New Grad RN - employment options???

KK1017 · Aug 1, 2010

Hello all - I did end up finding a job 40mins north of Boston in Reading. It's a long term care facility and was a pretty rough experience. BUT! It got my foot inthe door. I have since moved back to central new york to take a position on my dream unit and I'm blissfully happy. It is really brutal in Boston right now and I understand how frustrating it can be. Just apply everywhere, follow up phone calls and take any job they throw at you. Sorry it's so awful right now but it will look up!

KK

hotflashion, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2010

If you want to apply to nursing homes, you might want to check them out at Nursing Home Compare. I looked for jobs on Craigslist. I just got a job last week. Keep trying.

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Aug 19, 2010

Thanks for that website. I am going down the list hoping one of them is hiring!

Tanguera, BSN, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 8, 2010

I graduated three months ago and passed the NCLEX. I haven't looked that hard for jobs but my classmates who also graduated with me have been looking. I dont' think anyone has a nursing job yet. I went to a staffing agency that asked me if I was open to doing home care. I told them that I wouldn't be comfortable doing home care since I'm a new grad and I think it would be best to learn in a hospital setting. Also, I wouldn't want to be alone visiting houses and not know what I'm doing. That is so dangerous for the patient and also a potential threat to my license.

For those of you who have experience as new grads who entered home health care as your first job, how easy is it? how difficult is it? I am reading postings and I hear of new grads who haven't been able to find jobs for a year after they graduated.

I wonder if I should just take a home health care job now, or if it might be better just to move to another location where RN's are more in demand since it looks like NYC has more nurses than it knows what to do with.

Jaynaproudmoore · Jul 11, 2012

i graduated in may 2011 with honors, a bsn, and a specialty course in critical care. i was unable to find a hospital job. i have worked for ltc/rehab skilled nursing facility with over 40 patients---unsafe, poor pay and extreme lack of orientation. i still applied to hospital jobs with no luck. i cried myself to sleep many times. i want to be an er nurse more than anything. i've spend 6 years of my life to achieve my rn bsn goal. i made a year at the nursing home this june. unfortunately most employers do not consider nursing home experience at all. i was not going to relocate and leave the love of my life. i enrolled in kaplan fnp program, and was going to quit my nursing home job. i was going to enroll in an emt class or cna class just to keep some experience on my resume untill a hospital job opened up.

somehow, god gave me the strength to go into a hospital in person and demand to speak to the nurse manager. i dressed nice and compiled an extensive professional portfolio. i called in a few days to follow up. i got an interview the next week and now have gotten a job!!!!!! i told them how much i want this and thats why i went to see them. i told them i will learn anything they want me to learn, and they can train me the way they want. i've realzied that you need to be aggressive and assertive if you want a job. i also told them in my interview that i'm not going to give up and they will see again because this is where i belong. its been a long hard year, worst of my life, but now i have my dream job! dont giveup! show and tell the employers how much you belong there. make your own luck!

ryanalice · Jul 11, 2012

Jayna, that is awesome! Congrats on having the strength and courage to go in there and go after what you wanted!!