New Grad w/ License - Job market

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Hello all, I have read through this forum several times, but first time writing. I applied at Loyola, Rush, Northwestern, most of the Resurrection hospitals, alexian brothers, advocate to name a few. I have only had one or two positive conversations with the recruiters. Does anyone know the current situation?

I would like to hear from new RNs w/ a license who are just applying for jobs that do not have any tech experience. It would also be nice to hear from nurses who are currently working and know of the hiring situations in their departments.

I have heard the following things to list a few: there is a current hiring freeze, we are hiring internally (but still list the position externally), new grad residency program is no longer offered, we get lots of applications (so no response even in 3+ weeks?), and ofcourse the most popular response that we are looking for more experience.

And for those people on this forum that like to write "please look at other topics regarding this"...please don't write that because its not helpful at all. I am trying to get a current understanding of the job market and not what was posted maybe 2months ago or more.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your responses in advance.

_Tito

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Also I wish new nurses from other states best of luck in their job search, but please don't turn this into a topic about "I am from Indiana, or I am from NY...and so forth" I mean no disrespect to anyone,I am at a point where I hope get some clear answers.

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The current situation in Northern Illinois remains as you have experienced. Very few new grad jobs. These jobs go to strongly connected NGs. A few hospitals have a programs where those who have been employed and "nurtured" throughout school will get NG jobs if they are politically connected as well, but that kind of thing is dwindling. Others have a "residency" of sorts, but to gain entrance, again your political connections must be of the highest quality - so to speak. Teching, unless a special internship type program really has no weight these days as many NGs I know who have connections ex: on the hospital board, friend/relative of the DON, surgeon, or city government, are just given jobs without any healthcare experience, or even proof of doing well in college. This pretty much allocates the few jobs available for NGs.

Another thing to be mindful of is that some hospitals in the area have an abnormally high percentage of foreign nursing staff. You will figure out which hospitals fit this bill pretty fast on your own. The nurses you meet will tell you that unless you share this background, you stand little chance of hire unless you have the special connections mentioned above.

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That doesn't sound very promising for me. It sounds like I need to find one of these connections and start kissin some @$$. And when u say foreign nursing staff, do you mean they are actually being recruited from outside the country?

Any suggestions on some area in the Northwest suburbs that might give me a better shot of landing a job? Keep in mind, I am really trying to avoid nursing homes.

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LOL!!! Just about everyone tries to avoid NH's :lol2: About the foreign nurses, it's slowed due to new rules, but for the past many years yes. Saves lots of money for the hospitals... you will understand the dark part of hospital economics the more you look around and research into things. It surprised me how up front and open people are about telling you how things work. They are very matter of fact. Seems totally untrue until you see/experience a facility like this first hand. Its sad, but it's reality. Keep your eyes and ears open.

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Specializes in NICU, new to school nursing.

I am in the same situation and have applied to the hospitals you have. My experience has been similar to yours. I know Loyola is not hiring new grads not even their own, and from what I have heard the Resurrection Health care system is not in the best way financially and Rush is only hiring their own grads. I actually do know a few people who got jobs at NMH but they did their final synthesis there. I know advocate Illinois Masonic has a new graduate program. I believe one just started but I do know they have one in the summer as well. http://www.advocatehealth.com/body_jobs.cfm?id=1947 . Also as a heads up I heard that Swedish Covenant is supposed to be hiring soon. I haven't seen anything yet but am checking about every other day. I just keep applying and calling it's about all I can do. I also started looking farther out into the suburbs but haven't had much luck there either. Good luck to you.

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Thank you very much for the info. Have you at least gotten an interview from anywhere so far?

Good luck on you job search as well.

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A handful of new grads have gotten jobs doing "case management" for a health insurance company in the Naperville area. A few others have gotten jobs at the prisons. Most people from my class who got hospital jobs right away did so because of people they know. The Veterans Administration is usually hiring, you can check those jobs out at usajobs.com There's a big VA hospital around the Great Lakes naval base north of Chicago I think.

One other thing I have noticed is that some of the posted Advocate jobs were converted from Nurse Clinician I to LPN positions (imagine my surprise as i tried to figure out when i applied to so many LPN positions).

Good luck.

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Specializes in NICU, new to school nursing.

I did have one interview that went well but the position ultimately went to someone with more experience.

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Hi SNUSNU,

Can you divulge the Naperville insurance company that is hiring? Thank you!

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Hi SNUSNU,

Can you divulge the Naperville insurance company that is hiring? Thank you!

I will send you a message with the link (and to anyone else who asks). I won't put it in the thread because they don't pay me to headhunt for them :p

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

First - 3 weeks is a short wait to hear back from a healthcare HR drone in the Chicago area.

Second - don't be afraid to look slightly farther afield. Have you tried any of the other hospitals or systems in the near-burbs? I notice that Vanguard and Adventist aren't on your list

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