Jobless in Portland

mba2bsn · Feb 4, 2011

Don't give up. Pray and maintain a positive mental attitude. God is close to the brokenhearted and to those who call on Him. Read the book " The Secret" by R. Byrne.

shiny217 · Feb 5, 2011

I currently live in Texas, but originally from Portland, Oregon.

I moved here because of a job.

Graduated in 2009 just like you and

wasn't able to find any job in Portland/Vancouver area.

So I applied everywhere from Alaska to Florida.

I terribly miss my home, Portland, but I've got a family to support.

I think I did the right thing.

inforn43 · Mar 13, 2011

I currently live in Texas, but originally from Portland, Oregon.
I moved here because of a job.
Graduated in 2009 just like you and
wasn't able to find any job in Portland/Vancouver area.
So I applied everywhere from Alaska to Florida.
I terribly miss my home, Portland, but I've got a family to support.
I think I did the right thing.

I would trade places with you in a sec. You have a job and the sun. Thank God for what you have.

nursesonchi · Mar 13, 2011

I currently live in Texas, but originally from Portland, Oregon.
I moved here because of a job.
Graduated in 2009 just like you and
wasn't able to find any job in Portland/Vancouver area.
So I applied everywhere from Alaska to Florida.
I terribly miss my home, Portland, but I've got a family to support.
I think I did the right thing.

Congratulations on having a job! You should be very proud! I was curious if you knew if things were easier for new grads there in Texas? I've been talking to a few new grads these past couple weeks and for some reason Texas keeps coming up as a state that has new grad jobs, is that true?

AnneS · Mar 13, 2011

I would suggest volunteering at your local hospitals. This will put your face out there and hopefully get you in contact with the people that make the decisions or can give you recommendations. Good luck.

Heart 2 serve · Sep 15, 2011

Hello all!
This is my first post, so nice to meet all of you!
I have been on quite a roller coaster since the end of nursing school (I passed the NCLEX in October of 2009, so it's been awhile). I had to move to a different state right after graduation for family reasons and feel as though I have destroyed my options of working anywhere, ever. Yes, that sounds a bit ridiculous, but I have been pouring my heart into numerous job applications for over a year so it's a bit frustrating at this point and I suppose I am prone to some extreme sentiments.
I guess I just wanted to pick your brains for any good advice you have on being hired as a new graduate RN. I am now living in Portland, OR and don't have any real connections in the health care industry here and have been extremely discouraged when speaking with nurse recruiters from hospitals in town. I have even been turned down from Hospice and Nursing Homes because of lack of experience. Maybe there are nurse networking events? I have no idea? I am not really financially stable enough to move again, so I am pretty stuck here for the time being.
Anyhow, enough of my ramblings - I sure would appreciate any advice any of you have on job searching. It's rough out there!
Thanks much and hope to hear from you soon!

I recently moved here. Yes, i was well aware of the tough market for nursing out this way due to the saturation of nurses in this area. Did you ever find a job? Did you stay or moved? Hope to hear from you soon!

opossum · Sep 16, 2011

I live in Portland as well; I graduated in 2010 w/BSN and it took me about 9 months to find my job an hour away in McMinnville.

It's always been tough to find a job here, and nursing is definitely no exception. I have friends I graduated with that are still looking...

Check out Summit Health (summithealth.com) - I did cholesterol checks/wellness clinics sporadically for a few months while looking for something more permanent. They have clinics in town, but many of them are in the business parks in Tualatin, Beaverton, etc. You can also travel to Seattle or other places in WA and they'll reimburse your travel expenses and pay for a hotel :cool: You can PM me for more info about it if you like...

Good luck - it's really tough out there. I'm hopeful something will change for the better :redpinkhe

opossum · Sep 16, 2011

I would suggest volunteering at your local hospitals. This will put your face out there and hopefully get you in contact with the people that make the decisions or can give you recommendations. Good luck.

It's a good idea, but sadly it's not really feasible here; Portland's so saturated with new grads and prospective students (both nursing and medical) that there are very few opportunities for volunteering. I ran into this predicament last year when desperately looking for any position in a hospital/clinic.

But it is always worth looking into :)

lindarn · Sep 16, 2011

St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma, WA, is hiring for the ICU, and I believe that they are accepting NEW GRADS!!. Look them up.

Lindarn, RN,BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

Heart 2 serve · Sep 16, 2011

I live in Portland as well; I graduated in 2010 w/BSN and it took me about 9 months to find my job an hour away in McMinnville.
It's always been tough to find a job here, and nursing is definitely no exception. I have friends I graduated with that are still looking...
Check out Summit Health (summithealth.com) - I did cholesterol checks/wellness clinics sporadically for a few months while looking for something more permanent. They have clinics in town, but many of them are in the business parks in Tualatin, Beaverton, etc. You can also travel to Seattle or other places in WA and they'll reimburse your travel expenses and pay for a hotel You can PM me for more info about it if you like...
Good luck - it's really tough out there. I'm hopeful something will change for the better :redpinkhe

Thank you Sooo much. It is greatly appreciated for your time to give me suggestions. O would like to know more about the clinic you are talking about. I'm new to this whole forum stuff. Where so I go to PM you? I grduate in may 2011. Applied for about two months and now working for LTC for mean time and gain more organizational skills and assessment skills. Also to keep my interpersonal skills up to par and be there to be the nurse I went to school for. :) The isn't great, but everything else outweighs that so I'm happy and excited to just go and do what my heart has been desiring.. To go and serve with much compassion. So how did you land a job at the hospital over there besides work at the clinic? I'm sorry to hear about your friends. I believe I only got the job because it was right timing and place. I had to make calls and try to reach DNS and hiring managers. I left VMs. Hopefully you can pass that on to your friend and that might be of help. I wouldn't turret volunteering down at a clinic either because just because your not gettig paid that doesn't mean it's not professional experiences. I know essential health clinic is looking for nurses to volunteer. It's a clinic that is of service to individuals who can't afford insurance.

Lindarn: thanks for your advice!!! I will look into it. :)

Heart 2 serve · Sep 21, 2011

It's a good idea, but sadly it's not really feasible here; Portland's so saturated with new grads and prospective students (both nursing and medical) that there are very few opportunities for volunteering. I ran into this predicament last year when desperately looking for any position in a hospital/clinic.
But it is always worth looking into :)

Yes, I'm still on the waiting list to get in as a volunteer. . unheard of for volunteer. . =/ I figure its probably because of the 6 months - 1 year commitment they require that is why their volunteer positions are filled.