. I am just frustrated. I feel that went the extra mile and spent countless hours to better my school and help the faculty in many ways in addition to keeping up the demanding work load. It seems that in some ways it was all for not. I have not even had an opportunity to speak to anyone in a hiring role at the hospital. I have been told that no applicant will be seen unless they have experience and have submitted their application online. I have not even had the opportunity to come across too strong (tongue in cheek).

[95catamount]

ohmeowzer RN, Thanks for the post. Do you have any advice on getting into see anyone in the hospital that is a position of hiring? I have been told by countless employees and professors that you should fill out applications online but not to call or go to the hospital in person. For the most part I have followed their advice, however; I did visit one hospital's HR department but they refused to see me. I was told that I was not able to talk to any nurse managers or HR staff. I have not been able to talk to anyone in a position of hiring ant any facility yet. I feel like I will make a good impression if I only have the opportunity to see them in person. Thanks!

Dan

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

moved to nursing career advice forum.

check our thread: wondering why you can't get hired or promoted: resume + interview hints!

2008-2009 will be remembered by nursing graduates + hr departments as tough time to graduate and hire. due to the economic down turn, this is the tightest nursing job market in 15 years for new graduates --and experienced nurses alike. philadelphia to boston is one of the tightest areas for new grads. yet 5-10 years from now, 40% current rn workforce will begin retirement, some moving to part time positions rather than full retirement due to economic hit our savings taken over past 2 years and easing our of career. this has also been my experience with rn's retiring in the last 5 --all 3 stayed on per diem; one working till age 75, only stopped as spouse got sick.

due to economic forces/reimbursement issues, skilled nursing facilities in philly area are not hiring new rn grads for floor positions utilizing lpn's instead.

2004 average age of rns climbed to 46.8 years, the highest average age since the first comparable report was published in 1980.

• just over 41 percent of rns were 50 years of age or older (33 percent in 2000 and 25 percent in 1980).
  
• only 8 percent of rns were under the age of 30, compared with 25 percent in 1980.
  

the registered nurse population: findings from the 2004 national sample survey of registered nurses

please look at the link above for resume and career interview advice, especially questions to expect in interview and ways to answer. agree with leslie :-d, make sure your desperation to land rn position not coming off as "hard sell" individual. managers want people who are capable of working together as a team, eager to learn, show interest in organization as a whole and have prior work experience of 1-2 years duration (shows capable of sustained interest, not job hopper) along with education that meets job requirements.

in my 7 yrs as manager, those that come across as overconfident in an interview, often don't last through orientation as not receptive to learning from staff, are perceived by colleagues as "me" needing to get out on time, wanting everything now when colleague in middle of crisis situation, and don't see the "we" in offering to help out colleagues when own work caught up. i once lost a job where i'd worked agency and had applied for staff --just having 2nd child wanted 2-3 days per diem, voiced how position would fit me ---and staff perceived not a team player and offer rescinded.

last rn and clerical positions i've hired, very disappointed that applicants are listing educational/clinical settings as work experience --it's' not the same! list separately as "clinical experience". do not list not list "exz college graduation 2011" when you have not yet matriculated or only taking 1-2 courses.

do list college major and years attending program: 2nd yr student in business administration, 3rd year nursing major, senior in healthcare administration program etc.

no paid job experience but have volunteer experience --list under that heading. very important to include as shows willing to be a member of a community.

resumes should have 1 inch margins so when i print from online job website info not chopped off the page ---also allows me to highlight /comment on skill in margins.

when interview granted, bring crisp typed reference list! shows you are prepared instead of asking for piece of paper from interviewer, digging in handbag for crumbled prior photocopy list, looking in cell phone for names or telling me you'll email list. dress for interview success in business casual without children in tow. turn cell phone off or on vibrate during interview. my experiences past year hiring staff.

be prepared to settle for a non-hospital first position. place your resume out there on career sites. pull out the phone book and apply to every medical hospital, free standing medical facility, home health agency and doctors office in the area you desire to work. apply for student internships, nursing assistant, unit clerk/ uap positions to get your foot in the door. network with charge staff at clinical sites, clinical instructors and attended district and state nursing association meetings ---never know when someone is hiring! expect the search to take 6 mo-1 year if living in tight job market. i do expect hiring freeze to ease up in 2010.

wishing everyone best in landing that first position.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Great advice..

[95catamount]

Thanks NRSKarenRN! That is great advice. I'll look at my resume.

[CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

If you're willing to relocate, King's Daughters Medical Center (Ashland, KY) is hiring new RN grads.

[MedSurgeMess]

Thanks NRSKarenRN. I wish that all new grads could read what you and other posters have said. I sit on an interview team at my hospital and read many resumes too. Most people wouldn't believe how many state that they will work only day shift, M-F only, no weekends or holidays. Then they call, and can't believe that we're just not dying to hire them. All new grads: make yourself as marketable as possible! Take on volunteer experiences if possible. Take any job in nursing if you have to, LTC is not for losers! Be open to things other than your dream job. Many a nurse has went into a "nightmare" job, only to fall in love with that area beyond anything they could have imagined. There are so many variables, don't close yourself off from any experience.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the post. I looked at the Duke Medical Center web site earlier today. I did not see any RN jobs listed that did not require experience. I don't know any one there to ask if there is anything "off the books". I have hit the WNC market (Asheville, Brevard, & Hendersonville) heavier than the rest of the state (due to my location and network).

Are you looking online and if the job states "1 year exp required" you aren't applying? APPLY! You never know what they will accept or what theya re thinking or what jobs aren't yet listed. APPLY!

[dreavt, BSN, RN]

To to original poster: I don't have any real words of wisdom, but I feel your pain.

I graduated May 16 (although from an ADN program, it is a program with a better reputation than some of the BSN programs in the state) with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, have connections at the hospital whose new grad program I wanted in on, have another Bachelor's degree, passed the NCLEX a couple of weeks after graduating, have worked for 4+ yrs at a hospital in a secretarial capacity, etc. -- wouldn't call myself highly decorated, but just generally feel like I'm a "good catch."

The market is pretty tight (i.e. the two teaching hospitals in driving distance have suspended their new grad programs) around here (New England) too and it's been hard to decide how to proceed. I'm not "too proud" to work in LTC or a dr's office, but I have a very definite goal of working in oncology, and neither of those get me any closer to that goal.

I actually just landed an interview on Tuesday for a PRN position on an inpatient oncology unit at the hospital I've had my heart set on. I first applied to this hospital online in March. PRN is going to be rough -- I carry the insurance for my partner & daughter, so I will have to keep my current (secretarial) job for benefits, limiting my availability -- assuming they even hire me! But I have to go for it -- I'm grateful to even get a face-to-face meeting, much less holding out for a benefitted position.

So the only advice I have is what you've alread heard, I guess: be patient, be willing to take anything, and know you aren't alone!

And to NRSKarenRN: THANK YOU! Your advice and input is really appreciated!

[jenhen82]

I haven't read the whole thread of responses, yet, but had some suggestions. I, too, have had difficulty finding employment as an RN even with experience as RN, LPN, and CNA. Anyway, I know of a couple of places to try in Virginia Beach area if that interests you. I went to school for LPN at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Its the site for training for Eastern Virginia Medical School, and it still possesses an RN school. It's a huge health system which owns multiple hospitals, nursing homes and I believe some home health opportunities as well. Also, years ago I got my first nursing related/health care job at Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk, VA, and know of many others who did as well. The interview/hire process was very cut and dry (though I showed up in person to apply and they interviewed on the spot--not bc of my experience--as I had none in health care--but because it was their standard for interviews.) Both of those hospitals have websites you can check out if you search from a search engine for their names. Also, I would just start looking up all of the health care facilities/hospitals in the cities in the Hampton Roads area (virginia beach, chesapeake, suffolk, norfolk, portsmouth, etc.)

Also, I don't know how you feel about home health, but there are tons of jobs for that type of nursing. If I hadn't finally heard from a local hospital, the I would have started applying to local home heallth agencies.

I just thought--have you tried searcing fro nurse positions though the federal or state govt. in the east coast states. Hampton Roads areas has lots of military medical clinic sites that used to have open positions. Try www.usajobs.opm.gov for federal govt jobs.

[Aaron86]

While Government service is indeed a very cushy job with plenty of benefits, they too have a minimum 1 yr clinical experience requirement on all of the GS nurse jobs that I have found.

Though, you can substitute a Master's degree for experience in most cases strangely enough.

"Open nursing positions" and "willing to hire and train new graduates" seem to be two mutually exclusive categories these days