Need some serious advice

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I need a serious advice too, I can't make a new post since I'm not a premium member so I thought I'd just insert it here. I'm a foreign grad but an RN in CA and I have been looking for a job all over the place now, even tried agencies but I always get turned down because I do not have any US experience. But how do I get experience when I can't land a job, when no one would give me a chance? Can anyone advice me on what to do? I'm thinking of volunteering in hospitals instead, but volunteers don't do nursing or any medical duties there. Will that count as experience to help me attain my goal of being able to work as a nurse in the US? Please help, I am really confused on what to do.

The only option that you have open to you is to try nursing homes, there is no way that you are going to get hired in a hospital in that area without any current experience in the US or schooling in the US.

Stanford has actually hired foreign nurses in the past if they had at least one year of nursing home experience here.

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try to ask an immigration lawyer that can handle your case, chances are they know a facility/hospital that can sponsor you.

She already has the green card, so not sure why you are recommending an immigration attorney for her. She does not need sponsorship or petitioning either. She needs nothing from immigration at this time. Sponsorship denotes a temporary work visa as well and all of the hospitals in the area are unionized and do not permit the temporary work visa either, only a treaty visa such as the TN or the E-3 from Australia would be acceptable.

The green card will permit her to work anywhere in the US, but the fact remains that the Bay Area is oversaturated with nurses that do not have experience. It is most difficult for even a graduate in this area to get hired and they trained here. Training in another country and not having any experience is going to make it impossible for a hospital setting. Not one of them are hiring at this time. New grad programs are also only two to three times per year in the area as well. Bay Area hospitals are also having lay-offs and hiring freezes as well. And job that does come up is going to go to someone that has experience that can just jump in and is going to need minimal orientation.

LTC is the only suggestion to be made at this time and in this locale.

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Thank you all for the advices and suggestions! Will look into long term care facilities from now on.

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I live in the Silicon Valley area... I have had 4 agents/recruiters tell me that it is hard for me to find a job here, but I can't move, this is where my husband and family are, I have to consider their jobs too. I can try working in maybe about/over 50 miles from where I live, but that's about it, but even searching in those places have not resulted to any luck with me getting hired, mainly because I do not have any US experience... I just don't know what to do... If I work in nursing homes, will that count as a US experience for me to pursue being a Medical/Surgical nurse in a hospital afterwards, in the future?

Ohhhh good luck in the Silicon Valley....there are many RN graduates from this area that are struggling to find a job....Your best bet is the LTC facilities....Most hospitals are on a hiring freeze and when they open up new grad positions those are most likely going to go to the US educated RN's....As stated, try the LTC facilities and see what you can get from there....Most start off there if they can't get hired in the hospitals and then eventually apply in the hospitals once they gain some experience....Good Luck...

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I feel your pain...

The Bay Area is a bad place to be right now for a new grad nurse, especially a foreign-trained new grad nurse. I graduated in the Philippines last April and became an RN last November. I thought that would help me in getting a job, but apparently not. I've called nurse recruiters and managers here and there, and they all said the same thing...hiring freeze. A couple of hospitals (Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health) have some upcoming new grad programs, but would only take in US-trained new grads. Frustrating really.

Washington Hospital in Fremont posted an opening for their new grad training program two weeks ago, and I was lucky to find out from their recruiting manager that they accept foreign new grads also as long as they had their license by April. She also told me that there were already 150 applicants for only 10 available slots by the time I called, so I turned in an application right away. I checked their jobpage again today, and seems like they took down the posting...kinda gives you an idea of how much competition is out there looking for work just like you *sigh*. I won't be surprised if I never got a call.

We foreign-trained new grads have 2 options: either settle for a LTC facility which would be much easier to get in to, but less pay and sub-par experience that some hospitals may not even recognize, not to mention an easier way to lose your precious RN license...or move down to SoCal, where pay is lower, but at least hospital jobs are more in reach. I might head down there myself if things don't get any better around here.

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I feel your pain...

The Bay Area is a bad place to be right now for a new grad nurse, especially a foreign-trained new grad nurse. I graduated in the Philippines last April and became an RN last November. I thought that would help me in getting a job, but apparently not. I've called nurse recruiters and managers here and there, and they all said the same thing...hiring freeze. A couple of hospitals (Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health) have some upcoming new grad programs, but would only take in US-trained new grads. Frustrating really.

Washington Hospital in Fremont posted an opening for their new grad training program two weeks ago, and I was lucky to find out from their recruiting manager that they accept foreign new grads also as long as they had their license by April. She also told me that there were already 150 applicants for only 10 available slots by the time I called, so I turned in an application right away. I checked their jobpage again today, and seems like they took down the posting...kinda gives you an idea of how much competition is out there looking for work just like you *sigh*. I won't be surprised if I never got a call.

We foreign-trained new grads have 2 options: either settle for a LTC facility which would be much easier to get in to, but less pay and sub-par experience that some hospitals may not even recognize, not to mention an easier way to lose your precious RN license...or move down to SoCal, where pay is lower, but at least hospital jobs are more in reach. I might head down there myself if things don't get any better around here.

Are you wishing now you went to school in the USA? And are you going to be moving?

Thanks for sharing.

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"We foreign-trained new grads have 2 options: either settle for a LTC facility which would be much easier to get in to, but less pay and sub-par experience that some hospitals may not even recognize, not to mention an easier way to lose your precious RN license...or move down to SoCal, where pay is lower, but at least hospital jobs are more in reach. I might head down there myself if things don't get any better around here."

I wish I could be more flexible about this like you, that is, be able to move to another area to find work. But as much as I want to, I can't... I have other things to consider besides myself. So I will just have to make do with Long Term care facilities. I have tried looking at some, but they also ask for at least 1 year experience and I only have about 6 months and it is in the Medical/Surgical area. I'm hoping they will still hire me and give me a chance though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In these tough times, we can't afford to be pessimistic. We have to keep being positive.=)

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I feel your pain...

The Bay Area is a bad place to be right now for a new grad nurse, especially a foreign-trained new grad nurse. I graduated in the Philippines last April and became an RN last November. I thought that would help me in getting a job, but apparently not. I've called nurse recruiters and managers here and there, and they all said the same thing...hiring freeze. A couple of hospitals (Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health) have some upcoming new grad programs, but would only take in US-trained new grads. Frustrating really.

Washington Hospital in Fremont posted an opening for their new grad training program two weeks ago, and I was lucky to find out from their recruiting manager that they accept foreign new grads also as long as they had their license by April. She also told me that there were already 150 applicants for only 10 available slots by the time I called, so I turned in an application right away. I checked their jobpage again today, and seems like they took down the posting...kinda gives you an idea of how much competition is out there looking for work just like you *sigh*. I won't be surprised if I never got a call.

We foreign-trained new grads have 2 options: either settle for a LTC facility which would be much easier to get in to, but less pay and sub-par experience that some hospitals may not even recognize, not to mention an easier way to lose your precious RN license...or move down to SoCal, where pay is lower, but at least hospital jobs are more in reach. I might head down there myself if things don't get any better around here.

The last paragraph is not necessarily true...Hospitals do recognize LTC as experience more than you think...They look at it as med surg...I've known several nurses who've done the LTC first and then applied to the hospitals and were able to get in...You're correct about the pay being less in the LTC....the experience isn't sub-par because if you can handle working in the LTC facility then you can most definately work in the hospital....unless you're not good with computers.....The pay in Southern California is less, but also the cost of living is less too depending on which area you move to....so eventually it offsets....Also you have to look at it that the more time lapses after graduating from nursing school, the more outdated you will be...because nursing is constantly changing....and that's a red flag to administration.....If you're really looking for work then go the LTC facility route to at least gain some experience, it's better than nothing....Not working because you're waiting for the hospital job to open up that you're most likely aren't going to get is not going to help you....it can only hurt you...Good Luck

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"We foreign-trained new grads have 2 options: either settle for a LTC facility which would be much easier to get in to, but less pay and sub-par experience that some hospitals may not even recognize, not to mention an easier way to lose your precious RN license...or move down to SoCal, where pay is lower, but at least hospital jobs are more in reach. I might head down there myself if things don't get any better around here."

I wish I could be more flexible about this like you, that is, be able to move to another area to find work. But as much as I want to, I can't... I have other things to consider besides myself. So I will just have to make do with Long Term care facilities. I have tried looking at some, but they also ask for at least 1 year experience and I only have about 6 months and it is in the Medical/Surgical area. I'm hoping they will still hire me and give me a chance though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In these tough times, we can't afford to be pessimistic. We have to keep being positive.=)

At least you're willing to consider the LTC facilities.....they do have a high turnover rate because most move on to the hospital setting, which is the goal for most....All you can do is keep applying....the worse they're going to tell you is no...Eventually you will get into the hospital setting....Good Luck!

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Are you wishing now you went to school in the USA? And are you going to be moving?

I still have loans to pay from a previous degree in computer technology I took 6 years ago that was pretty much useless...no way I was gonna take out more loans for nursing school here in the US. Not to mention how its not easy to get into a nursing program here. Taking up nursing in the Philippines was my option from the very start, despite today's discouraging circumstances. Much more affordable out there and no more additional loans to worry about.

If hospitals do consider LTC experience, that's great news for me. I've just heard from others how new grads get stuck at LTC's because the experience they get there wasn't helping them get into the hospital jobs they so much wanted. How true that is, I don't really know.

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I can understand about the loans, but it has been my experience you get what you pay for. It sounds like you are very familiar with the US so that is definitely in your favor. I could not afford to be with out a job for months like the IEN but you probably figured this all out before you went to school.

LTC gets a bad wrap. It is hard work. There are facilities that abuse nursing staff. Every Medicare certified nursing home is rated on the web. Check that out. Expect a long orientation period 6-12 weeks and they places that give the long orientation won't pay the big money but you can go home each night and sleep. Also you will be working the shifts that the experience people don't want, evenings, nights, and weekends.

What is the attraction to working in a hospital other than the pay? There are other avenues of nursing once you get experience such as home care.

Working in the OR is an area that has many opening. You would have to pay for a perioperative program they are usually 3 months in length but it will get you a skill that is employable. Best of Luck.

PS You know that there are many different level of LTC, there are hospitals that are LTAC which provide hospital level of care, Subacute units which are short term stays for post acute care, and custodial care.

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Thank you all for the advices and suggestions! Will look into long term care facilities from now on.

You do not need a recruiter to find a job in LTC. Recruiters cost money and LTC does not have the funds to spend on recruiters.

I would get dressed professionally and hand your resume, with a copy of your license, and BLS to the Human Resources Department. Do not apply by phone or email ( many LTCs do not have email for HR). If you just got your Green Card get your SSN number ASAP, without a SSN you will not get an interview.

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