New Grad RN Can’t Find Job

[Stcloudmnnurse]

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. 

[MEDFET, CNA]

I get your point but what your suggesting is that this RN can’t do a travel assignment as a new grad I’m u sure what your visualizing she could work in a hospital let’s say Alaska and they will still give her guidance to complete like for instance MLK community hospital in Los angles CA reopened after the rebuild in our community many travel nurses came from places like Atlanta and  Colorado stayed for a year or two similar to what your suggesting she should experience and recieve same guidance even maybe more respect as being a traveler we appreciate the help and no one in my experience had ever told a new grad they weren’t competent or made them embarrassed by suggesting there skill set were not one of an experienced nurse. The managers don’t expect people to come in knowing it all and if a nurse is not comfortable to be independent they can ask for a longer length of orientation usually like 2-4 weeks of training depending on floor but I have seen travelers live there stay as new grads and leave after years being on assignment living in 5 star hotels getting excellent pay packages perks still able to go home ect and leave feeling they have there confidence boosted and nothing like what your suggesting would happen maybe your experiences have shown that it’s not the nurses fault perhaps outdated facilities without you to date tech like voicera or otherwise I’m unsure why covid was blamed at inexperienced nursing it has to do with infection control and sterilization if I’m gonna get into that I probably be flagged again but I’m sorry u went through this Hossier no one should point the finger at the nursing department for the many errors we were not ready for with covid that’s just mean

[MEDFET, CNA]

Btw most hospital settings in CA have locker rooms break rooms with gender friendly bathrooms we use the docking system for accuchecks a lot of our equipment including vitals are done continuously no need to chart after we scan the patients I’d badge we preform on there equipment in there room it goes into charting leaf system to reposition our patients by que we don’t scrub anything most all disposable sent to trash ? think many people area scared Compton CA but forget that we are 20 miles from the beach and this hospital is John Hopkins we have pharmacy and no patient is discharged without treatment whether they need housing clothing food or mental health we don’t turn away and drug seekers get offered resources to assist with those issues also best dang cafferteria breakfast burritos salsa bacon and much more we have huddled before we start shift with communication on every level floor constant 24 hr tech department to assist with our iPhones as that is how nurses text us for communication breaks ect and we do more communication to prevent those issues I don’t see how any new traveler can get any better experience than to work in theCA hospitals we get the job done without making anyone feel slow or lame that’s not cool

[MEDFET, CNA]

Real world experience still leaves room for human error anywhere I have seen veteran nurses freeze while in code and new grads take control preform on spot and guarantee it comes down to reflex and human ability guess what they are trying to have robots preform surgery and although it’s being performed would you want a robot making a quick decision like a human can? Nurses have to learn how to think outside the box as many of these hire ups placed us in the position to loose lives and it hurts my heart to hear we the people doing direct patient care being blamed for coworkers deaths that’s beyond wrong it’s like saying that old should’ve could’ve thing well if I had a dollar for every time geesh I don’t go with that philosophy respect me imma respectful of everyone but we had facilities blaming the groceries being put in a gear age for 24 hrs the reason covid was spreading it’s too much speculation and misinformation being done and if we wanna get technical it sounds like these places yawl work for are perpetuating the fear and shifting blame afraid of lawsuits coming for there mishandling if you have a union I would rethink what your up against there boo!

[MEDFET, CNA]

If anything I’m only saying this new nurse shouldn’t have to start at the bottom because of her inexperience that’s all it’s seems like sometimes older nurses get bitter but need to work with all include nobody enemy we all on same side

[MEDFET, CNA]

I guess my saying is that we need help desperately in CA I’m still stuck as CNA and although I would love to excel and further my education it’s an investment with the cost here tuition that is you better believe if it happens I’m running to get top pay to work the debt off I don’t know many on AN who got a free ride so finance pay ackages although it’s not attractive to discuss factors as well so travel work should be an option with the openings everywhere don’t forget some states are still on strike

[londonflo]

10 hours ago, MEDFET said:

we use the docking system for accuchecks a lot of our equipment including vitals are done continuously no need to chart after we scan the patients

Yes, having data fed right into the documentation system is very helpful.  But it is only data.. An RN needs to review that data, draw conclusions and evaluate the plan of care or adjust it. You do not know, what you do NOT know.

MEDFET, I may have said this before....but punctuation will help me read your comments. Please at least make some attempt with stopping your thought with a (.) period before starting another thought. 

[londonflo]

17 hours ago, MEDFET said:

I’m sure if a nurse makes it through school and succeeds she can bypass the extended orientee or preceptorship

Umm NO! If you found your educational plan prepared you to bypass any orientation or preceptorship. Tell me...I truly want to learn...

[Stcloudmnnurse]

15 minutes ago, londonflo said:

Umm NO! If you found your educational plan prepared you to bypass any orientation or preceptorship. Tell me...I truly want to learn...

I’ve found that the new grad preceptor program is great but it does have limitations to its usefulness in some cases. New nurses were complaining that it goes over things 3-6 months after they were doing the skills on the floor everyday. 
That said I was a LPN before an RN and have been doing skills that bachelor prepared nurses weren’t. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

7 minutes ago, Stcloudmnnurse said:

I’ve found that the new grad preceptor program is great but it does have limitations to its usefulness in some cases. New nurses were complaining that it goes over things 3-6 months after they were doing the skills on the floor everyday. 
That said I was a LPN before an RN and have been doing skills that bachelor prepared nurses weren’t. 

And in most states, there are skills, tasks, etc, that LPNs are not allowed to do, that an RN is. A brand new BSN (or ASN) hasn't done them either, hence needing experience, and the facility's/travel company's expectation that you have that experience as a traveler

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

10 hours ago, MEDFET said:

Real world experience still leaves room for human error anywhere I have seen veteran nurses freeze while in code and new grads take control preform on spot and guarantee it comes down to reflex and human ability guess what they are trying to have robots preform surgery and although it’s being performed would you want a robot making a quick decision like a human can? Nurses have to learn how to think outside the box as many of these hire ups placed us in the position to loose lives and it hurts my heart to hear we the people doing direct patient care being blamed for coworkers deaths that’s beyond wrong it’s like saying that old should’ve could’ve thing well if I had a dollar for every time geesh I don’t go with that philosophy respect me imma respectful of everyone but we had facilities blaming the groceries being put in a gear age for 24 hrs the reason covid was spreading it’s too much speculation and misinformation being done and if we wanna get technical it sounds like these places yawl work for are perpetuating the fear and shifting blame afraid of lawsuits coming for there mishandling if you have a union I would rethink what your up against there boo!

I think that you don't know what you don't know. I've been a RN for many years, almost 30. Up until covid, most travel companies would not look at a candidate without at least 1-2 years experience, preferably more. Covid put many hospitals in desperation mode, and then cry foul when they got inexperienced nurses who didn't know what to do. 

As far as technology, most facilities are very up to date, except some LTCs. Learning how to use the technology is the easy part. Knowing the when and why is completely different. But I guess according to you, I just couldn't possibly know...

[Nurse Pompom]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:52 PM, Stcloudmnnurse said:

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.

Where do you live? Sorry if you gave your state and I missed it. In my state you kick a can and you get a job as an RN. Age has nothing to do with it. I was older than you when I graduated and I landed my first job on my first interview. However, I wasn't picky, they offered third shift and I accepted. I felt like I had to do "my time" and I did.

When you apply for a job, look at the keywords in the posting, take the keywords, transfer them onto your resume. I once landed an interview in a job that was way out of my league just by having the right keywords in my resume haha (I didn't get the job)

[Stcloudmnnurse]

31 minutes ago, Nurse Pompom said:

Where do you live? Sorry if you gave your state and I missed it. In my state you kick a can and you get a job as an RN. Age has nothing to do with it. I was older than you when I graduated and I landed my first job on my first interview. However, I wasn't picky, they offered third shift and I accepted. I felt like I had to do "my time" and I did.

When you apply for a job, look at the keywords in the posting, take the keywords, transfer them onto your resume. I once landed an interview in a job that was way out of my league just by having the right keywords in my resume haha (I didn't get the job)

Minnesota and my area has 4 nursing schools within 10 minutes of the hospital. A lot of competition but yes I’m open to all shifts floors ect. 
I wish there was people recruiting and excited to get new RNs but it’s really not the case here. In clinical I had nurse managers go to HR and tell them they would love me on their floor but still nothing. I helped veteran nurses learn new tricks on Epic.  I can do and interpret EKGs 12 lead, labs, vents, bipap, radiology and the go to for hard Caths in the UC. Rural critical care hospitals give high autonomy to their LPNs because of lack of resources so, triage and medication education gets thrown sometimes to the LPNs.
I have been making individual resumes for each position but using the key words in their posting is a great idea! Thank you!