New Grad: feeling defeated

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Anyone else out there having a hard time finding a job as a new grad?? I graduated in May and passed my boards right away. I have been looking for a job for over a month now and all I get are the automated rejection emails. I'm quickly loosing hope. I have been a paramedic for over 5 years and I thought that would help me secure a position, but apparently I was wrong. I have applied to med/surg, ER, PACU, New grad residency, you name it I have applied and yet all I get is "you don't have enough experience." Even with the ER positions when I have all the certs they ask for (BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, RN)!!! I can intubate people, I can work a code with my eyes closed by myself, I can read EKGs, I can do IVs, I have experience with peds, but yet it's not enough because I don't have experience as a nurse other than school. I know it hasn't been that long, but I didn't think it would be this hard... frustration is starting to settle in and I'm loosing hope :(

I'm also in the same boat. Graduated in may and have applied to a couple hundred jobs.

I've only had a few call backs and no offer yet, but interestingly, the ones that have called me back have NOT been the new grad positions. Both were jobs that stated in the description that they wanted experience and I thought "well I'll try!"

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I never apply to postings that say "experience required", I don't want to bog down the system when I know I'm not qualified. I apply if it says "experience preferred" because I feel I could still have a chance and it won't hurt to try. I'm ineligible for any new grad residency programs in my area because you must have a BSN to apply and I have an associates working on bachelors.

I guess I exaggerated by saying hundreds, but it's definitely pushing a hundred applications a week and hundreds of applications since obtaining my license less than a month ago. I live in an area with many hospitals and dense population.

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I would if I could!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Don't give up! There has to be a place out there that would value your medic skills and realize that experience would give you an edge especially in emergency or ICU! Keep on applying and write a cover letter emphasizes how your medic skills prove you can work under the fast paced ever changing emergency or icu care. Focus on both your assessment skills and technical skills which would be valuable as a nurse, putting in IV's in an emergency, working a code, etc. Sell yourself as a proven commodity and will be a quick study! They would be lucky to have you!

Emphasize how being a medic inspired you to become a nurse so you could be even more involved in patient care and how nursing has added to your knowledge base such as assessment skills and pathophysiology to help you see the big picture! I'm sure you will find a job if you write a thoughtful cover letter with your job application!

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I understand what your going through. I was a respiratory therapist before nursing school, and a CNA for 7 years before that and I cant get a tech job. I almost wanted to leave it off the applications but It would have appeared as if I were unemployed for the the last 8-10 years and I too think my experience is valuable because of the exposure I have, no not as a nurse but in a medical setting period. I decided to just work as a therapist PRN until I can get a nursing gig. Have you thought of trying that? At least you would have a job.

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Anyone else out there having a hard time finding a job as a new grad?? I graduated in May and passed my boards right away. I have been looking for a job for over a month now and all I get are the automated rejection emails. I'm quickly loosing hope. I have been a paramedic for over 5 years and I thought that would help me secure a position, but apparently I was wrong. I have applied to med/surg, ER, PACU, New grad residency, you name it I have applied and yet all I get is "you don't have enough experience." Even with the ER positions when I have all the certs they ask for (BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, RN)!!! I can intubate people, I can work a code with my eyes closed by myself, I can read EKGs, I can do IVs, I have experience with peds, but yet it's not enough because I don't have experience as a nurse other than school. I know it hasn't been that long, but I didn't think it would be this hard... frustration is starting to settle in and I'm loosing hope :(

This is odd.. I always thought that having medic experience would give someone an edge when they apply for ED nursing jobs. It could just be the hospitals in your area.

Ultimately, I don't think that the issue is lack of experience. It is just that they really don't want to hire anyone. They post jobs on their website with no intention of filling those spots and decline people jobs with the excuse of, "no experience".. its hogwash.

In my opinion, the key to getting a job in this market is to go where no one else wants to go. Thats how I landed my job in the ED, I commute 40 minutes to a desert for work. It's places where noone wants to go to are places that truly need staff and are willing to hire and train.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I'm in the same boat. I thought I would have an easier time than I am finding a job. I graduated with my BSN, had an excellent GPA, and worked concurrently in a tech type position in a University Hospital. I graduated in May and have put in 80+ applications to positions I meet the minimum requirements for, but since I am a new grad and have no RN experience, I'm put at the bottom of the pile. Even new grad residencies in the PNW want experience (WTHeck?!). It is very discouraging to say the least.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I graduated in August 2011, and was in the same situation. Some pointers I can give you are:

- Attended as many job fairs as you can- it will help with your interviewing skills and hopefully you can make a good impression on one of the managers (this is how I got my first RN position).

- Utilize your contacts- a lot of times it is about who you know

- It sounds like you applied to mostly hospital jobs, unfortunately a lot of hospitals (at least where I live) want RN experience, so take the nursing home job for a couple of years to get that experience

- Be flexible, if you can, with you availability

- DON'T GIVE UP- you will get there

Best of luck to you!

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Yeah. I feel your frustrations too. I graduated in May and passed my boards in July too, and haven't heard from anywhere I applied yet. I've applied to New Grad programs and Staff I positions. And it's either, "You don't have enough experience", or "someone else is more qualified than you." It's like what the heck? How can I get experience if no one will give me a chance? Not only that, I need have loans to pay off... SOON!! I know here in California, New Grad RN positions are so limited and harsh. I'm starting to consider looking out of state. Gah! Super frustrating :(

However, although it's tough to stay positive, we must stay hopeful and refuse to give up. Eventually, we will find somewhere that will be willing to give us a chance. We just have to keep being persistent. I've always been told that everything happens for a reason, and if it wasn't meant to be, then there is something better.

You'll find something definitely! Don't give up hope yet! :)

an1991

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Specializes in Step-Down.

Agreed time is the best cure. I'm sure you will find a job it may take some time. Network, leads, and toning your resume are good ideas.

I graduated in May as well recived and my RN license a few weeks ago. I have 2 years expierience in LTC as a charge LPN, and 2 summers expierence as a camp nurse at a.sleepaway camp. I also thought my nursing expierence would give me an edge as well as being enrolled in an RN TO BSN program. I applied to many places and only recieved 2 calls. Don't give up I'm sure not!!

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Were do you live? New grad residency wants you to have experience? I'm from south Florida and i got hired into a new grad program before even taking my boards. Opposite of you, i lack your type of experience and i actually failed my boards and they are letting me keep position as long as i pass prior to the next new grad start date. Down here a lot of hospitals offer nurse extern positions to nursing students currently enrolled in a nursing program. You can apply for these positions once you've completed 2 rounds of clinicals... with hopes that the hospital will hire you once you graduate. So, i started as a nurse extern been working for 5 months for the hospital so i guess i do have an "in" minus failing my boards last week blah!!! re-taking in a little over a month (any pointers, I used Kaplan and a little Saunders the first time around) Does your school have a recruiter, or someone who helps with new grads getting jobs? We have someone like that working at the school and she constantly is sending e-mails about new job offers in the area. Maybe look into a staffing agency. Keep looking I'm sure you will find the perfect fit job for you.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

I have been an RN for 23 years so I'm not in your shoes, but what I see in my area is very odd, because it seems that there is no rhyme or reason to who gets hired by our local hospitals. I have worked with new nurses who have an ADN and worked for a month in an outpatient behavioral healthcare setting and then got hired for a full-time Med/Surg day shift job, yet I know new grads with BSNs and STNA experience who can't even get an interview. All of our hospitals say "BSN preferred", yet I have worked with many more new grads who have their ADN.

Hang in there. My sweet daughter-in-law to be is having the exact same problem and it is painful to see, especially since I can remember when I was a new grad and we had our pick of where we wanted to work, often with a sign-on bonus. Things have sure changed in healthcare. :no:

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