New Grad RN can't find a job

[morganv]

I graduated in December 2014. I passed my boards a couple of weeks later in mid January. Since then, I have applied to over 200 jobs. I have sent follow up emails, made phone calls, the whole 9 yards. Yet, still nothing. I am in the metro Atlanta area and have increased my search to many surrounding cities. I have searched for nurse residency programs and new grad RN positions. I still can't find anything. What else can I do? I'm frustrated that they always say "nurses are always in high demand" but no one wants to give the new grads a shot.

[Amoni83]

Hi All,

I'm currently in an accelerated BSN program in NC. I watched a YouTube video this morning that suggested that the average time needed to find a job was a year. 😵 Of course it sent me to the internet to verify this.

It looks like the job search is quite real out there. 😞 Thankfully, there seems to be lots of employers in my state hiring new graduates (including residency programs) at this very moment on Indeed via a "RN new grad" search.

rn new grad jobs in NC - Indeed Mobile

I pray that these opportunities are around for me when I finish this time next year. Good luck everyone.

[jennoviski]

I graduated in May of 2015 and passed my boards in July. I put in so many applications that I lost count. I did not get one interview. I applied to LTC in December 2015 and was hired within that week. After a year of applying, I recently have gone on multiple interviews and have not been offered a job. The LTC facility I work for cut my hours from 40 to 16 (new owners felt they can cut the staffing in half). As a mother and wife, 16 hours does not pay the bills. I am not sure what hospitals and dialysis clinics are looking for, but I am starting to lose hope in the nursing field.

[Brnd-RN-1, ASN, LPN, RN]

It's tough because it seems like everyone is going to nursing school now. I live in Toledo, Ohio and there are several nursing schools in this area and it's very competitive in my experience I am a new LPN I plan on going back for my RN but I was hired the day I passed my boards, but I worked as a nursing assistant at a local nursing home for 8 years and they were holding a position for me. I know some RNs who have to start out in LTC/SNF because the hospitals wont even look at them until they have 1-2 years of experience build your resume up and don't do a lot of job hopping. Sometimes it's who you know if have any nursing friends maybe they can help you land a position. I have a friend who started as a new RN in a hospital but she worked there as a STNA. Sometimes I think new grads can't find work because they will only work in hospitals, but sometimes you have to work at less desirable jobs until you build experience. I am shocked when people say they can't find a job after graduation being a new nurse and even before I passed my boards I was applying and was getting several calls some said let them know when I pass my boards others said call them when I have six months of experience, but I decided to stay where I'm working. Good Luck

[Brnd-RN-1, ASN, LPN, RN]

Try getting your foot in the door at a facility as a nursing assistant even PRN that helps a lot most places will hold a position for you after graduation until you pass boards good luck

[Mackermom]

If you are having problems finding a job, don't overlook the opportunity of a VA hospital. They are hiring in many locations, provide a great venue to continue to learn, teach and practice. Great benefits, pay, too. Also consider community health centers. These provide exposure to family practices, including peds.

[Amoni]

Ok. I love the profession of nursing (so far) and made the move to go to school with the hope of having much more job security than my previous career. I gravitated to this post and periodically read comments here as I took pre-nursing classes, through acceptance to my nursing program and now, just a few months away from graduation. This scared the crap out of me.

So here I am again, reading and contributing a comment to the other folks out there with job concerns. I gotta say, this job drought (assuming it still exists for some) has got to be driven by, 1. the level of nursing license, 2. graduation timing and 3. the location of the new grad.

Here's my situation----

I live in NC surrounded by teaching hospitals and I'll finish my BSN degree in October. I completed my first job applications (9 new nurses jobs mind you), landed interviews for 6 units in 1 -2 weeks and received offers the very day that my references were completed. It's been less than 30 days and I got several offers and just accepted a job. I'm delightfully surprised and relieved!

Maybe the tide is changing OR perhaps the timing, location and degree make all the difference in the opportunities for newbies.