New Grad Can't Find Work

Maha123 · Oct 7, 2020

Hey there! It's the same in California right now my cohort graduated around May and no one has yet to land anything. I know others who graduated a few months before us and barely got something. Have you considered getting your ACLS and/or PALS? I haven't yet because they are kind of pricey, but I may start looking into that. Also as far as Providence goes it looks like they always have way more people interview than there are positions from what I read. I recently applied to their California locations and even their Oregon RN Residency since my aunt lives up there, but have not heard anything from them. My application there has been under review for like a week. Can I ask how long after your on-demand interview did you receive the official interview? Or how long after it being under review did you hear back for an interview?

PortlandRN2020, BSN · Oct 7, 2020

Hey, thanks for sharing. How big is your cohort? That's slightly alarming to hear but hopefully things will start moving down there soon. What part of California are you in? I know another OHSU campus where most of the new grads got jobs almost immediately but it's at a rural hospital with a high turnover and I did not want to move to that area so I didn't apply..

I applied for several residency postings for Providence and only one asked for the on-demand interview and I never heard anything back afterwards, but it said in my dashboard that I was not selected for further consideration. They requested the on-demand interview almost immediately after receiving my application but I'm not sure when they posted to my dashboard. Another job posting from Providence requested a live interview only and then they emailed and said they wouldn't be moving forward. I feel like they made that request within a week of my application submission, so it seemed like it moved pretty fast. Have you applied for an Oregon license?

I have thought about getting ACLS and PALS but I wasn't sure it would make me more competitive for med/surg, and I didn't want to pay for something if I could get hired on and the agency would pay for it anyway. I think as time goes on and I start feeling more pressure to find work I'll definitely be looking into getting certs and taking any job I can find though! Is your cohort holding out for hospital jobs or looking at SNFs too?

Maha123 · Oct 7, 2020

There was like 26 of us I believe. A lot of it had to do with how long it took take the NCLEX here and missing out on New Grad posts, but then also everyone wants a hospital position. I just really don't want to start as a new grad at a SNF you know, we all dream of being at a hospital with a preceptor. But if I have to I will start applying to those types of positions. So far I've only focused on hospital settings from the bay area to down southern California. I heard of a hospital that's around 3 hours south of Eugene Oregon that hires New Grads pretty fast, but its literally in middle of no where and it's a contract so you're kind of stuck there for however long the contract is. I'm not too confident on Providence because I know they get lots of applicants and limited spots and like you I was hoping to get ACLS etc. but have the hospital I work for pay for it. I am really just hoping to land a new grad position and keeping my fingers crossed that Providence reaches out soon even if its a rejection because the process unlike you experienced has been slow for me. It has been like 2 weeks without hearing back from them from both the California and Oregon locations after submitting the on-demand interview. And no I have not applied for an Oregon license since Providence was the only place I applied to there and have my California one. Do you know how long that process is by any chance?

PortlandRN2020, BSN · Oct 7, 2020

Yes I feel the same. Sorry you're in the waiting loop. How many Providence locations did you apply to? I don't know how long it takes to get an Oregon license by endorsement but I would guess 3-6 weeks if you're coming from California.

I think the hospital south of Eugene you're thinking of is the one I was talking about - it is definitely in the middle of nowhere and I think they have a 2-3 year contract which was another deterrent for me.

Have you tried Cedar Sinai in the LA area?

Maha123 · Oct 7, 2020

I applied to all the Portland locations and Newberg, Oregon City and Milwaukie. And all the locations for their California RN Residency like Burbank etc.. I am just trying to find an RN residency so don't mind moving. And I applied for Cedar Sinai's job alerts notifications; I don't think they have actually opened up the applications for their February program.

PortlandRN2020, BSN · Oct 9, 2020

Apparently, PeaceHealth doesn't allow you to save your application and complete it later. The recruiter from Eugene/Springfield emailed me to ask me to finish the application but when I emailed the recruiter from Vancouver to ask if I can complete the application, this was the response I got:

"Unfortunately, once you submitted your application you are no longer able to edit your application. As it was submitted you are subjected to review of the application at that time, which was incomplete with no attached clinical narrative or cover letter. Due to the extreme competitive nature of this Residency we do not accept incomplete applications. This is why you received the email saying we would not be proceeding with your application for this posting.

I am sorry, but the rules are clearly stated in the job description.

Please do consider applying to the next residency posting this coming Spring.

Best,

(MODERATOR EDIT OF STAFF INFO)

There's no way I'm applying there next Spring after that mess, no thanks.

Maha123 · Oct 9, 2020

How long are you giving yourself before you consider applying to SNF's or other facilities outside hospitals? I've applied to sooo many hospitals already and still nothing.

PortlandRN2020, BSN · Oct 11, 2020

I'm going to start putting in apps for SNFs and dialysis centers this week and maybe continue applying for hospital positions as they open and just see what happens. It seems that the majority of hospitals in Oregon have already done their fall hiring for new grads.

I think PeaceHealth in Eugene/Springfield OR still has an application open for the next few days if you want to try there. The recruiter was also much nicer at that location; she emailed me and asked me to complete my application. I lived in Eugene for six years and I am not crazy about the town but it's an OK place to live and the Springfield hospital would be a decent place to get your first 6-12 months of experience and then go back to California once you're an experienced RN.

Here's the link to the Springfield residency:

https://careers.peacehealth.org/jobs/5669297-RN-nurse-residency-program-oregon-network

PortlandRN2020, BSN · Oct 11, 2020

It says "Start Dates to be offered for positions will be as early as December 2020. Residency Seminars to begin in early 2021."

Here's a link to all their nurse job postings if you're interested. It looks like they have Vancouver, Longview, and Bellingham Washington residencies also. It looks like they all close on the 18th.

https://careers.peacehealth.org/search/jobs?q=nurse&cfm10=

Maha123 · Oct 12, 2020

Thank you for this I will give it a try and see what happens. If I don't get anything in a hospital I think SNF's will be my next step. I know a girl who is in LA and did that for 6 months and continued applying to hospitals while there and finally got something. She did really hate it though, but whatever it takes right.

JT83 · Oct 14, 2020

Hi. Are you still looking for employment? I'm not sure if you're interested in Community-Based Care in an Assisted Living Facility but there is an immediate need for one in the Old Town Portland area. I'm sorry I couldn't send you a private message about this because I don't use this account often, but if you're able to reach out to me, I can get you connected ASAP.