new grad: cant find a job

VANurse2010 · Sep 27, 2015

i am 22 years old, recently graduated in May 2015, passed NCLEX in july.
I have applied to about 3 hospitals, got one interview but did not get the position.
Ive called several other hospitals but they have told me that they arent hiring new grads until further notice.
There are residency programs, but their applications dont open up until mid October/november.... the thing about this is that i want to move out within the year, and signing a contract for 2 years with these programs will make that impossible... my parents want me to sign up for these programs, but i cannot imagine myself doing so because it is not what i want.
How do i go about finding a job? Apart from applying to residency programs...
Do clinics hire new nurses?
Should i limit my applications to one area or submit to surrounding areas? (BTW I live in Miami but want to move to Georgia)
Anything helps.
Thanks.

Some clinics and ambulatory centers hire new grads - but keep in mind you may find it difficult to get into hospitals down the line as an "experienced" nurse with no acute care experience.

I think a 2 year contract is excessive, but a residency would probably be the best bet for your career development.

2016New · Sep 27, 2015

Clinics dont count clinic jobs as experience?

its frustrating to know that hospitals dont hire new grads because we need experience.. not sure how they want us to gain experience if no hospital hires new grads.

most hospital residency programs ive called all require two year contracts.

Jackson is 2 or 3 years (cant remember)

Kendal StaRN is 2 years

Baptist Versant is 2 years

UM is 3 years

Miami Childrens is 2 years

If there's any sort of residency program i would apply to, it would be one in GA where i would want to move to.

Thank you!

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2015

I would expand your area even further. Just look at your first couple years as "anywhere". Do your research. Places like North Dakota need nurses due to huge population increase. Who CARES where you do your first couple years...then you are free to move ANYWHERE you want. Expand your search area to the entire USA. Get experience..then you move wherever you want.

2016New · Sep 27, 2015

thats what i have been told by fellow nurses that i know.

issue is, parents dont want me to do that when ive told them how its clearly impossible for me to get a job here in miami.

my other classmates have gotten jobs already, and i have yet to do so.

at this point i just want a job.

anywhere.

Girlafraid13 · Sep 27, 2015

My advice to you is to keep applying to hospitals/clinics/snfs/jails/school nurse i sent out about 300 resumes and only received 3 interviews. And the job I was offered was advertised as 1 year experience required. Not sure how the job market is there or if it's possible to apply to a large amount of places in Los Angeles you can apply to thousands of places in a 50 mile radius so that might be a bit different than where you are.

VANurse2010 · Sep 27, 2015

hospitals dont count clinic jobs as experience?
its frustrating to know that hospitals dont hire new grads because we need experience.. not sure how they want us to gain experience if no hospital hires new grads.
most hospital residency programs ive called all require two year contracts.
Jackson is 2 or 3 years (cant remember)
Kendal StaRN is 2 years
Baptist Versant is 2 years
UM is 3 years
Miami Childrens is 2 years
If there's any sort of residency program i would apply to, it would be one in GA where i would want to move to.
Thank you!

Whether they consider it experience depends on how desperate they are for workers - most aren't, so they don't.

Girlafraid13 · Sep 27, 2015

Using phone app sorry for inadequate punctuation.

BD-RN, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2015

Residency programs are becoming the norm because they most prepare RNs for successful careers. They require a contract because they usually have a longer than traditional preceptorship, therefore every patient you have is essentially getting a BOGO. Hospitals are paying upwards of a year's salary to train you, so they want to reap the benefits. Trust me, two years go by FAST, plus you're 22.

I would expand your horizons. Look at other places in Florida, keep looking at Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee...

Go where there's a good residency program that will well prepare you, put in your time, then go where you really want to go!

2016New · Sep 27, 2015

they should consider it experience seeing how hospitals are difficult to get into without any prior experience yet hospitals still wont hire new grads.... again, not sure how they think we'll gain any sort of experience if all hospitals have the same mindset of not hiring new grads...

ive resorted to looking in medical centers or clinics just because i want to work already, and apparently no hospitals have called me for work.

thank you for your input!

2016New · Sep 27, 2015

there's a really good residency program in GA that i am extremely interested in.

yes, 2 years goes by fast, and i can only imagine how fast when working as a full time nurse...

my issue is that i know i dont want to stay here, i am quite miserable being here, and imagining myself being here for 2 more years... thats miserable to think about.

and leaving mid residency program cant be an option seeing how we would have to pay back the hospital for the time they spent on me.

i see the advantages of a residency program, but dont want to commit myself to one in a place i know i am not happy about staying in.

and i understand how hospitals spend their time and money training newbies, therefore a contract must be signed so that all that time/money spent is put to use within that same hospital.

thank you for your input! i'll keep applying to places.

springchick1, ADN, RN · Sep 27, 2015

hospitals dont count clinic jobs as experience?
its frustrating to know that hospitals dont hire new grads because we need experience.. not sure how they want us to gain experience if no hospital hires new grads.

Hospitals do hire new grads but a lot of them hire them into residency programs. Yes, a clinic job is a job and therefore you will have "experience" but it won't be acute care experience. There is a difference.

If you dot want to do a residency program, you are going to have to be willing to move. My hospital doesn't have a residency program but they still require new grads to sign a contract. It is time consuming and very expensive to train someone.