Interview after interview..

SweetheartRN · Jul 24, 2011

With all these budget cuts, its MERELY impossible in California to get a job without having a "connection". Frustrating thing?? a lot of hospitals are short nurses but won't hire "new grads"... even with almost a year under my belt of home health (because that was the only job I could get)., it's still not considered experience. SMH. frustrating but what are ya going to do. I just had a interview for a NICU position (where my heart lies) and I'm fighting who knows how many individuals for ONE position. Interview went well, and just crossing fingers for that call back. Any of you with the same issues? HANG IN THERE!!

Yes, you sound a lot like me and my first year out of nursing school, (graduated Dec. 2010). I passed boards 2 wks after pinning and got my first job as an RN Feb. 2011 with PSA ( pediatric home health private duty) because no one else was giving me a chance. I kept applying everywhere while I was working there bc after two months I realized at that point I wasn't going to really gain any more experience than I already had so I applied, interviewed, and was offered a position for Peds doctors office. Its actually the largest ambulatory care provider for kids in our state and I :redbeathe working there. For a docs office we do a good bit of nursing skills, which I'm glad about. I work there PRN but its more like almost full time lol. They can't afford to pay benefits so I'm working PRN but really I can get up to about 32 hours a week. Even though I love it I still know I need to get that beloved hospital job experience so that I can be the most well rounded and marketable nurse as possible. I would love to try NICU or peds inpatient but I haven't reached that year mark yet to be eligible.

I have an interview for Renal Med/Surg floor tomorrow in the same hospital organization as the peds office I work for. The ONLY reason I was able to land this interview was during nursing orientation for the peds job I went to back in April a classmate of mine was there as well doing orientation for her new job on the med surg floor. We talked about both having hard time finding jobs in our hometown (35 mins away) and how we had to branch out and look at some nearby city hospitals for experience. We were both LPNS previously and both had more than a year experience working as LPNS in nursing homes and we realized that didn't account for much of anything. My classmate promised to talk to her nurse manager and let her know a classmate of hers was interested in a position as well (ME). Needless to say we are now both done with our orientations/probationary periods in our departments and her boss gave me a call the other week and did a telephone interview with me. She said there were dozens of others interested in the position(PT 7a/7p 3 12's q pay period.) and she had to tally up everyones scores to see who would get sit down interviews. YIKES :bugeyes: ! A few days past the telephone interview she called to say she wanted me to come in for a sit down!

I don't know if I'll get the job or not but I do know that I wouldn't have even landed the interview more than likely if I didn't have a friend giving me a good reference and if I wasn't already working as an RN in the same hospital system.

Its HARD out here. You have to network if your resume' isn't chocked full of glowing experience. Even some experienced nurses need to know someone in order to get where they want to be. I even paid out of pocket to become PALS certified, not even needing it for my job, so that I could add it on my resume'

Good luck and God Bless us ALL!!!!

BTW I plan to stay at the peds office even if I get the med surg job bc I love the job, kids, and my coworkers and they were the first to give me a shot at gaining clinical RN experience.

ETA: I also applied for flu shot clinic this flu season. It works out well if you have time outside of your regular job and its good for extra cash espeically before the holiday season. Plus its something to add on your resume'.:)

jpeters84 · Jul 25, 2011

How about leaving California? I got my dream job in the NICU by...leaving California. It's almost been a year and in one more year I can move right on back with experience and have no prob getting a job. I highly recommend looking outside the state. Just a thought...

Ivanhoe · Jul 25, 2011

Hi everyone.My name is Ivan and I am from Europe.From a small country called Serbia to be precise.Is there anyone who could tell me what are my chances of finding a job in the US considering this ongoing crisis and the fact that even you guys,the Americans,have enough of your own problems.To be honest i do have a job but the salary is a little less than 500USD.And yeah,I am a registered male nurse back in my homeland.

lehcynRN · Jul 25, 2011

jpeters84,

where exactly did you move to after CA? jw.

r0sannaRN · Jul 27, 2011

JPeters, where did you move?? I have been looking too.

Ivanhoe, it's honestly really hard.

jpeters84 · Jul 28, 2011

I got my job in Boise and I thought I was going there to just get my two years experience but now I love the hospital and city so much I plan on staying. The pay isn't awesome but everything is so cheap that you can live very comfortably on the salary. My unit alone hired 8 new grads this summer (we're the largest unit in the hospital) and the hospital hires new grads throughout the year. There are spots in the country that are hiring new grads you just have to do your research and be open and flexible enough to move. And when you apply to out of state jobs you have to be very enthusiastic about the area even if you aren't initially. Otherwise they might now want to take a chance on you. I hope you expand your horizons beyond California...Good luck!!

Ivanhoe · Jul 28, 2011

Thanks rosannaRN.Maybe I should be aiming for Canada instead?They have this so called live-in caregiver program.You might heard of it.The salary compared to other professions is miserable but at least I don't have to bother with finding a decent place to live in.Are caregivers wanted in the US and how well are they paid?And most important am I qualified to work as a caregiver both in US and Canada?I know I am asking a lot of questions but answers are always welcomed :).

P.S. How are immigrant workers treated by their employers and other colleagues regardless of job they're doing?

I've heard about lots of complaints from immigrants working as caregivers in Canada.They often end up underpaid and mistreated by their employer.

Can't say if this is true but it does raise a few eyebrows.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 28, 2011

NO!! NO!! NO!! The live-in caregiver route for entry to Canada is a TERRIBLE idea. (There is no "program" though. People who become live-in caregivers are typically hired through unscrupulous lawyers or intermediaries who are paid handsomely for their efforts.) The pay is miserable, as you say. Many of the people who thought this would be their ticket to a better life ended up sadly mistreated and back where they began. The minute they started asking questions or insisting on better treatment, their work permits were revoked and they were sent home at their own expense. This is more a reflection on the people who hired them in the first place than it is on Canadians in general; most Canadians would never treat another human being like that. As for how employers and coworkers treat immigrant workers, if you do your job safely, competently and ethically you're just like anybody else. If you aren't able to perform to the level expected of the position you were hired into, it doesn't go so well.

Becoming registered as a nurse in any country isn't any easier when you're actually IN the country for whatever reason, although there are parts of the process that must be completed in the jurisdiction. Hours of work as a caregiver don't count for anything constructive. In fact, it raises questions about motives and attitudes, however incorrect these questions may be. And the other piece is that even if one comes to North America there is no guarantee of employment as a nurse once to whole process is complete and registration is in hand. Employers will look at that time spent caregiving as time that could have been better used working as a nurse in whichever country the applicant is from... time that nursing skills and knowledge has become rusty. I could never in good conscience recommend to anyone to follow that path.

Ivanhoe · Jul 29, 2011

@janfrn I really appreciate your arguments but what are my alternatives?I don't see any.To work for like 500USD a month here in Serbia?It is almost three times less than prevailing minimum wage in Canada.For truth's sake this comparison means nothing unless one's acquainted with living costs in Canada(and i am not).Which brings us to my next question-would I be able(I am a very saving person)to save some money after a year or two as caregiver. If not this option is basically useless for me.Agencies and lawyers are not required in the process of finding a job.Family of an elderly person can hire you directly and without intermediaries.All they have to provide is a positive Labour Market opinion from Service Canada.That piece of paper along with written contract is one of the pathways to Canada.The rest is nothing but bureaucracy unless my visa officer is in a bad mood :).

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 29, 2011

True, the family of an elderly person can hire you sight unseen from Serbia and have you come here to care for their family member. Generally speaking, that isn't how it happens. If it does happen, it's because they don't want to pay a Canadian what they would have to in order to have a local person doing the work. Minimum wage legislation doesn't apply to this kind of arrangement. I have a disabled family member and I've often wondered about hiring someone to provide live-in care should something happen to my spouse so that I could continue to work at my own job. But I've always rejected the notion as unaffordable.

Cost of living... yes that's the issue. I live and work in the province that pays its nurses the most and has the best benefits; it also has the lowest taxes in the country. I'm at the top of the wage scale. But before I see any of it, there are income taxes, employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan deductions, plus my parking fees, union dues and co-pays for the benefits that come off the top. I actually receive about 55% of what I'm paid. I live in a tiny house with a mortgage, drive a 5 year-old car I'm still paying for and do not take vacations because I can't afford it. Yes, I make good money. But for my family of three, I'm spending about $750 a month for food. My utility bills eat up about $450 a month; auto and home insurance take another $220 a month. Gas to get back and forth to work, which is most of the driving I do, runs about $90. Mortgage and car payments are another $1800. We're looking at close to $3500 a month for the essentials just to live the lower-middle class life I live. My spouse is not currently employed so... Nurses don't get rich.

As a live-in caregiver, you'd likely be paid somewhere around $2000 a month plus room and board... before taxes, employment insurance, health care premiums and Canada Pension Plan contributions. And your room and board would be taxable. Your take-home pay would be around $1300. You'd have no benefits, you wouldn't be working only a 40 hour week and there's no guarantee that your employment will last any specific length of time. What if your "patient" dies?

Sure, you could save some money, but I doubt it would be very much. You'd be on a temporary work permit and could have that terminated at anytime without cause. But this country was built by people who ignored those kinds of realities and came here anyway. I don't know that I'd have the guts to do it, but if it's what you want, nobody will talk you out of it. After all, it's your life. Your choice.

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

OP, I am in the same situation but in Boston. Started in private duty nursing since no where else was hiring and now 11 months later I am no closer to getting a job in the hospital. It's experience but so few recognize it as so. I had a phone interview this past week and after explaining my typical day she asked if "maintenance work" correctly described what I did. I was appalled, I know it's not acute care nursing but give me a little credit!

We have to land something eventually, I just keep applying and hoping it's my lucky day! :) Hope you get that NICU position, it would give me some hope.