New Grad RN Can’t Find Job

Nurses New Nurse

Updated:   Published

Specializes in Urgent Care.

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Hi! I’m a new grad RN with an associate degree. I am having the worst time finding a job and am practically in tears every day that I get one of those “we went with other candidates” emails. I’m starting to lose hope and would like anyone's opinion of how to proceed. I graduated top of my class and have a couple years experience as an LPN. Eight months of that was working in a long term Covid unit. I literally was going through school and working with the high stress of Covid in a nursing home and urgent care but now because I’m a “new” RN I have zero skills to bring to the table according to every nurse hiring manager. 

I’ve filled out every new grad program application in my area. Applied at the current hospital I work at as a urgent care LPN and not even an interview. I’m older new nurse at 40 and feel like I made a mistake. 

I wanted to be a nurse because I love it. I loved every part of clinicals and working with patients. I passed my boards on the 1st try and have recommendations from instructors and current nurse manager.

 Joined some volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross. Signed up to get certified in ACLS, TNCC, ect. I’m starting a BSN program in the fall but I am really doubting myself. Any advise would be great. 

1 Votes
Specializes in oncology.
37 minutes ago, Stcloudmnnurse said:

because I’m a “new” RN I have zero skills to bring to the table according to every nurse hiring manager. 

These hiring managers are wrong! You have all your LPN skills and your new RN skills to boot. What does your current nurse manager say about keeping you in that facility in an RN position? Have a sit down talk with her/him and ask frankly, what do you need to do to get promoted into an RN position. Ask someone you trust at your school to review your resume and interview skills. You definitely have a lot to offer!

5 Votes
Specializes in Urgent Care.
51 minutes ago, londonflo said:

These hiring managers are wrong! You have all your LPN skills and your new RN skills to boot. What does your current nurse manager say about keeping you in that facility in an RN position? Have a sit down talk with her/him and ask frankly, what do you need to do to get promoted into an RN position. Ask someone you trust at your school to review your resume and interview skills. You definitely have a lot to offer!

Thank you! I have talked to my nurse manager and currently there is no open RN positions I. The UC right now. I wish I could get an interview to explain my current skills and everything I’m willing to do and learn.

1 Votes
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

Urgent care centers, outpatient surgery and community health might be places to consider. 

0 Votes
Specializes in Dialysis.

Try dialysis. They're always looking. You can hone assessment and time management skills. I love it, and it can open doors for you, or you may find that you like it and stay as well

0 Votes
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

It is crazy that you aren't getting offers. Are you in a small county or something?

1 Votes
Specializes in Urgent Care.
11 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Urgent care centers, outpatient surgery and community health might be places to consider. 

47 minutes ago, CrunchRN said:

It is crazy that you aren't getting offers. Are you in a small county or something?

I’m in a fairly large city and hospital system. The current urgent care I’m part of is a rural hospital about 45 minutes from my house. 
The hospital that is closer to me is a 487 bed facility and owns just about every clinic and critical access hospital in a 1 hour radius.
 

1 Votes
Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, CrunchRN said:

It is crazy that you aren't getting offers. Are you in a small county or something?

Oddly, now that covid has died down, many hospitals in my area have stopped hiring and crazy OT. They've went back to the basic short staffing. LTCs are staffed normally. Some areas are experiencing this as things normalize

0 Votes
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
48 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Oddly, now that covid has died down, many hospitals in my area have stopped hiring and crazy OT. They've went back to the basic short staffing. LTCs are staffed normally. Some areas are experiencing this as things normalize

Yes... but it's a tighter level of terrible staffing now.  I'm thankful to have retired early. 

2 Votes
Specializes in Dialysis.
10 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Yes... but it's a tighter level of terrible staffing now.  I'm thankful to have retired early. 

I wish I could join the ranks. Unfortunately, I'm just a little too young, but look forward to it with each passing day

1 Votes
Specializes in Urgent Care.
22 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Yes... but it's a tighter level of terrible staffing now.  I'm thankful to have retired early. 

I agree and since I didn’t work for the health system before graduation they don’t wNt to pay new hire bonuses on top of the cost of training new grads. I think they are super short from what I hear and nurses are getting crazy amounts of overtime. 
while I’m over here like, “pick me, burn me out! Nights, weekends no problem”? 

3 Votes

Maybe work in an LTC or in SN as an RN to demonstrate that you can manage the patient load as RN?  Perhaps repost asking former LVNs that have transitioned to RNs how they did it.  Good luck.

1 Votes
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