Just graduated! For the past few years, as I did pre-requisites and entered nursing school, everyone has said nursing is a growing profession. "You'll have no trouble finding work!" Well, guess what?
It feels like facilities are drunk with power in this new economy. We are the SAME kinds of nurses they hired just a few years ago, yet it feels like we are being punished. Just to submit an application they want 2-3 letters of recommendation and/or the names of 3 references, your school transcripts, your resume and cover letter, your work history, and your social security number (no joke!).
I understand that these automated application systems ask us for all of this information because it used to be the facilities would interview a lot more candidates and a greater percentage would be hired. However, these days, that never happens. I feel that if they're going to ask for the information, it needs to be used. The current process is not respectful of applicants' time or privacy.
There needs to be a 2-step process that screens candidates based on their cover letter and resume and invites them for interviews. AFTER the interviews, THEN the top 3-5 candidates' references are requested, background checks are run, etc. That way, the candidates can decline to give the information if they don't want the position. But like I said, it's a new economy. Grrr. And it gets worse; if you decline to give them the detailed personal information you get automatically screened out by the computer!
Personally, I don't want to exhaust my references with a bunch of calls before I've even met anyone. I don't feel at all comfortable giving out so much information just to get an automated reply. But they have us (new grads) at a disadvantage and I feel they are pressing us for things they have no right asking for at an early stage.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I should add, the exception around here to the stuff the OP was asked for is none of the local systems have asked for grades or GPA or transcripts. The board asked for transcripts to apply for our Lic. but that was it.
employers are required by federal law to verify citizenship status, and one way to do that is to look at your ssn. be prepared to bring your ssn card and driver's license or passport with you to the interview, because they will take copies of them and have to sign that they saw the originals.
they also need to run a cori check, and for that they need the ssn.
hard to believe, but sometimes applicants lie. yeah, they're screening tools. so?
And it gets worse; if you decline to give them the detailed personal information you get automatically screened out by the computer! 
~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN
5,259 Posts
I should add, the exception around here to the stuff the OP was asked for is none of the local systems have asked for grades or GPA or transcripts. The board asked for transcripts to apply for our Lic. but that was it.