Job Hunt Inquiries of an Almost 3yrs Nurse Grad W/o Xp

[PrincessBeauty]

hello everyone! i'm feeling sad and depressed lately due to unemployment. anyone, please help.

i graduated 2008 and passed the ca nclex exam 2009 but didn't get my license until last april 2011. when i finally got my license, i started looking for jobs in la. am having a hard time because they won't accept/qualify me to their new grad programs as new grad cos i've been a graduate for more than a year already. but they won't accept me as a regular nurse too due to lack of experience. i have never worked at a hospital. my first job was as a caregiver/private nurse.

is there anything i could do to increase my chances of landing a job opportunity at a hospital?? where shall i look?? can anyone suggest a place open for nurses?? i can't wait to have a job!!

i thought passing the nclex was the hard part. wrong. getting a job's way harder!!

[LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN]

I'm a new grad LVN & I felt the same way. I got my license 5/2011 and getting my 1st nursing opportunity was a difficult one. I am now working as a Utilization Review Grievance & Appeals Nurse. Most of the positions do not require experience. Check around with some temp agencies, as most insurance companies go thru them for temp to perm positions. FYI...all insurance companies have nurses & need them.

[trinnylax0484]

Or try applying outside of the L.A. area, there are plenty of hospitals out there that will hire "recent" graduates regardless of experience. You need to narrow down what you're looking for. The "I just want any job" is a huge turn-off to every single employer.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

i have never worked at a hospital. my first job was as a caregiver/private nurse.

then your not really inexperienced are you?

think about what you did in that job that involved skills that are transferable to the new position. it may be a hard sell, but its worth a shot.

and a question you're going to have to answer is why it took 3 tears to get your license.

you may need to work your way up to get in: i.e. nh, rehab, retirement apartments-assisted living, snf to start.