New Grad RN can't find a job

allnurses Guide · Mar 5, 2015

Who would want to live in ND? I'm all for relocating for jobs, and doing rural work 2 hours from a major Eastern city (just as an example), but I'll pass on the tumbleweeds on the Dakotas!

I think if you had to choose between starve and go bankrupt where you are versus living in North Dakota, warm, dry and fed you would hightail it North pretty quickly.

laceym · Mar 5, 2015

You all are cracking me UP!

Oh I sooo remember finding my first nursing job! I feel for you and suggest plasma centers, blood banks, dialysis centers (sometimes), community health clinics in your area or a more rural area where you could commute? If relocation is an option-STRONGLY suggest looking out of area/state...it's what I did and I am so glad I made the decision. I love my job now(not my first nursing job...but my second!). You will get hired! I graduated December 2012, took NCLEX February 2013, got my first job offered to me 2,000 miles away mid July 2013. Stop thinking hospital-SO overrated (just my opinion, please don't jump me).

everoo · Mar 7, 2015

I live in Brevard County, Florida.

We have several schools in the area cranking out new grads every semester. We have about 6 hospitals here, all of which hire some new grads. Many who can't get hired at the hospitals end up starting off at nursing homes for 6-12 months then get picked up and the hospitals. I've found that the hospitals have open positions, but the people who get hired have known someone at the hospitals who helped them get their foot in the door. Some have even resorted to volunteering at the hospital to just gain face time there and make connections...it's very effective. I've also had friends who have had difficulty getting their application past the HR dept, so they've literally walked their resumes into the dept directors offices and introduced themselves. Most directors I've known have actually admired their tenacity and confidence in their doing this. It takes time and more than just clicking away at the website applications. Good luck!

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 7, 2015

Make sure to also try smaller community hospitals. The ones in my area don't specify BSN. They just want you to have the RN license. They hire new grads constantly and I graduated with my BSN on a Saturday and started my orientation Monday on a cardiac step down unit.

I'm in Arkansas with low cost of living in case you're considering moving lol.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2015

I am currently on a travel assignment and you're right, lots of travel jobs open right now. In my experience, most of the hospitals will claim they have no positions open, and there are few jobs on the regular job board for the hospital. However, that same facility will have multiple postings across several travel nursing sites. I was shocked by this, because you would think it would be expensive to hire a traveler. It turns out that the hospital still makes out because they don't incur much in training expenses and they aren't paying your insurance and benefits.

I also have noticed that they tend to hire travelers they like as permanent staff. I guess it's "try before you buy". This is my second travel assignment and the second one in which the NM offered me a permanent job.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2015

I think if you had to choose between starve and go bankrupt where you are versus living in North Dakota, warm, dry and fed you would hightail it North pretty quickly.

Yup, that's how I would think,as well. Especially if I were a new grad who was young,with no kids or spouse.

You do what you need to do..no one is saying you have to stay there forever. Get some experience and go where you want after a couple of years.

BigMama896 · Mar 7, 2015

RNs and CNA's/PCT's can also spot new nurses who have never worked as a CNA/PCT. Hard, laborious work, to be sure. They have my respect. Nurses who have held that position oftentimes are more well rounded, are willing to help out a bit more and have respect for their aides. (Not always, but most times.) I 100% agree.....working as a PCT on a unit and coming back as an RN almost always assures employment on the floor/hospital.

CaraMarshall · Mar 7, 2015

I graduated with my ADN in Hawaii in May 2013. I passed my NCLEX 2 months later and then a week after that I moved to Houston Texas. It took me 2 months to transfer my license over to Texas snd within a few weeks I landed my first job in Home Health Care. A month after that I got my second job in an Urgent Care. I'm still working those 2 jobs and even got hired for a Peds nurse in home health care, but it's too much for me right now. I'm also in a RN to BSN program as well.

RescueNinjaKy · Mar 8, 2015

RNs and CNA's/PCT's can also spot new nurses who have never worked as a CNA/PCT. Hard, laborious work, to be sure. They have my respect. Nurses who have held that position oftentimes are more well rounded, are willing to help out a bit more and have respect for their aides. (Not always, but most times.) I 100% agree.....working as a PCT on a unit and coming back as an RN almost always assures employment on the floor/hospital.

That might be true in certain areas but not in New York city. Being employed as a cna will rarely get you a job as a rn in New York.

I agree though, that those who worked as cna or pct are more likely to treat their aides better, but there are those who weren't one prior but still treat their aides well.

TeeKay12 · Mar 8, 2015

First, prior work as a CNA will not necessarily guarantee you a position. The hospital I work in has had a plethora of PCTs (Patient Care Techs) graduate nursing school and not be hired as nurses - not because they were not needed or because they were not good PCTs (and would probably be good nurses) but because we weren't hiring new graduates.

It costs quite a bit more to hire a new graduate than to hire an experienced nurse, even if s/he has never worked in that field. Which leads me to my second point: You need to hire a resume writer! Look for someone in the area who is experienced with health care field resumes and has great feedback.

You may need to look at what you're stating as your expected income. Many new grads over-estimate their value. I'm in the Indianapolis, Indiana area and the average new graduate pay for hospital jobs is about $22.00. Metro areas with multiple colleges in and around them have massive numbers of nursing graduates looking for a job. As someone else stated, you're a dime a dozen. What makes you special?

Are you using your professors as references? What about your clinical leaders? Contacts within the hospitals? Make sure you ASK the people you want to use as references. Can't tell you how many times I get an email or call, asking me about someone who has used me as a reference and I wasn't even asked. Having a heads-up helps me answer questions and tell the HR people what that person's strengths are. Send your references your resume, so they'll know what points you're selling.

franvil · Mar 8, 2015

as many have said, moving to a new area helps. I knew the area I graduated from was saturated with nursing grads so I definitely was not going to stay. moved, took the boards, acquired state license, endorsed, and found a job so fast they had to wait for my license to come in.

edit

just want to point out I have no past hospital experience. previous work experience was in financial field

MoshRN · Mar 11, 2015

New grads forget they are not only up against other new grads, they are also up against stale new grads who are doing everything they can to stand out. Like obtaining TNCC, ACLS, PALS, BLS, EKG, NIH Stroke Scale, IV, NRP, STABLE, EFM, Lactation Consultant, and volunteering, career coach, Networking, awesome LinkedIn Profile, and paying for Post Grad Internships. All to get our foot in the door! The struggle is REAL!