Impossible to find a job in this area

msjack · Mar 17, 2009

I have applied for New Nurse positions in the areas of my interest, I guess, at every hospital in Northern VA/DC/Maryland and got rejected by almost all of them:( I can't figure out what the problem is: I finished school with a GPA of 3.92, fluent in foreign languages, licensed, certified...among other things. So, what's the deal? Maybe, because I moved here from a different state and they only hire "their" grads? Or is it because I have an ASN, not a BSN? Just getting discouraged...

I think it's a tough time for anyone to find a job, unless they already work at the hospital. Don't get discouraged just keep applying. You might have to go out of your areas of interest to just get your foot in the door and then a year or so down the road you can transfer into your preferred area of interest. That's what I plan on doing. I still haven't found a job, but I've started applying to any available jobs and stopped being picky. It's definitely not the time to be picky...unfortunately.

Kevin RN08 · Mar 18, 2009

One thing I've learned from recruiters is that some hospitals have not yet determined how many new grads they will be hiring in the summer.

Being in DC try http://www.usajobs.gov/ Lord knows the military and VA hospitals need help ... stimulus hiring maybe?

FA to CRNA2b · Mar 18, 2009

I have applied for New Nurse positions in the areas of my interest, I guess, at every hospital in Northern VA/DC/Maryland and got rejected by almost all of them:( I can't figure out what the problem is: I finished school with a GPA of 3.92, fluent in foreign languages, licensed, certified...among other things. So, what's the deal? Maybe, because I moved here from a different state and they only hire "their" grads? Or is it because I have an ASN, not a BSN? Just getting discouraged...

GW is only hiring new grads with a BSN.

GU will hire new grads for the Fall.

Washington Hospital Center has a couple of fellowships starting this April for new grads.

Inova has a hiring freeze as well as letting all LPNs go as of May. They are replacing current openings with RN2s.

Virginia Hospital center has 6-7 positions currently available with one for a new grad in cardiac stepdown.

Reston has nothing for new grads. They are hiring internally for the few openings listed.

Prince William--zippo.

The VA wants new grads with at least one year experience.

Your best bet right now is probably at UMMC, Hopkins, and NIH. Great places to work and they have extensive fellowships.

Good Luck!

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 18, 2009

I have applied for New Nurse positions in the areas of my interest

Have you looked outside your areas of interest at this point? While maybe not desirable, trying other areas of nursing may get you hired, and may help you get your foot in the door -- ANY door!

JoycMarr · Mar 25, 2009

Do you have any experience at all since you graduated? As the poster above said, you might need to apply for areas outside your initial interest to help build up good references. Don't give up, keep applying!

Atheos · Mar 25, 2009

The VA is advertising. I KNOW some people that got hired at INOVA but they have a lot of in house employees that are students so...

Nursing homes may hire. There are a lot of nursing homes here.

mama2_3 · Mar 25, 2009

Did you try Virginia Hospital?

I am still in school and they were on campus not very long ago advertising their hospital.

Good luck.

Kevin RN08 · Mar 25, 2009

mama-

VA hospitals are Veteran's Administration Hospitals. They care for Veterans it is a Federal Civil Service position with very good benefits. Burn Units, ICU, Cardiac, ED, Mental Health, pretty much what ever you want ... probably not Maternity, but the military hospitals and clinics have OB and Maternity.

www.usajobs.gov

FA to CRNA2b · Mar 26, 2009

I think Mama2 3 was referring to the Virginia Hospital Center (aka: the old Arlington Hospital).

alem992 · Mar 29, 2009

I don't know if GW has changed it's policy about only hiring BSN graduates, because when I applied in December I was offered an interview and I only have an ADN. The big thing with GW is that they want you to have graduated with a 3.0 gpa, they go through your transcript prior to setting up an interview. I currently work at Inova-Fairfax and there is just a huge hiring freeze going on. I think VHC also has a hiring freeze, because all the new graduates that were offered fellowship positions in February were not allowed to start.

FA to CRNA2b · Mar 30, 2009

If you look on GW's website, all the new grad fellowships say, minimum education: Bachelors, even for just the med/surg internship. This was not the case just last year.