Losing hope.

[RNwife]

My husband is a 2009 RN graduate and he is amazing. He was laid off in 2005, got into the program 2007, graduated with honors in 2009 and then...nothing.

I take that back, he did land a 520 county contract last winter (that has long since expired) and he has at least been able to get a couple of flu clinics locally and some volunteer jobs too. According to his classmates, he is lucky to have gotten even that. Most of his classmates can't even work for free at the volunteer clinics! It's crazy!!!

He has put out hundreds of applications locally and nationally and still cannot find gainful employment.

We have one car that isn't running and another that is being held together with prayer and duct tape - we can't afford to fix either.

We can't afford to pay all of our bills and so find ourselves facing bankruptcy, except we don't have enough to do that yet. The creditors are calling all the time, we can't buy clothes for our kids...Christmas is coming and I am just dispairing. Husband had to have surgery this last week (which we couldn't afford either but it was life-threatening so we couldn't afford to not have it done).

All of this I could handle if there was some hope of him finding a position. He put so much time and energy into getting his degree and now he can't seem to use it to help support his family. Thank God I have been working full time for the last 7 years but even so, that only covers our housing/food/utilities. I make too much money to qualify for any kind of assistance and at the same time, don't make enough to really support us. We seem to have fallen between some huge crack somewhere and can't see the light of day at all anymore.

I am desperate for some hope. Someone please tell me it is not all for nothing. Seeing my husband's disappointment and frustration is more than I can bear. He has worked so hard...it is killing me to see this. :crying2:

[jpizzle11]

Things will get better. Hang in there. This industry goes through ups and downs like any other. A lot of people have told me that I'd never find a job with my experience level, specialty, and desired location but after several months and 50 applications I've finally started getting interviews here and there. New grads have it very bad. But hiring freezes are just starting to thaw...old nurses will eventually start retiring again...there is still hope.

[mentalhealthRN]

Where are you and your husband living? State?City?

Just curious as to where this is that is so hard to find work.

I hear ya though I am an RN and have been out of work for three months now.

I have 7 years of nursing experience in a variety of areas but the thing is I have given up a lot of evenings, weekends, holidays, etc and am holding out for a Mon-Fri day job, preferably in the area I am most comfortable and love which is in psych.

Good luck to you and your husband. I hope things get better. Wish I could help.

[RNwife]

Thank you, jpizzle11. We will just keep holding on...it's all we can do.

mentalhealthRN, we are in Oregon - possibly the worst state for new grads at the moment (probably not, but it really feels like it). My husband is more or less resigned to working anywhere he can get a job, even if it's Burger King. Oddly enough, one of his classmates is already working at our local BK. It's just so discouraging. At least he is getting into the volunteer clinics. It's unbelievable the competition to work for free!

We just have to focus on getting enough money to get our cars fixed, get the bankruptcy going and then after that...I don't know. Hopefully something will turn up. Now that Kitzhaber has been put back into office, OR is pretty much screwed.

Thanks for answering my post! There is some solace in the idea that it isn't just us, that we aren't alone in this...mess.