I feel like a complete failure

Carlalily · Sep 10, 2015

Get Volunteer experience and try psychiatric or case manager type nursing jobs which will get your foot in the door. Try smaller hospitals, too. Good luck! In what part of the world do you live?

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Sep 10, 2015

Apply for everything. For LTC and ALF's walk in professionally dressed and resume in hand. Same with clinics, urgent cares etc..... Do ti like it is your job and something will happen.

ResearchNurseRNCCRC, MSN · Sep 10, 2015

Don't give up! Literally apply everywhere possible. Get on LinkedIN and start networking your way into a job.

greenandsilver · Sep 11, 2015

Nursing school is stressful, then all of that too. I have three suggestions: 1. Volunteer, even if it means driving a while. It counts as experience and the staff and fellow volunteers are wonderful sources for recommendations. 2. Contact your most trusted clinical instructor. They will be able to give you a recommendation as well as help guide you on how to contact potential employers. 3. Pay for a professional resume. A professional resume, even if it costs hundreds will get you interviews.

seasidesoul · Sep 11, 2015

Nursing school is stressful, then all of that too. I have three suggestions: 1. Volunteer, even if it means driving a while. It counts as experience and the staff and fellow volunteers are wonderful sources for recommendations. 2. Contact your most trusted clinical instructor. They will be able to give you a recommendation as well as help guide you on how to contact potential employers. 3. Pay for a professional resume. A professional resume, even if it costs hundreds will get you interviews.

Hundreds of dollars for a resume?! What???

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 11, 2015

Nursing school is stressful, then all of that too. I have three suggestions: 1. Volunteer, even if it means driving a while. It counts as experience and the staff and fellow volunteers are wonderful sources for recommendations. 2. Contact your most trusted clinical instructor. They will be able to give you a recommendation as well as help guide you on how to contact potential employers. 3. Pay for a professional resume. A professional resume, even if it costs hundreds will get you interviews.

Couple of comments - Volunteering does not count as "experience" unless you're applying for another volunteer positions. The duties of Volunteers, even those with clinical qualifications are very limited due to a number of regulatory and legal boundaries.

Also, make sure you are targeting the right employers. If hospitals in your area have already transitioned to BSN-only, then it is a waste of time to go there. PP is correct, broadening your horizon & applying at all types of organizations will increase your chances.

One last hint - when you're 'selling' yourself to a potential employer, avoid the temptation to relate any personal tales of woe to explain or justify your current situation. If you absolutely have to explain time lags or other perceived inconsistencies, just say something like "it was due to family issues". You want to come across as positive, capable and resilient - someone who can really add value to their staff.

Best of luck to you!

emmy27 · Sep 11, 2015

Nursing school is stressful, then all of that too. I have three suggestions: 1. Volunteer, even if it means driving a while. It counts as experience and the staff and fellow volunteers are wonderful sources for recommendations. 2. Contact your most trusted clinical instructor. They will be able to give you a recommendation as well as help guide you on how to contact potential employers. 3. Pay for a professional resume. A professional resume, even if it costs hundreds will get you interviews.

DO NOT pay hundreds of dollars for a resume! DO ask someone you know (perhaps a student advisor or professor at the school you graduated from, if you don't have any friends who are grammar-obsessives) to look over your resume and cover letter and make sure they're flawless.

Many resumes are processed via a computer program that looks for keywords before they ever see human eyes (and they don't get to the human eyes point if they don't have the relevant content), plus the online application must meet minimum requirements to advance to human recruiters. Paying for a spiffed-up resume is a waste of money you don't have, and if you're a new grad with no experience there simply won't be that much to tweak anyway. Don't give money to services that prey on the desperation of the unemployed- for jobs as standard as new grad and staff nursing positions, no amount of jiggling the info on your resume around is going to make a substantial difference- either you meet the criteria for the job, or you don't. It's worth making sure there are no errors and it's clear and concise, but that shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars. If there's a career or writing center at your school, or even a nice reference librarian at the local library, they'll probably take a look at it for you.

Getting a new grad position is a matter of good timing, connections, and above all perseverance, as most areas have more new grads than new grad slots. Keep applying, don't give up. Do get on Linkedin as previously recommended, so you can identify who you're writing your cover letter to and potentially identify mutual contacts. Make sure you're applying to positions you qualify for. If your area is all-BSN in hospitals, you may need to consider an LTC job, consider moving, or go back to school.

Good luck!

yoga_girl · Sep 12, 2015

Don't give up. You've been through a lot, and I believe that you will succeed. Apply everywhere. Check to see if you have any connections with people... Classmates that have been hired, clinical instructors, etc. Ask everyone.. And Apply EVERYWHERE :)

Whit2389 · Sep 13, 2015

Really the title says it all. I graduated about a year and 3 months ago from nursing school. I had a lot of things happen while in school....the deaths of 3 family members, deaths of 2 close friends, planning a wedding, and a miscarriage. It was really hard to mourn while trying to keep our finances afloat. I never really had time to grieve so I decided to take a couple months off after graduation, separate myself completely from nursing. We had our wedding and I needed a new job that would pay for it, so I ended up taking a high stress high workload construction job, because I needed money ASAP.
One month telling myself I would study turned into 2...2-3...and so on. I never thought I was ready and kept making up excuses to why I couldn't take the test. A year later I finally did. I passed first try...but now I can't find a job. My boss heard about me taking the test and he found some loophole in my job description that allowed him to lay me off without unemployment.
I only have an Associates degree...but I've been applying for 3 months and I haven't gotten a call back. I'm down to my last money and I don't know how I will pay my bills. I'm going to have to get another job as something, it most likely won't be nursing related. I feel if I do though, my already slim chances will spiral out of control...and I will never be a nurse. Any advice will help me. I'm on my last leg...I just want to be a good husband and a good nurse. I did really great in nursing...I just wish I had the chance to show somebody.
Thank you so much
Adam

Try applying for jobs on Craigslist (home health & nursing homes, etc..). I've noticed that it's easier to get hired on at places that use Craigslist to hire. I've gotten on a both a.nursing home and a hh place, neither even required a resume and I was hired on the spot during the "interview".

Also, apply for seasonal/immunization nurse positions.

Message some of your old nursing classmates and ask them if their workplace is hiring. Sometimes it helps to have someone "on the in" to help you get on.

Have someone look over your resume to make sure there is no obvious issues that you are overlooking.

Also, keep in mind that a lot of new hires get hired on at this time. (Graduate in May, take NCLEX around July, get jobs around August/September). Keep trying, and spots will open up eventually.

angrykitten · Sep 13, 2015

Try branching out into neighboring towns. An hour or more commute is not fun - but it is better than no job at all. You could move later, or use that experience to get a job closer to home in a couple years.