I really don't know what to do

not much information here. how long have you been looking, where have you applied, have you looked at opportunities in other areas of the country?

in answer to your question, no, you can't transfer your nursing education into a pt program. pt is very hard to get into and hard to stay in. you won't really be able to use your nursing license to trade up (or laterally) without actual nursing experience.

does your college have an office to assist grads in finding placement? have you worked with them on your resume, contacts, etc.?

Well...after getting out of school, and being told that in NYC, not even Jesus himself can get an RN position...I just never applied to any hospitals. I found that it would be a waste of time. And yes, I understand that you NEED MEDSURG experience...but am I suppose to go unemployed for a year...waiting to land a spot in a hospital. I've always loved the idea of helping people in the community and that is what I want to do..I'll continue to take refresher courses to stay current, but its silly to kill yourself.

I've applied at all the hospitals in my area and a few outside the area. I've been looking since 2009.

Are you doing anything besides turning in applications? Volunteering? Emailing DON's? You need to get creative. Here is my post on how I got creative: https://allnurses.com/nursing-job-search/how-i-got-689384.html#post6285244

GREAT RESOURCE TOKYOROSE! I'll be using this when applying. Smart cookie!

I'm like what you said: "silly to kill yourself" (not easy to do when you have school loans to your ears piling up interest) but at the end of the day hospitals are hiring or they are not. You can speak 7 languages and be a nurse genius, and people get hired just like some people win the lottery, it is just at random ( or who you know, and even that might not help). I call them the "token" hires. I think they do that so people out there find out about the scam they are doing.

I am becoming a professional volunteer at the county hospitals around my area and not even that will put you through the door because internal applicants get your spot. So the only think you can do is that: as you said take refreshers and stay current. My volunteering at the ER does that a bunch. I help the nurses there and they love it but I don't think for a minute that that will lead to a job because that's a recipe to deception. Only time will heal...

Wow...that's about 3 years (that is if I still can count right) I'm almost 2 years. I'm starting to relax and not care too much more about it anymore. I've been very anxious and looking hard for jobs. I'll try relaxing for a while and not even stressing any more. I think it's a waste of time to look very hard right now. It's like trying to fish on a lake where the fish is not biting, what do you do, put more bait? no just leave the lake and go find something else to do for a while and go back when the fish are there and hungry.