I can't find a JOB!! I'm so discouraged

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2016

Your thread has been moved to our Canadian Nursing forum to elicit feedback from nurses who live and work in Canada. We wish you the very best of luck.

mintchocolate · Oct 10, 2016

I know how tough it is to find a job as new grad in this market. I graduated last year and it took be until Feb to find my first job. That being said, the best advice I have for you is to apply to LTC homes in areas on the outskirts of the area you live in. You can easily look up the name of the DOC/ ADOC (who will likely be doing the interviews) and address your cover letter to them. I don't know what province and city you're in so I can't help you with specifics. However, those places tend to be good at hiring new grads and tend to have higher turnover than a lot of hospitals or more urban LTC homes. Don't apply to places TOO far from where you live though, employers want someone who is going to stay with them for some time and not jump ship asap. Let's put it like this, if it will take you more than 1.5hr from your current place of residence, employers may not give your resume a second glance bc you live too far and could quit the second anything pops up in your preferred location.

These are just some things that I picked up during my long and painful search for my first nursing job, hopefully that can help you a bit. Good luck with everything

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Oct 10, 2016

The way I see it the only thing you've failed at is being psychic. When you started school 6 years ago, there were jobs. Lots of jobs... but it was the beginning of the slump. Nobody saw it coming, although nursing employment is cyclical and it might have been predicted had we known OPEC was going to flood the market with cheap oil and that successive elections would produce the economic stalemate we're in now.

Sometimes pride goeth before a fall. Your children have to be your priority. If that means social assistance and a job at Tim Hortons for now, then that's what you need to do while you're applying to every nursing job within a reasonable commute. A few years ago, my husband and I went out for lunch one Sunday afternoon. I was shocked to see someone I had just been introduced to at work as a new staff nurse on orientation working in the chain restaurant. I could see the second she recognized me. I have never mentioned that day to her or to anyone; she was doing what she needed to do - working two jobs - to support her family. Once she was off orientation and could pick up overtime, she was able to quit waiting tables. Incidentally, my daughter worked in the same chain restaurant as my coworker while she applied for jobs in her field (she has a BA in criminology) and even for awhile after she got hired at the courthouse. There's no shame in working. Period.

Keep applying. Check for new postings every day. Apply to jobs you're not really keen on doing, because any experience you can get at this point will be valuable. Take one day at a time.

loriangel14, RN · Oct 10, 2016

What province are you in?

joanna73, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2016

It's not you OP. Nursing has been on the downward spiral for the last 10 years. Jobs are created, then there's a period of freeze.

But now that oil has declined, resources are scarce everywhere. The effects will be far reaching. We have been informed to closely monitor budgets where I work, positions are sitting unfilled, and wages are frozen for at least 3 years.

Keep applying and consider relocating to a small town if you're able. Small towns usually need nurses.

CanadianRN16 · Oct 11, 2016

In Ontario, there's a current trend to minimize RNs in favour of RPNs. Many new grads in my area have trouble finding work.

Do what you have to do to stay afloat financially and keep applying for jobs until you get that interview. I doubt there's much more you can do to land a job beumyond what you're doing. I wish you the best of luck in your search!

rjones416 · Oct 11, 2016

I'm a new grad and I didn't get interviews until I started applying in smaller cities and towns.

rjones416 · Oct 11, 2016

One more thing...a lot of my classmates are working as PSW's since they can't find a nursing job. I know it's not nursing but I'm sure it pays more than Tim Horton's. It might also help you get a nursing job at the facility that you're working at.

ohmychonny · Oct 11, 2016

In Ontario, there's a current trend to minimize RNs in favour of RPNs. Many new grads in my area have trouble finding work.
Do what you have to do to stay afloat financially and keep applying for jobs until you get that interview. I doubt there's much more you can do to land a job beumyond what you're doing. I wish you the best of luck in your search!

That is just RNAO propaganda, it is just as hard to find a job as a RPN in Ontario. If you look at job postings, there is usually at least three times as much RN postings as RPN. The colleges are pumping out just as much new grad RPNs as RNs to less job postions. Yes you can argue that there are more RNs overall so more competition between postions but it evens out because there are more RN postings.

As for advice for the OP, apply to jobs in home care/visiting nursing. Alot of new grads don't think of this area as it is usually not part of clinical placements at school. But they do hire new grads and is a good place to gain experience for a wide variety of patients. The only caveat is that you must have a car of course.

NurseNextDoor · Oct 15, 2016

I live in Ontario, I'm afraid i'll have to go back on social assistance. I've made a new resume outside of healthcare so maybe I can get something in customer service for now. Ive applied to LTC and also retirement homes. I have also. I also paid for that RPNAO membership which was really expensive but since I saw this as an asset on job applications I spent money I don't have just to get it. I have applied to everywhere in ontario even the small towns like county of simcoe. I'm online everyday...and in couple weeks i'm going to go to all the hospitals around here as well again. Me and my children are in some pretty horrible living conditions and i hoped that I could at least get a job to afford to move me and my kids out of here you know. its just so sad and discouraging....Thanks for all the advice i'll try to keep my head up.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2016

Try nursing agencies as well. Not ideal for new grads but they may be able to find you some work.