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Nurses New Nurse

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Job hunting is not so fun. How's everybody doing? :)

Specializes in Case Manager.

I am a nurse from PR since 1977, from ASDN program and an LPN in Florida. I was Laid off from a Case Manager position on a Home Health Agency that enter in financial problems. They laid off 6 people from the office and we were replace by others with less pay. So i have not been able to find a job since 2/09. I applied to every job that i came across in the internet as per my qualifications. I have the possibility of taking the Florida Board, but since I unemployed I can not afford the fee for the board. They explain to me that I have to pay for credential evaluation from my school. Is anyone knows why is I a US citizens, Graduated from a school credited by NLN, I need to pay this exorbitan amount of money? I do not know what to do, i can not afford $675.00 fee for the board.

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I'm Dec '09, so I haven't been searching as long as some of you have. Still, over 100 applications and not a single interview. BSN, 3.6, great letters of rec. I just keep plugging away with the aps. Good thing my husband has a good job. He just survived a round of lay offs at his work. If he hadn't survived, we wouldn't be able to feed our 2 year old, since I am unable to find a job anywhere. This sucks....I have two bachelor degrees, but am being told over and over again that I am not even worthy of an interview. I'm really depressed about the whole situation.

Wow, I could have written this, Bobbkat! Except I graduated in July '09 and don't have a child! Granted, I waited until October to take the NCLEX and then dove headfirst into finding a job in December. Seriously, this has been just about the hardest thing I've gone through mentally/emotionally. So much frustration, tears, depression. It's hard not to take rejection personally after a while. I even had a nurse recruiter tell me that they were not hiring new grads at their hospital and to look at moving to OK or TX, no discussion about my experience, or my life circumstances; just summarily dismissed!

Also had an awkward interview where my new grad status seemed to come as a surprise to the interviewer and, as you can imagine, made the experience an exercise in humiliation.

The good news is that I just accepted a full time position at an assisted living facility. It is not the job I expected as my first job out of school, but dangit, no one else is beating down my door offering me work. I am happy to know that next week I will begin a full time nursing job.

I really don't know how many places I've applied. Every hospital in the area, and even as far as 70 miles away, clinics, nursing homes. In all honesty, I think I've applied, at minimum, to least 60 or 70 positions, and likely many more. When I have gotten a call back, I actually have to do a search on my computer so I can figure out where I've applied and what I said in my cover letter! Five interviews, one return interview, and one real job offer. I was hoping for a little more choice, but I guess it just takes one offer to get a job.

Don't have much to offer in the way of advice, but up until a few days ago, I was an unemployed new grad, and I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND the frustration and sick feelings of job hunting. (In fact, I still have this weird feeling inside me that thinks none of this is real and that I'm going to wake up from a dream or something.) I keep thinking that the economy will turn around eventually and pretty soon people will be asking US to work for them, not the other way around.

I really believe that organizations are being super picky right now because they CAN. That, and the economy, for lack of a better word, sucks. It's too bad because there are so many incredibly bright, enthusiastic new grads out there that are desperate to begin working.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I just started last Wed and have had 1 inperson interview, 1 phone interview and have another in person interview lined up for Monday. I submit a Resume a day at least online and I have done a few cold walk-ins too. I am doing more walk-ins and calling a home care agency that has hired new grads in the past next week as well.

Its so weird the first year of nursing after licensure has turned into the first year of job hunting after licensure.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I am a nurse from PR since 1977, from ASDN program and an LPN in Florida. I was Laid off from a Case Manager position on a Home Health Agency that enter in financial problems. They laid off 6 people from the office and we were replace by others with less pay. So i have not been able to find a job since 2/09. I applied to every job that i came across in the internet as per my qualifications. I have the possibility of taking the Florida Board, but since I unemployed I can not afford the fee for the board. They explain to me that I have to pay for credential evaluation from my school. Is anyone knows why is I a US citizens, Graduated from a school credited by NLN, I need to pay this exorbitan amount of money? I do not know what to do, i can not afford $675.00 fee for the board.

It has nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with where you received your initial nursing school education. Your school in PR is accredited by the NLN but not, obviously, by the Florida Board of Nursing. Since the Florida BON makes the rules about who will be given registration there, they don't have to accept anything that doesn't match their requirements, and they are within their rights to charge you whatever they want to assess your suitability. An inconvenient fact of life.

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I'm a new grad from may 09. My emotions have been going up and down. I had a lot of interviews, but no one hired me. Sometimes I feel like there's a problem with me.. but i prepare for interviews like no other. I'm just going to keep praying and applying.

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Hello everyone...I just wanted to say that I totally empathize with all of you...and it seems like everyone around me is constantly talking about the nursing shortage, but nobody ever addresses that nobody wants to take us new grads!! Its so frustrating. Especially when the people around you who know nothing about the nursing field say "I can't believe you havn't found a job yet, isn't there a shortage of nurses"!!! If I hear that one more time I think I will explode on someone...I am so frustrated in my situation right now...I graduated in March 2009...orig had a contract w/a local hospital..interviewed w/them in may and was offered a position...unfortunately i failed boards twice before finally getting my license in sept 2009...the whole time being led to think my position would still be waiting for me. Come to find out finally in december im told that its been given away and they have no new grads spots at the time...meanwhile all those months i didnt apply anywhere else!! I immediately began applying elsewhere....NO LUCK!!! Then that hospital sends me a letter last month (march 2010) saying they are releasing me from the contract and i dont have to pay them anything back! I DONY HAVE TO PAY THEM BACK??? They should be paying me back...not only did they drag me along...they jeopardized my chances of employment anywhere else...IDK what to do anymore...not being able to land a job anywhere is ruining almost every aspect of my life lately and its made me very depressed....Can anyone give me any advice...I live in the inland empire of CA but am willing to commute reasonably...if anyone knows of anything please help me!

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remember how its like in 4th grade when people pick team mates and theres that last kid sitting on the bench and no one wants to pick him?

i feel like that kiddo. sad but true. Any of you regret not being a CNA while in nursing school..? i do.

May 09 here

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Hello everyone...I just wanted to say that I totally empathize with all of you...and it seems like everyone around me is constantly talking about the nursing shortage, but nobody ever addresses that nobody wants to take us new grads!! Its so frustrating. Especially when the people around you who know nothing about the nursing field say "I can't believe you havn't found a job yet, isn't there a shortage of nurses"!!! If I hear that one more time I think I will explode on someone...I am so frustrated in my situation right now...I graduated in March 2009...orig had a contract w/a local hospital..interviewed w/them in may and was offered a position...unfortunately i failed boards twice before finally getting my license in sept 2009...the whole time being led to think my position would still be waiting for me. Come to find out finally in december im told that its been given away and they have no new grads spots at the time...meanwhile all those months i didnt apply anywhere else!! I immediately began applying elsewhere....NO LUCK!!! Then that hospital sends me a letter last month (march 2010) saying they are releasing me from the contract and i dont have to pay them anything back! I DONY HAVE TO PAY THEM BACK??? They should be paying me back...not only did they drag me along...they jeopardized my chances of employment anywhere else...IDK what to do anymore...not being able to land a job anywhere is ruining almost every aspect of my life lately and its made me very depressed....Can anyone give me any advice...I live in the inland empire of CA but am willing to commute reasonably...if anyone knows of anything please help me!

Just a guess, but did you go to CSUSB and graduate part of the RCH program? (I have friends who went there.....)

I can't give you any hospital advice. I work at St. B's and when I got a job they would only hire recent new grads, not anyone who graduated way back when, and now they aren't hiring at all. Sometimes Desert Regional is hiring, but that's very few now. Did you try applying at Beaver Medical Group? They will hire new nurses occasionally, not really a hospital, but you will get some good hands on in Urgent Care. It's really a rough time everywhere, I would just network as much as possible. Hemet Valley Medical Center hires new nurses sometimes, but they have a bad reputation. And did you try inland valley medical center in Wildomar?

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remember how its like in 4th grade when people pick team mates and theres that last kid sitting on the bench and no one wants to pick him?

i feel like that kiddo. sad but true. Any of you regret not being a CNA while in nursing school..? i do.

May 09 here

I feel that way too... most of my classmates got jobs, but not me. I wish i worked as a CNA or maybe even did this fellowship program where I sign a contract with another hospital. I didn't think it would be this hard to get a job. =/

Oh, and I also graduated in May 09 as well.

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I worked as an student nurse during nursing school but that didn't help me find a job. Maybe working as a CNA would have been better. I probably could have kept my CNA job while looking for a nursing position. At least I wouldn't be totally broke :( I have even looked for volunteer positions but I can't find anything. The one year mark is coming soon.....:(

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Prinsessa, I don't know what kind of volunteer work you are looking for, but you can try this site (volunteermatch.org) for around your area. I'm just volunteering now so at least i'm doing something. But yeah... it's almost the one year mark. I never thought i would still not have a job even now. >_

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Just a guess, but did you go to CSUSB and graduate part of the RCH program? (I have friends who went there.....)

I can't give you any hospital advice. I work at St. B's and when I got a job they would only hire recent new grads, not anyone who graduated way back when, and now they aren't hiring at all. Sometimes Desert Regional is hiring, but that's very few now. Did you try applying at Beaver Medical Group? They will hire new nurses occasionally, not really a hospital, but you will get some good hands on in Urgent Care. It's really a rough time everywhere, I would just network as much as possible. Hemet Valley Medical Center hires new nurses sometimes, but they have a bad reputation. And did you try inland valley medical center in Wildomar?

LOL Yes I did...wow I guess my situation isn't as uncommon as I thought. Well, thank you for your reply and your advice....I did try Beaver medical Group, Hemet and Inland valley...Nothing :( Im about to go check out Desert regional's website right now. Guess we'l see.....thanks again

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