New Grad: feeling defeated

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

Published

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 :(

Specializes in GENERAL.

I'm having the same problem. I graduated in Nov 2012 and can't land a job. You have to keep applying. I've had an interview but another applicant was chosen, and this is the job I went to drop off my résumé with NM. I think you have to keep evolving your résumé and being flexible. Great experience and certs but these days a lot of us have BSN's, PALS, ACLS, and still unemployed. Good luck! Persistence is the key. Today a recruiter called me to apply for a job he thought I would be good. This is because I've been contacting recruiters and NM amidst a bad market. It's turning around finally!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Work any connections you have. I've been at my hospital as a nursing assistant for several years now, and still almost did not get a job. However, I asked my manager and department director every time I saw them about new grad positions, and my director tried that much harder to get spots approved for myself and a few other internal new grads.

Despite being denied these spots previously, she went back again on our behalf and I should be starting as an RN in the next few weeks.

When things were looking bleaker, I was asking anyone I knew and/or work with for leads on jobs. As a result I was no longer just a number in some hospitals databases--I actually was in the process of putting together a packet for an educator at another hospital (put in contact with through a co-worker), and another co-worker was going to speak with her manager and HR at her other job for me.

Fortunately, everything is settled now, though I'll be sure to thank said educator for being willing to give my application/resume a more thorough look. Also on my list of things to do was getting in contact with the nursing recruiter at the hospital I did clinicals at in my last semester. They have no new grad positions listed, yet I know several nurses left the facility during my clinical rotation. It never hurts to send out feelers/call and ask.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Its a very strange job market out there right now for new nurses.....Your previous experience means nothing to human resources if it is not straight up acute care as an RN. I know the feeling of having phat ER experience and not getting hired. I graduated last year and was unable to secure a job at the local hospitals or MD offices. I got hired at a nursing home the day I walked in, which was a delight! The job was hard, it's as difficult at a nursing home as everyone has told you with less pay then the hospital, but you are working...as a nurse! Getting paid & gaining experience, rather than not working while you hold out for the acute care jobs. It was much easier for me to get into the hospital I am at now from the nursing home job...Noone is too good to work in a nursing home, and you get quite a bit of medication, insulin, wound care, dementia, nebulizers, pain management, medicare charting, and supervising experience to church up your resume. Don't shut out the nursing homes, I made many great contacts there that helped me get into my hospital job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you guys for your support! I am glad to say yesterday I landed my dream job!!!! I'm still in shock. I am soooo thankful!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats. Any details that you'd care to share?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm working at an outpatient surgery center doing PACU and pre-op. I absolutely love it. I'm still a bit shocked, it's a dream come true. I always knew I didn't want to do medsurg so I am very thankful it all worked out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.
I'm working at an outpatient surgery center doing PACU and pre-op. I absolutely love it. I'm still a bit shocked it's a dream come true. I always knew I didn't want to do medsurg so I am very thankful it all worked out.[/quote']

How did you land this job?? I really want to work outpatient but I never get any interviews, just rejection letters after applying online. PACU and outpatient jobs usually "only" hire experienced nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You are absolutely right. And that's one of the first things the DON told me, but she said she was willing to give me a chance because of my experience. All the positions I applied for I found them on indeed.com I saw the job posting and applied, she contacted me about 30 mins after I submitted it. You just have to be patient, someone will give you a chance. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
We hire new grads in our ICU all the time. Wanna move to Texas. We are short about 12 nurses. It's a great place to work too with a superior orientation.[/quote']

Do you have any contacts in HR to send a resume to ? I graduated over a year ago and still no job. ICU is my dream job :). I would move from Illinois to Texas for this opportunity.

Thanks :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
We hire new grads in our ICU all the time. Wanna move to Texas. We are short about 12 nurses. It's a great place to work too with a superior orientation.[/quote']

Do you mind PMing me what hospital you work at? I'm very interested in moving to Texas!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment