I want to start a support thread for us unemployed New Grads in California

U.S.A. California

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Hey yall. I want to start a support thread for us unemployed New Grads in California. I've recently lost a lot of my hope and optimism for finding a New Grad position. I graduated in May with my BSN and I've applied for about over 100 positions at this point and I've gotten one interview.:cry: The rejection and lack of options has taken a toll on me. I literally made an Excel spreadsheet of almost every New Grad program with information/dates/links in the state PLUS almost every hospital in the state with links to their job listings that I check multiple times a week with notes from their HR dept about if they hire New Grads. Part of what makes it worst is when "outsiders", I know they mean well, mention oh why don't you apply at this hospital or be a traveler or there's a shortage you'll get a job soon, etc. You just want to scream :arghh: I realized the best way to get through this is with the support of those in your shoes. Although we are in competition with each other we can help each other through the tears, hissy fits, and psychotic laughter.:roflmao:

I got the idea for this thread from another thread posted here on allnurses: https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/unemployed-new-grad-797292.html

I'm not saying we all need to meet in groups in our own areas (it's nice it comes about). But I want this to be a place for us to vent and support each other. If you're like me and you're so depressed that your mom gave you one of your Christmas presents early (It was a Tweety Bird robe) to try and cheer you up then please come and I have a virtual box of Kleenex and a pat on the back for you.:sorry:

One thing I learned in nursing school is that icebreakers can really do good sometimes so you're welcome to use the following to introduce yourself.

Hello my name is kenderella89 and I'm an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: 8 months

# of positions applied to date: a little over 100

Dream RN position: NICU however I would love to start in Med Surg as well

Hospital experience: No but I have over 300 volunteer hours and I worked for the California Dept. of Public Health for 3 years

Where do you live: The Sacramento area although I just moved from the bay area

What are you doing now: Volunteering at a daycare trying to get a hospital volunteer position as well

Favorite color: Purple

How you cope with unemployment: I bake. A LOT. My friends' and family's waistlines hate me.

Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.
Happy you found this group, Christine19.1) How long can you work as an RN until you DON'T qualify as NEW GRAD anymore? And is it according to the # of hours you worked as an RN or just the # of months?I have heard 6 months, and I have heard 1 year. Consider both of those at least 60 hrs per 2 weeks. Stanford has a policy where they won't even consider your application if you've worked at all as an RN.2) What kind of jobs do people work while looking/applying for new grad positions?Oh, you mean job hunting isn't a job!?!? (kidding). I'm a nursing assistant right now. 3) Are RNs allowed to apply for CNA or LVN jobs too? Or does it depend on the facility?Like it was mentioned earlier, some facilities shy away from RN's because of the liability issue. Also, they know you're looking for work elsewhere already.
I also believe that you cannot work in CA as an LVN without an LVN license. There was a thread about that a while back...
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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
1) How long can you work as an RN until you DON'T qualify as NEW GRAD anymore? And is it according to the # of hours you worked as an RN or just the # of months?

2) What kind of jobs do people work while looking/applying for new grad positions?

3) Are RNs allowed to apply for CNA or LVN jobs too? Or does it depend on the facility?

I'm soooooo broke right now and haven't worked in the last 2 years because my nursing program did not allow. I could use any job right about now. Hehe.

1. That can really vary per each facility...mine considers you a new grad if you've worked less than 12 months as a RN.

2. I know a lot of new grads work as aides, LVNs (only if they're licensed as such, see #3), unit staff, flu clinics, phlebotomists, lab techs, temp jobs. When I was a new grad, I volunteered as a RN at my local free clinic.

We had a couple of new grads work as contractors in my facility--they went around giving all the employees flu shots.

3. You need to be licensed as a LVN to work as a LVN--you could apply and see if they would make it a RN role for you, but they probably won't because it'd be cheaper to get the LVN.

You could get hired as an aide/tech/non-nurse, but a lot of places won't hire RNs for those roles because they know they minute a RN job comes along that you are out of there--they don't want to waste the time and money training you when they know you're not staying.

Best of luck to all of you. I graduated just after the new grad market tanked a few years ago, so I've been where all of you are and it really does suck. I wasn't in CA at the time, so things were somewhat easier...I wish I could say things improved since I was a new grad, but they haven't yet. :(

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Thanks everyone for your replies. Definitely helped me! I guess I will expand my job search to CNA as well. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

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Hi fellow nurses!! I recently stumbled upon this thread and wanted to join the party! Hope y'all don't mind :)

Hello my name is Ng03 and I'm an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: 6 months, but I took my NCLEX in September and only started to vigorously apply since then.

# of positions applied to date: ppfffttt.....countless.

Dream RN position: Emergency Nursing!! But honestly, I'd like a job anywhere -- Med/Surg, ICU, Peds/NICU, Telemetry would all be wonderful.

Hospital experience: I'm currently working as a CNA @ UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center! Too bad they don't seem to favor their internals because I've heard of many internals last cohort not getting hired! The last time I applied for them was my first time applying for an RN position and it was before I graduated and also before I started working for them. I applied for the NICU at Santa Monica and they ended up telling me that due to budget cuts, their unit couldn't hire any new grads for that particular cohort. Boo! It's also a shame that they aren't even hiring again until March :yuck:. If I knew they would for sure hire their internals, I wouldn't mind waiting around, but that doesn't seem to be the case :(. Doesn't help when all the other hospitals favor their internals!!!! (Sorry for the rant. I'm sure as unemployed new grads we all have a lot of ranting to do, haha)

Where do you live: LA county bordering Inland Empire & Orange County actually.

What are you doing now: See above.

Favorite color: Purple

How you cope with unemployment: I read about other new grad's stories and feel better knowing I am not alone :chicken:

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Hello my name is ercastro2 and I’m an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: just hit the year mark :( Graduated 12/11

# of positions applied to date: lost count somewhere around 200+

Dream RN position: anything Cardiac, did peds cardiac for senior preceptroship, and work in an adult cardiac unit

Hospital experience: Yep, have worked at UCSF Medical center in adult cardiac ICU for 5 years now, was also cross trained as a unit clerk so I could get more hours cuz I'm per diem.

Where do you live: Bay Area but if things don't change soon I may have to move up to Sacramento (can't afford to live here much longer)

What are you doing now: Well right now, I'm growing a baby. Seems the stork couldn't wait until after I got a nursing job. I've actually been turned down from 3 out of state positions (NICU, ICU, and Peds Cards ICU) due to my being pregnant. I can't even get rehired as a full time employee at UCSF cuz of it. I thought the medical community, at the very least, would be understanding... So some words of advice for you new New Grads... don't have any "slip ups" unless you are ready to deal with the consequences! ;)

Favorite color: blue

How you cope with unemployment: OMG i've been eating.. LOL.. and knitting, crochetting, and sewing.

I've had so much drama in my life since graduating besides not finding a job. I'm hoping the new year not only brings this baby out (she's due 1/27/13) but brings a major change re: employment!!

I've been certified in ACLS, PALS, BLS, and NRP. Just renewed my license and haven't even been able to put it to use yet. Thinking I might start applying for RN licenses in other states just so I can apply (most out of state hospitals won't let you apply to their new grad program unless you have their state license)

1) How long can you work as an RN until you DON'T qualify as NEW GRAD anymore? And is it according to the # of hours you worked as an RN or just the # of months?

- It depends on the program, some say no exp at all others say no more than 6 months...

2) What kind of jobs do people work while looking/applying for new grad positions?

- I've heard it's best to try to work a medical type job while looking so it shows your continued interest in the medical field. Also try to work a position that is similar to what you want to do.

3) Are RNs allowed to apply for CNA or LVN jobs too? Or does it depend on the facility?

-RNs can apply however some places won't hire you becuase you are over qualified. Also for a CNA you have to be certified through the state, I believe the same goes for the LVN.

Oh and the quickest I was rejected was probably an hour or so. I sent in my application which took me, like 30 min. or so. Checked my e-mail a few min. later and there was the rejection from that hospital... Geeze...

I'm glad you have this thread going I've lost so much faith in CA and the medical profession. I'm disappointed the news/media is still reporting a Nursing shortage. I'm so worried that if the economy doesn't keep recovering (if we can call it that) we'll still be struggling to find jobs... sigh

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Hello ng03 and ercastro2! We welcome you with our tired unemployed arms.

I'm hoping everyone had a great holiday (for those that celebrate) and that it provided a well enough distraction from the job search. I promised myself that I was going to take a break from Saturday to today from job apps. But I ended up applying for one Christmas Eve night. I couldn't help myself.

To ercastro2: I understand about the expensive bay area that's why I moved back to Sacramento after my lease was up. I'm shocked UCSF hasn't hired you up yet as an internal! Well not really because I worked under UCSF as a contract worker for the state and I thought that would be enough for me to get an interview with them for their new grad program but nope. Also, congrats and isn't it illegal for them to deny you a job due to pregnancy? Does anyone have legal input on that issue?

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So here's another sign that CA has one of the WORST markets - I can't really move, but in a fury of job applying in the last few weeks I randomly applied to 2 jobs out of the state. One in Indiana and one in Texas. I have gotten calls to interview for both jobs. I've applied for hundreds of jobs here in CA and I've only had ONE phone call and ONE interview. It's so frustrating!!!! I wish we could just up and move to one of these places. I need a job. :banghead:

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
isn't it illegal for them to deny you a job due to pregnancy? Does anyone have legal input on that issue?
Although they're going off the record and saying they're rejecting the applicant due to pregnancy, never in a million years would they ever document it as the official reason for refusing to hire the candidate. Companies are too smart to hang themselves with their own rope.

BTW, I'm a native Californian who moved out of state to land my first nursing job. After seven years of nursing experience in another state and several interviews over the phone and in person with California healthcare facilities, I still have not been able to find employment in CA. And I will not return to CA without a firm job offer in hand.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
So here's another sign that CA has one of the WORST markets - I can't really move, but in a fury of job applying in the last few weeks I randomly applied to 2 jobs out of the state. One in Indiana and one in Texas. I have gotten calls to interview for both jobs. I've applied for hundreds of jobs here in CA and I've only had ONE phone call and ONE interview. It's so frustrating!!!! I wish we could just up and move to one of these places. I need a job. :banghead:

I feel you on that one :( I want to apply for jobs out of state but I barely have money to move around in California yet across country and what if I get an interview out of state and they won't do a phone or video interview? I can move with family but they live in major cities where it's just as hard to find a nursing job. I'm just stuck.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
Although they're going off the record and saying they're rejecting the applicant due to pregnancy, never in a million years would they ever document it as the official reason for refusing to hire the candidate. Companies are too smart to hang themselves with their own rope.

BTW, I'm a native Californian who moved out of state to land my first nursing job. After seven years of nursing experience in another state and several interviews over the phone and in person with California healthcare facilities, I still have not been able to find employment in CA. And I will not return to CA without a firm job offer in hand.

Seven years? Geez. That's flat out ridiculous. It irritates me a bit when I see commercials for these for-profit colleges that offer ADN programs saying how nurses are so in demand, job security, and they get to wear cool scrubs to work! And then what do I say to my friends that are trying to get in to nursing programs? Hope everything is better by the time you graduate? I feel like something needs to be done but I don't know what.

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This thread kind of scares me.... I am going to graduate in May with my BSN, this is my second degree. I've always wanted to move to California and have been planning to move there once I graduate and find a job. But I know it's difficult to find a job in California, especially if you're not a resident. Now this thread is worrying me even more.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Hi blueorchid981 sorry but it's reality. I know we all had classmates that found a job with ease either while in school or right after. It's just overall it's hard out there. I think it's better if we understand that we aren't alone and there's nothing wrong with us but that it's the system. Good luck with your career and hopefully you'll be calling California home within time.

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