New Grad with MBA and 20 years in Health Care mgmt not finding job

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Hi, I just graduated from a SACS and NLNAC-accredited ASN program, passed the NCLEX, have license in hand.

I was a very successful health care manager with an MBA. I have applied for numerous jobs, only to be rejected repeatedly.

My nursing school program director says that I should understate my experience and education (remove the MBA from the resume and downplay my past jobs), because he believes that hiring managers are afraid that I'll come in and threaten their jobs.

Others have told me that my education and experience set me apart from the typical new grad, and that I should demonstrate how my patient satisfaction, quality improvement and Joint Commission experience make me a better novice nurse.

I am not looking for a management position. I chose nursing at this point in my life because I wish to provide direct patient care. It is an emotional and spiritual decision. I don't want the manager's job. I just want to be the best nurse I can be.

Any advice anyone can share will be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Jackie

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Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

I would think that adding that degree and those experiences would put you ahead of other new grads. A healthcare manager, too?

It's not nursing experience but it's gotta count for something. You're not 'wet behind the ears' like most of your competition.

I have no advice but that's a real shame. Don't feel bad, though. I had almost a decade of exp in hands on pt care (radiology) at the time and it took a small amt of months to get a callback. Fortunately, I was already working in a GVN slot so I wasn't destitute. I was just testing the field the traditional way to see how conditions were in my area.

You're an MBA so you probably wax poetic when it comes to interviewing. LOL Could it be that your area is just to saturated with new nurses to make a difference?

Do you have friends in healthcare? Family? Do you know of anyone who can get you in a facility? Perhaps you could volunteer? Are there any healthcare symposiums going on in your area? The new GVN at my facility told me that's how he came upon that position: He met the ADON at the meeting and felt fortunate. He's one of the few in his class who already has a position. What's going on is a bunch of weirdness from what I can tell. I don't know what to make of this manufactured nursing shortage.

Take the facility in which I work? We're constantly covering shifts. It was ok for awhile but I don't even pick up the phone anymore because I have enough on my hands during the shifts that I'm SUPPOSED to work! LOL I'm driven stir-crazy. I can't even think towards the end.

Thing is, we need people but no one is putting out any ads. I do not understand. It's like these facilities just don't want to hire more people and I seriously believe that it's all about keeping the costs down by piling pt's (or residents in my case) on top of a 'too few' staff. I don't know. Upon inquiry, I told a resident's caregiver how many residents I had: 40 (at that time) and her eyes bugged out. Is it a lot? I wouldn't know the difference. I'm an 11 month old nurse. Honestly, most of our nursing staff (minus the RN CNs) is young with a median of 1.5 years. I've never had below 37 residents. Never had more than 43.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Have you obtained interviews? If so, how did they go?

If not, any ideas why?

Difficult to respond without more info. Gut feeling: your background would be an advantage.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I'll open up this can of worms then... ASN with MBA =/= BSN. How sad. If you were to obtain a BSN you could prance around with an MS certified badge to demonstrate ur aptitude for acquiring new knowledge. Yet, too many places look upon an ADN RN as a hinderance. I'm an LPN. I work in an ER. I'm possibly one of the last to ever do so. I'll be an ADN in 8 months and I don't have any faith in my future capacity to find a job outside of my current hospital network once I graduate.

I hate this dynamic of LPN vs RN vs BSN found in nursing. If I didn't love pt care (with IV and med administration) so much I would leave it to the birds. Sadly, I do love this stupid job. I was meant to do this!! I have never felt so passionate about a career. Sadly, it is time to progress our educational standards bc yes..... If everyone else is jumping, so should you and so should I.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Sorry, but no matter what 'other' degrees you have, you're still an ASN new grad with no nursing experience. An increasing number of hospitals are only hiring BSN new grads.

Your background may be an advantage if you are ever considered for a management position, but not for an entry-level position. I agree with the advice to downplay it right now. I have a friend who obtained a doctorate in Public Health.... not an easy degree at all! While looking for a position, he was dismayed to find out that he couldn't even get a fast food gig to pay the bills... until he fixed his resume to indicate that he was a HS graduate only. Problem solved! Not to worry, he got a job with a major East Coast City after a few months..

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Difficult to make suggestions without additional details from the OP.

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