New Grad feeling like a loser - Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads

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I'm a new graduate of an Associate Degree nursing program with a compact RN license who moved here after graduation. I've been searching and applying and attempting to network for 3.5 months now with no success. I've applied to new grad positions, but every one of them stated that BSN was "preferred". I've only been offered one phone interview and that's as far as it goes for me. This is very difficult because I've got 4 strikes against me:

1. I'm a new grad

2. Even though I have a compact license, I'm from out of state and I didn't complete my clinicals here; I'm not familiar with the hospitals here.

3. I have very little work experience

4. The work experience that I do have is a decade old, because a decade ago my child was born with special medical needs and I spent the last ten years being a stay at home mom, following my husband around for his military career, and raising our other children as well. (My daughter's special medical needs are what actually inspired me to go back to school to become a nurse).

Needless to say, I feel ambivalent as I know I needed to be at home with my children and I couldn't help that we moved so often, but these are all major strikes against me, and I wish that I had more to offer on my resume! I regret not volunteering......or having a part time job just JUST TO HAVE MORE ON MY RESUME!

I've concluded that:

-most nurses in the area are BSN grads or ADN grads with experience. Not having my BSN is working against me.

-my lack of job experience and return to the workforce after ten years are obvious strikes against me

I really have no desire to continue my pity party and focus on my bruised ego. I would rather do ANYTHING it takes right now to get ANY job, even if it's a non nursing job.

My plan at the moment is:

1. Apply to an RN to BSN program and pursue my BSN.

2. Begin volunteering immediately in nursing related areas such as hospice, the VA, the major hospitals in this area, and maybe even behavioral health facilities (I've always had an interest in psych).

3. Broaden my job search and begin applying for any type of job that involves care-taking or working in a medical setting - examples: group home worker, habilitation technician, medical office assistant/receptionist (I do have 2 years of secretary experience, but as I stated - that was over a decade ago).

4. After I complete steps 1-3, I will not only have recent job experience, but I will have my BSN and my proposed volunteer experience as well.

I don't want to focus on things that can't be undone, as that is a waste of time. I just want to move forward. Please give me advice on what you guys think. What would you do? Do you think it's a bad idea to take a job doing something other than RN work even though I have my RN license........does that look bad? Does that scream desperate to future employers?

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Are you on any military spouse support groups? I'd ask them if there are any nurses, and if so how they obtained employment when PCSing.

I was military wife for 10 years, live in Hampton and Yorktown for a while in 1999-2001... The area is so overpopulated that ANY job is hard to find and it was my experience that they didn't want military wives because they'd just quit/move anyways. I hope your experience is different, and I think you've got a good plan. Also maybe get letters of recommendation from previous clinical and lecture instructors and hand deliver them with your resume. Dress professionally and be prepared for an on the spot interview if it presents.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Sounds like a good plan to me. One piece of advice: The BSN program will probably not give you any significant amount of clinical experience. So make sure you get some (either as a job or as a volunteer) while you are in school. If you go too long without direct patient contact, your skills will grow stale and employers will count that against you. So find some way to provide some direct patient services (preferably physical care of some type) -- even if it is not the type of job you want.

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In the same spot, but finding that employers don't seem to want to mess with volunteers in any capacity that involves hands-on contact, nor do they want the liability of employing an RN for a position with less responsibility.

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I like your plan. It may take some persistence to get a volunteer hands-on spot but it will be worth it.

The other suggestion I have is couple your resume with a great cover letter that explains your gap in employment. When our group looks at resumes and see a gap in employment history with no explanation we often just pitch the resume (I realize this isn't fair but in today's job market we have our choice of candidates).

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Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm not aware of any military spouse support groups other than ones I've found on facebook and I've asked around on there with no luck. I've signed up for the military spouse preference program and applied for multiple jobs through USA jobs, but haven't had any luck with that either.

I will start giving an explanation in my cover letters to explain my gap in employment. I've done that with a few cover letters, but not all of them.

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Hi Paleogirl: " Apply to an RN to BSN program and pursue my BSN.

2. Begin volunteering immediately in nursing related areas such as hospice, the VA, the major hospitals in this area, and maybe even behavioral health facilities (I've always had an interest in psych).

3. Broaden my job search and begin applying for any type of job that involves care-taking or working in a medical setting " Your plan looks good. I will add to search Indeed.com for jobs. Maybe some schools will offer refresher courses to keep up with skills, it might be worth to check this out. One instructor told me "Focus in your strength, not in your weakness" You are an RN and have all the decisiveness to continue plus the inspiration for having a great family. Keep going and the right work will appear. Wishing you all the best in all endeavour:):yes::)

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In the same spot, but finding that employers don't seem to want to mess with volunteers in any capacity that involves hands-on contact, nor do they want the liability of employing an RN for a position with less responsibility.

I may be wrong on this, but I believe the real benefit from volunteering is networking and making connections more than actually getting experience.

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