New Grad...No job and have no clue what to do

natrgrrl · Jun 11, 2009

Well, I wish I had better advice for you but I don't. I live in Nebraska and was hoping to find where to look for a job in Colorado since I have applied just about everywhere here in Nebraska. I hear Arizona and possible Texas have jobs for new grads. I thought my LPN experience would help me but, just like you, I have been applying for months with not a single interview.

BTW, congrats on your license. I have faith that sooner or later you will find a great job. But sooner is always better than later, isn't it? :lol2:

nurse901 · Jun 19, 2009

Thanks nattrgrl!!! That is very encouraging. Yeh it is definitely a tough market out there. I have considered moving to Texas as well because I have heard that there are openings down there. Hopefully we can both nail a job soon. I am so sorry that you are going through the same thing. I know how frustrating it is but I am sure you will get a job soon enough. Good luck and thanks again for the note. I really appreciate it:D.

tutored · Jun 19, 2009

Hi Nurse 901!

I should say from the start but I live now in NJ :uhoh3: ....but it's not my fault! (lol)...I come from several generations of Colorado families - I'm looking to relocate to Colorado again, and so I'm going to post a question about this right after I answer your question.

...I am a trauma nurse in a busy inner-city hospital in New Jersey. It was my first job - I've worked there fourteen months, right out of school into the ICU. I took me six months to find a job as a new grad, in a state with the most number of hospitals per capita in the whole country. I was beginning to think I would never find a job, and i was looking in the most disappointing of all avenues, desperate for work.

What I learned got me a great job: I started finding out all the classes that hospitals have to place new grads in before they can hit the floor - it costs, at least here in NJ, about $40,000.00 for a hospital to hire and train a new nurse!!! So I set out to not be such a liability to a hospital...I discovered which hospitals opened their internal training classes to outsiders (for a fee, naturallly), and took everything I would need as a nurse, and them some (since I wanted Critical Care)...I had to drop more money out of nursing school (the big downside), but I was then a lot more "hire-able", and less of a liability, during job interviews. It's hugely impressive to nurse managers, and it makes you less expensive, so the hospital realizes you "COST LESS MONEY" to them as a new nurse. Start calling and taking all the courses: IV Access, BLS,....it all depends on what you need, or what position you want. I added ACLS, Critical Care Nursing, Hemodynamics and Shock Monitoring, in short, anything I could get a seat in, I took. Try this approach, and let me know how you're doing! Good lUck:heartbeat

nurse901 · Jun 27, 2009

Thanks tutored:) That is very helpful. I am actually getting alot of job leads now. Not sure if one will stick but I am definitely seeing a better market than a month ago. I hope that you can find a job back in Colorado. I just love this state. I am sure you won't have a problem since you already have nursing experience. Have a great day and thanks again for your reply. I appreciate the time you took to write it.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2009

What I learned got me a great job: I started finding out all the classes that hospitals have to place new grads in before they can hit the floor - it costs, at least here in NJ, about $40,000.00 for a hospital to hire and train a new nurse!!! So I set out to not be such a liability to a hospital...I discovered which hospitals opened their internal training classes to outsiders (for a fee, naturallly), and took everything I would need as a nurse, and them some (since I wanted Critical Care)...I had to drop more money out of nursing school (the big downside), but I was then a lot more "hire-able", and less of a liability, during job interviews. It's hugely impressive to nurse managers, and it makes you less expensive, so the hospital realizes you "COST LESS MONEY" to them as a new nurse. Start calling and taking all the courses: IV Access, BLS,....it all depends on what you need, or what position you want. I added ACLS, Critical Care Nursing, Hemodynamics and Shock Monitoring, in short, anything I could get a seat in, I took. Try this approach, and let me know how you're doing! Good lUck:heartbeat

About how much did these classes cost, individually and all together? What an interesting idea. I've planned on getting BLS this summer, but I didn't know the other classes were possible.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jul 3, 2009

The critical care class I took cost a few hundred dollars, plus my pay (of course.) It's not a bad idea for a newbie to look into taking this course for themselves. Not bad at all...