New grad over 1 year and a few months

[Nurse J1112]

So is being an "old new grad" (over a year and few months with no job) a point in my life where I should start a whole new career? I feel as if this whole career choice has backfired and now I have to start all over again.... I hate this choice I made. It has basically ****** me over. What do I do? Everyone from nurse managers, RNS, doctors etc have told me if I get hired into a nursing home, LTC, rehab, detox, Dr. office, IHS etc anything but a hospital it counts against me and a hospitals will never hire me. So now what? I'm frustrated and angry...

Relocating to another state? Same thing they want experience and I have to be living there so they can interview me... Anything and everything has been exhausted....I dont know what to do except do my BSN at this point, maybe it will help but I doubt it too. But at least Ill have a BA.... Help?

[toomuchbaloney]

If you are unwilling to work as a nurse somewhere other than in an acute care hospital you have dramatically reduced your job prospects. That is on you.

If you really want to work as a nurse I suspect you might consider a nursing job in nursing home, LTC, rehab, detox, Dr. office, IHS etc. rather than to remain unemployed and watch as your employability as an RN (in general) ages and dies on the vine.

Good luck to you as you decide how badly you want to use your nursing education and license to provide an income for yourself.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I have heard North Dakota.......

The fact is that you are an "old" new grad and that will not help. Even if you get a BSN you will still have that against you. You need to find a job where you can and then work on networking to get your foot int he door for acute care.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Why do you have to live somewhere so you can interview there? Do you have your driver's license and access to a vehicle? You can always rent a car for a couple of days if you don't have one. I know buying gas for a long distance trip can be hard, but it would be worth it if you landed a job. Also, some places are willing to do phone or Skype interviews, so you can always ask after you apply if that would be a possibility. It sounds like you are just giving up without trying to interview out of state. Plenty of places will interview before you live there, and before you have your license in the state, and you can be hired contingent on you attaining your license and moving.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

Who told you that LTC would count against you in acute care? Many friends are now working in acute hospitals after doing a year in LTC

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

Experience in a LTC facility or doctor's office is far better than no experience. Who knows -- you may find you enjoy the office setting or other non-hospital settings. There are other places for RNs to gain experience besides the hospital setting.

[NYbabyRN, BSN, RN]

That is not necessarily true, I work on a surgical floor and my manager has hired staff nurses with nursing backgrounds in psych, research, nursing homes, pediatric offices, etc; they were given a 2-3 month orientation period just like all new grads. You diminish your chances of gaining acute care hospital employment more so by not getting any nursing experience, especially as more time passes since graduation.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

Several of my former classmates went into LTC, doctors offices, school nursing etc before they could land an actue care postion (hospital). They have all recently gotten acute care postions. That RN experience was seen as just that...experience. While it might not meet the 'acute care experience' that some positions state, it does meet the X amount year(s) RN experience.

I, myself, am an 'old' new grad. I put some months into an office type setting as my first RN position and was then able to get a position on a much sought after floor by most new grads.

Not sure where you live or why those people would tell you that, but they are mistaken. What WILL count against you is if time goes by and you still have NO experience at all.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Our members have given you great advice:

Get your foot in the door ANYWHERE so you can gain a solid year of RN employment. You will be able to apply to hospital positions as "experienced" RN. Two of my staff completed 1 year as Central intake RN in home care agency and both got positions at University of Pennsylvania hospital --#1 hospital in Philadelphia, PA

[RunBabyRN]

I agree that ANY RN experience is better than Pizza Hut experience. You're wasting your degree. I don't know who told you that other experience is bad, but that was horrible advice. I am a new grad as well, and being able to speak to my other RN experience has helped a TON in interviews. I was recently the second choice for an ICU position under a candidate with a year of LTC experience (probably graduated when you did).

[laKrugRN]

Any job is better than what you are doing! Honestly, working in LTC would have looked a lot better on your part than not working. LTC, office, etc is not a death sentence. Heck, I stared out in a clinic and now have my dream job.

[MeiLana]

I also agree. I took, and encouraged my classmates to take, several PRN jobs. When I was offered a first full hospital acute care position, I was told that the work I'd done _COULD_ disqualify me from an internship/residency, but that they would work it out with HR to disregard the few months I'd put in before that application was reviewed. Even though I turned that position down, it demonstrated that things aren't as rigid as the OP's advisers suggest. Another classmate worked all year in LTC and now has the job of her dreams lined up -- every path is different.

If you have the luxury of not working, that's an entirely different thing, but after a while, yes -- it will affect you. If you've been job hunting for the preferred position, I hope you've been working on your BSN concurrently, because that's the only excuse for stalling to go to work, in my opinion/what I see as the opinion of employers. I could be wrong. I went from ADN straight into BSN program because I didn't plan to work immediately. But, I then decided to earn some cash, took the PRN jobs, then it seemed like jobs offers started coming in kinda fast.

Do not overlook your classmates/peers -- they're all out in the job force now, right? Lean on them!! Every job I've gotten has been because a peer let me know it was out there or put in my name or handed off my resume and do I ever appreciate it! I think the offers also came because I demonstrated I'm willing to work/willing to drive and those facilities have legitimate shortages.

I do know people who, when they apply to positions are very set on only working a certain job, during a certain work shift, in a certain location. People with those sorts of limitations don't seem to be getting job offers.